Judah’s Rebellion (2 Chronicles 28:5–15)
2 DRA Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. I have brought up children, and exalted them: but they have despised me. BSB BSB: Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
3 DRA The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not understood. BSB BSB: The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”
4 DRA Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children: they have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are gone away backwards. BSB BSB: Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.
5 DRA For what shall I strike you any more, you that increase transgression? the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is sad. BSB BSB: Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted.
6 DRA From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein: wounds and bruises and swelling sores: they are not bound up, nor dressed, nor fomented with oil. BSB BSB: From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.
7 DRA Your land is desolate, your cities are burnt with fire: your country strangers devour before your face, and it shall be desolate as when wasted by enemies. BSB BSB: Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you—a desolation demolished by strangers.
8 DRA And the daughter of Sion shall be left as a covert in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and as a city that is laid waste. BSB BSB: And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a city besieged.
9 DRA Except the Lord of hosts had left us seed, we had been as Sodom, and we should have been like to Gomorrha. BSB BSB: Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.
Meaningless Offerings 10 DRA Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrha. BSB BSB: Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 DRA To what purpose do you offer me the multitude of your victims, saith the Lord? I am full, I desire not holocausts of rams, and fat of fatlings, and blood of calves, and lambs, and buck goats. BSB BSB: “What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 DRA When you came to appear before me, who required these things at your hands, that you should walk in my courts? BSB BSB: When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts?
13 DRA Offer sacrifice no more in vain: incense is an abomination to me. The new moons, and the sabbaths, and other festivals I will not abide, your assemblies are wicked. BSB BSB: Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly.
14 DRA My soul hateth your new moons, and your solemnities: they are become troublesome to me, I am weary of bearing them. BSB BSB: I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.
15 DRA And when you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away my eyes from you: and when you multiply prayer, I will not hear: for your hands are full of blood. BSB BSB: When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
16 DRA Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from my eyes: cease to do perversely, BSB BSB: Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
17 DRA Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow. BSB BSB: Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
18 DRA And then come, and accuse me, saith the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool. BSB BSB: “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.
19 DRA If you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land. BSB BSB: If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
20 DRA But if you will not, and will provoke me to wrath: the sword shall devour you because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. BSB BSB: But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
The Corruption of Zion 21 DRA How is the faithful city, that was full of judgment, become a harlot? justice dwelt in it, but now murderers. BSB BSB: See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!
22 DRA Thy silver is turned into dress: thy wine is mingled with water. BSB BSB: Your silver has become dross; your fine wine is diluted with water.
23 DRA Thy princes are faithless, companions of thieves: they all love bribes, the run after rewards. They judge not for the fatherless: and the widow’s cometh not in to them. BSB BSB: Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
24 DRA Therefore saith the Lord the God of hosts, the mighty one of Israel: Ah! I will comfort myself over my adversaries: and I will be revenged of my enemies. BSB BSB: Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be relieved of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies.
25 DRA And I will turn my hand to thee, and I will clean purge away thy dress, and I will take away all thy tin. BSB BSB: I will turn My hand against you; I will thoroughly purge your dross; I will remove all your impurities.
26 DRA And I will restore thy judges as they were before, and thy counsellors as of old. After this thou shalt be called the city of the just, a faithful city. BSB BSB: I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning. After that you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”
27 DRA Sion shall be redeemed in judgment, and they shall bring her back in justice. BSB BSB: Zion will be redeemed with justice, her repentant ones with righteousness.
28 DRA And he shall destroy the wicked, and the sinners together: and they that have forsaken the Lord, shall be consumed. BSB BSB: But rebels and sinners will together be shattered, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.
29 DRA For they shall be confounded for the idols, to which they have sacrificed: and you shall be ashamed of the gardens which you have chosen. BSB BSB: Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.
30 DRA When you shall be as an oak with the leaves falling off, and as a garden without water. BSB BSB: For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, like a garden without water.
31 DRA And your strength shall be as the ashes of tow, and your work as a spark: and both shall burn together, and there shall be none to quench it. BSB BSB: The strong man will become tinder and his work will be a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the flames.
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