<p class="poetry">They say to a wooden idol,<n id="1" /> &#8216;You are my father.&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">They say to a stone image, &#8216;You gave birth to me.&#8217;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Yes, they have turned away from me instead of turning to me.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Yet when they are in trouble, they say, &#8216;Come and save us!&#8217;p>

Your ancestors,<n id="1" /> however, did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They stubbornly refused<n id="2" /> to pay attention or to respond to any discipline.&#8217;

They have turned away from me instead of turning to me.<n id="1" /> I tried over and over again<n id="2" /> to instruct them, but they did not listen and respond to correction.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">Oh, how shattered Moab will be!p> <p class="poetry">Oh, how her people will wail!p> <p class="poetry">Oh, how she will turn away<n id="1" /> in shame!p> <p class="poetry">Moab will become an object of ridicule,p> <p class="poetry">a terrifying sight to all the nations that surround her.&#8221;p>

For<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> had said to Moses, &#8220;Tell the Israelites, &#8216;You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up among you for a moment,<n id="2" /> I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments,<n id="3" /> that I may know<n id="4" /> what I should do to you.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="5" />

and said, &#8220;If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord<n id="1" /> go among us, for we<n id="2" /> are a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.&#8221;p>

for I know about your rebellion and stubbornness.<n id="1" /> Indeed, even while I have been living among you to this very day, you have rebelled against the <sc>Lordsc>; you will be even more rebellious after my death!<n id="2" />

The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation.<n id="1" /> I will no longer be with you,<n id="2" /> unless you destroy what has contaminated you.<n id="3" />

Now, don&#8217;t be stubborn<n id="1" /> like your fathers! Submit<n id="2" /> to the <sc>Lordsc> and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the <sc>Lordsc> your God so that he might relent from his raging anger.<n id="3" />

They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt.<n id="1" /> But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love.<n id="2" /> You did not abandon them,

And you solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned against your ordinances &#8211; those by which an individual, if he obeys them,<n id="1" /> will live. They boldly turned from you;<n id="2" /> they rebelled<n id="3" /> and did not obey.

&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;I will soon bring on this city and all the towns surrounding it<n id="2" /> all the disaster I threatened to do to it. I will do so because they have stubbornly refused<n id="3" /> to pay any attention to what I have said!&#8217;&#8221;p>