"Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I am about to bring on them disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not hear them.

Then they will call me, but I won't answer; they will search for me, but won't find me.

Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the law-- even his prayer is detestable.

When you lift up your hands [in prayer], I will refuse to look at you; even if you offer countless prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

"Why have we fasted, but You have not seen? We have denied ourselves, but You haven't noticed!" "Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.

Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not show pity or spare [them]. Though they cry out in My ears with a loud voice, I will not listen to them."

Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. He will hide His face from them at that time because of the crimes they have committed.

Just as He had called, and they would not listen, so when they called, I would not listen," says the LORD of Hosts.

What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: "Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices, and eat the meat yourselves,

for when I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak with them or command them concerning burnt offering and sacrifice.

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

The sacrifice of a wicked person is detestable-- how much more so when he brings it with ulterior motives!

"What are all your sacrifices to Me?" asks the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I have no desire for the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats.

Stop bringing useless offerings. I despise [your] incense. New Moons and Sabbaths, and the calling of solemn assemblies-- I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.

When you lift up your hands [in prayer], I will refuse to look at you; even if you offer countless prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

I will scatter them among nations that they and their fathers have not known. I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off."

If they ask you: Where will we go? you must tell them: This is what the LORD says: Those [destined] for death, to death; those [destined] for the sword, to the sword. Those [destined] for famine, to famine; those [destined] for captivity, to captivity.

"I will ordain four kinds [of judgment] for them"-- [this is] the LORD's declaration-- "the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land to devour and destroy.

They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like manure on the face of the earth. They will be finished off by sword and famine. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.

Afterwards'"-- [this is] the LORD's declaration-- "'King Zedekiah of Judah, his officers, and the people-- those in this city who survive the plague, the sword, and the famine-- I will hand over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, to their enemies, yes, to those who want to take their lives. He will put them to the sword; he won't spare them or show pity or compassion.'

Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils [of war].

I will send the sword, famine, and plague against them until they have perished from the land I gave to them and their ancestors."

This is what the LORD of Hosts says: "I am about to send against them sword, famine, and plague and will make them like rotten figs that are inedible because they are so bad.

I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth-- a curse and a desolation, an object of scorn and a disgrace among all the nations where I will have banished them.

One third of your people will die by plague and be consumed by famine within you; one third will fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter one third to every direction of the wind, and I will draw a sword [to chase] after them.

"I will make you a ruin and a disgrace among the nations around you, in the sight of everyone who passes by.

When I shoot deadly arrows of famine at them, arrows for destruction that I will send to destroy you, [inhabitants of Jerusalem], I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of bread.

"For this is what the Lord God says: How much worse will it be when I send My four devastating judgments against Jerusalem-- sword, famine, dangerous animals, and plague-- in order to wipe out [both] man and animal from it!