20. “Tell this to the descendants of Jacob, and make this heard in Judah:
21. Hear this, you stupid and senseless people!You have eyes, but you cannot see.You have ears, but you cannot hear.
22. Don’t you fear me?” asks the Lord.“Don’t you tremble in my presence?I made the sand a boundary for the sea,a permanent barrier that it cannot cross.Although the waves toss continuously,they can’t break through.Although they roar, they can’t cross it.
23. But these people are stubborn and rebellious.They have turned aside and wandered away from me.
24. They don’t say to themselves,‘We should fear the Lord our God.He sends rain at the right time,the autumn rain and the spring rain.He makes sure that we have harvest seasons.’
25. Your wickedness has turned these things away.Your sins have kept good things away from you.
26. “Wicked people are found among my people.They lie in ambush like bird catchers.They set traps and catch people.
27. Like cages filled with birds, their houses are filled with deceit.That is why they become powerful and rich.
28. They grow big and fat.Their evil deeds have no limits.They have no respect for the rights of others.They have no respect for the rights of orphans.But they still prosper.They don’t defend the rights of the poor.
29. I will punish them for these things,” declares the Lord.“I will punish this nation.