oppresses the poor and the needy,<n id="1" /> commits robbery, does not give back what was given in pledge, prays to<n id="2" /> idols, performs abominable acts,

He does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains, does not pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor&#8217;s wife,

I said to them, &#8220;Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you,<n id="1" /> and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God.&#8221;

I did this<n id="1" /> because they did not observe my regulations, they rejected my statutes, they desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on<n id="2" /> their fathers&#8217; idols.

But those in Jerusalem<n id="1" /> will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths,<n id="2" /> but the king of Babylon<n id="3" /> will accuse them of violations<n id="4" /> in order to seize them.<n id="5" />p>

So I will put an end to your obscene conduct and your prostitution which you have practiced in the land of Egypt.<n id="1" /> You will not seek their help<n id="2" /> or remember Egypt anymore.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;They even sent for men from far away; when the messenger arrived, those men set out.<n id="1" /> For them you bathed,<n id="2" /> painted your eyes, and decorated yourself with jewelry.

&#8220;Son of man, realize that I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a jolt,<n id="1" /> but you must not mourn or weep or shed tears.

<p class="poetry">By the multitude of your iniquities, through the sinfulness of your trade,p> <p class="poetry">you desecrated your sanctuaries.p> <p class="poetry">So I drew fire out from within you;p> <p class="poetry">it consumed you,p> <p class="poetry">and I turned you to ashes on the earthp> <p class="poetry">before the eyes of all who saw you.p>

Therefore say to them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: You eat the meat with the blood still in it,<n id="1" /> pray to<n id="2" /> your idols, and shed blood. Do you really think you will possess<n id="3" /> the land?

When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will magnify myself among them in the sight of many nations.

I looked up<n id="1" /> and saw a<n id="2" /> man<n id="3" /> clothed in linen;<n id="4" /> around his waist was a belt made of gold from Upaz.<n id="5" />

<t /><p class="poetry">Will I deliver them from the power of Sheol? No, I will not!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Will I redeem them from death? No, I will not!p> <p class="poetry">O Death, bring on your plagues!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">O Sheol, bring on your destruction!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">My eyes will not show any compassion!<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel,p> <p class="poetry">I would hunt them down and take them from there.p> <p class="poetry">Even if they tried to hide from me<n id="1" /> at the bottom of the sea,p> <p class="poetry">from there<n id="2" /> I would command the Sea Serpent<n id="3" /> to bite them.p>

<p class="poetry">Even when their enemies drive them into captivity,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">from there<n id="2" /> I will command the sword to kill them.p> <p class="poetry">I will not let them out of my sight;p> <p class="poetry">they will experience disaster, not prosperity.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.p> <p class="poetry">They say<n id="1" /> to me, &#8220;Where is the <sc>Lordsc> your God?&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">I will gloat over them.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Then they will be trampled down<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">like mud in the streets.p>

<p class="poetry">You are too just<n id="1" /> to tolerate<n id="2" /> evil;p> <p class="poetry">you are unable to condone<n id="3" /> wrongdoing.p> <p class="poetry">So why do you put up with such treacherous people?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour<n id="5" /> those more righteous than they are?<n id="6" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">After this the angelic messenger<n id="1" /> who had been speaking to me went out and said, &#8220;Look, see what is leaving.&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Once more I looked, and this time I saw four chariots emerging from between two mountains of bronze.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">An oracle of the word of the <sc>Lordsc> concerning the land of Hadrach,<n id="1" /> with its focus on Damascus:<n id="2" />p> <p class="bodytext">The eyes of all humanity,<n id="3" /> especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the <sc>Lordsc>,