~ What Will You Do In the End? ~

O Lord, do not Your eyes look for truth?

You struck them, but they felt no pain;
You crushed them, but they refused correction.
They made their faces harder than stone
and refused to repent.
I thought,
"These are only the poor; they are foolish,
for they do not know the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
So I will go to the leaders and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God."
But with one accord
they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds.
Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage them,
a leopard will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.

"Should I not punish them for this?" declares the Lord.
"Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

"A horrible and shocking thing
has happened in the land:
The prophets prophesy lies,
the priests rule by their own authority,
and My people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?"

"To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen to Me?
Their ears are closed so they cannot hear.
The word of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it."

(Jeremiah 5:3-6,29-31; 6:10)