23. “How can you say, ‘I have not made myself unclean.I have not paid allegiance to the gods called Baal.’Just look at the way you have behaved in the Valley of Hinnom!Think about the things you have done there!You are like a flighty, young female camelthat rushes here and there, crisscrossing its path.
24. You are like a wild female donkey brought up in the wilderness.In her lust she sniffs the wind to get the scent of a male.No one can hold her back when she is in heat.None of the males need wear themselves out chasing after her.At mating time she is easy to find.
25. Do not chase after other gods until your shoes wear outand your throats become dry.But you say, ‘It is useless for you to try and stop mebecause I love those foreign gods and want to pursue them!’
26. Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught,so the people of Israel will suffer dishonor for what they have done.So will their kings and officials,their priests and their prophets.
27. They say to a wooden idol, ‘You are my father.’They say to a stone image, ‘You gave birth to me.’Yes, they have turned away from me instead of turning to me.Yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’
28. But where are the gods you made for yourselves?Let them save you when you are in trouble.The sad fact is that you have as many godsas you have towns, Judah.
29. “Why do you try to refute me?All of you have rebelled against me,”says the Lord.
30. “It did no good for me to punish your people.They did not respond to such correction.You slaughtered your prophetslike a voracious lion.”
31. You people of this generation, listen to what the Lord says.“Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel?Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you?Why then do you say, ‘We are free to wander.We will not come to you any more?’
32. Does a young woman forget to put on her jewels?Does a bride forget to put on her bridal attire?But my people have forgotten me for more days than can even be counted.
33. “My, how good you have becomeat chasing after your lovers!Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two!
34. Even your clothes are stained withthe lifeblood of the poor who had not done anything wrong; you did not catch them breaking into your homes.Yet, in spite of all these things you have done,
35. you say, ‘I have not done anything wrong,so the Lord cannot really be angry with me any more.’But, watch out! I will bring down judgment on youbecause you say, ‘I have not committed any sin.’
36. Why do you constantly go aboutchanging your political allegiances?You will get no help from Egyptjust as you got no help from Assyria.
37. Moreover, you will come away from Egyptwith your hands covering your faces in sorrow and shamebecause the Lord will not allow your reliance on them to be successfuland you will not gain any help from them.