|
<
Who say to a stock "Thou my Father!" 27
To a stone "Thou hast borne me!"
Their(161) backs they have turned to Me
Never their(162) faces.
Yet in time of their trouble they say
"Rise up and save us!"
Where be thy gods thou hast made thee? 28
Let them rise, if so they may save thee
In time of thy trouble;
For as thy townships in number,(163)
So be, O Judah, thy gods!
What quarrel have you against Me? 29
All you are the sinners;(164)
Against Me you all have rebelled--
Rede of the Lord.
In vain have I smitten your sons 30
Ye(165) took not correction
Your(166) sword has devoured your prophets,
Like a ravaging lion.
O generation--you!--look at the Word of the Lord!(167) 31
Have I been a desert to Israel,
Or land of thick darkness?
Why say My folk "We are off,
No more to meet Thee!"
Can a maiden forget her adorning, 32
Or her girdle a bride?
Yet Me have My people forgotten,
Days without number!
Why trimmest thou still thy ways 33
To seek after love?
Therefore thou also to evil
Thy ways hast trained:(168)
Yea, on thy skirts is found blood 34
Of innocent souls,
Not only on felons(?) I find it
But over all these.(169)
Yet thou said'st, "I am assoiled, 35
Sure His wrath turns from me!"
Behold I am going to judge thee
For saying, "I'm sinless!"
How very light dost thou take it, 36
To change thy ways!
E'en of Misraim shalt thou be ashamed(170)
As ashamed of Ashshur.
Out of this too shalt thou come 37
With thy hands on thy head,
For spurned hath the Lord the things of thy trust,
Not by them shalt thou prosper!
III. 1. [Saying]:--If a man dismiss his wife and she go from him
and become another man's, shall she return to him?(171) Is that
woman(172) not too polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with
many lovers and--wouldest return unto Me? Rede of the Lord.
Lift to the clearings thine eyes, 2
Where not wast thou tumbled?
For them by the roads thou hast sate,
Like an Arab in desert,
Thou hast fouled the land with thy whoredoms
And with thy vices;
With thy lovers so many 3
It has meant but thy snare.(173)
The brow of a harlot was thine,
Shame thou hadst done with.
But now--thou ]]>
|