That’s because we’ve done so many things he considers wrong. Our sins prove that we are guilty. The wrong things we’ve done are always troubling us. We admit that we have sinned.

我们的过犯在你面前增多，罪恶作见证告我们；过犯与我们同在。至于我们的罪孽，我们都知道：

我们的过犯在你面前增加，罪恶作证控告我们；过犯与我们同在。至于我们的罪孽，我们都知道：

我们的过犯在你面前增加，罪恶作证控告我们；过犯与我们同在。至于我们的罪孽，我们都知道：

因为我们在上帝面前过犯累累，我们的罪恶向我们发出控诉。我们被过犯缠身，自知有罪。

因为我们的过犯在你面前增多，我们的罪作证控告我们，我们的过犯与我们在一起；我们知道我们的罪孽，

因为我们的过犯在你面前增多，我们的罪恶证实我们的不是；我们的过犯与我们在一起，我们也知道我们的罪孽：

我們的過犯在你面前增多，罪惡作見證告我們；過犯與我們同在。至於我們的罪孽，我們都知道：

我們的過犯在你面前增加，罪惡作證控告我們；過犯與我們同在。至於我們的罪孽，我們都知道：

我們的過犯在你面前增加，罪惡作證控告我們；過犯與我們同在。至於我們的罪孽，我們都知道：

因為我們在上帝面前過犯纍纍，我們的罪惡向我們發出控訴。我們被過犯纏身，自知有罪。

因為我們的過犯在你面前增多，我們的罪作證控告我們，我們的過犯與我們在一起；我們知道我們的罪孽，

因為我們的過犯在你面前增多着，我們的罪作證告了我們；因為我們的過犯老跟我們在一起；我們的罪孽我們都知道：

因為我們的過犯在你面前增多，我們的罪惡證實我們的不是；我們的過犯與我們在一起，我們也知道我們的罪孽：

在於爾前、我咎孔多、我罪訟我、我咎偕我、自知我愆、

我罪戾孔多、主鑒察之、我惡跡已彰、我心知之、

我愆尤在主前甚多、罪戾證而訟我、愆尤隨我、我之過惡、我自知之、

For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities:

For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:

For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are.

For our transgressions have multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:

For our wrongful acts have multiplied before You, And our sins have testified against us; For our wrongful acts are with us, And we know our wrongdoings:

For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And as for our iniquities, we know them:

For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them:

For our transgressions have multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:

For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions[ are] with us; and[ as for] our iniquities, we know them;

For you are aware of our many rebellious deeds, and our sins testify against us; indeed, we are aware of our rebellious deeds; we know our sins all too well.

For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them:

I prayed,“ I’m filled with shame and dishonor, my God. I can hardly look to you and pray. That’s because our sins are piled up above our heads. Our guilt reaches all the way to the heavens.

Israel’s pride proves that they are guilty. The people of Ephraim trip and fall because they have sinned. Judah falls down along with them.

Lord, our sins are a witness against us. But do something for the honor of your name. We have often turned away from you. We’ve sinned against you.

The Lord and King says,“ How terrible it will be for this city! It has so many murderers in it. How terrible for the pot that is coated with scum! The scum on it will not go away. Take the meat out of the pot piece by piece. Take it out in whatever order it comes.“ The blood Jerusalem’s people spilled is inside its walls. They poured it out on a bare rock. They did not pour it on the ground. If they had, dust would have covered it up.So I put their blood on the bare rock. I did not want it to be covered up. I poured out my great anger on them. I paid them back.”So the Lord and King said to me,“ How terrible it will be for this city! It has so many murderers in it. I too will pile the wood high.So pile on the wood. Light the fire. Cook the meat well. Mix in the spices. Let the bones be blackened.Then set the empty pot on the coals. Let it get hot. Let its copper glow. Then what is not pure in it will melt. Its scum will be burned away.But it can’t be cleaned up. Its thick scum has not been removed. Even fire can’t burn it off.“ Jerusalem, you are really impure. I tried to clean you up. But you would not let me make you pure. So you will not be clean again until I am no longer so angry with you.“ I have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back. I will not feel sorry for you. I will do what I said I would do. You will be judged for your conduct and actions. I am the Lord,” announces the Lord and King.

The look on their faces is a witness against them. They show off their sin, just as the people of Sodom did. They don’t even try to hide it. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought trouble on themselves.

“ Our evil acts and our terrible sins have brought about the things that have happened to us. You are our God. Because we sinned so much, you should have punished us even more than you have. But you have left many of your people alive.

“ Son of man, are you going to judge Jerusalem? Will you judge this city that has so many murderers in it? Then tell its people they have done many evil things. I hate those things.Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ Your city brings death on itself. You spill blood inside its walls. You make yourselves‘ unclean’ by making statues of gods.You are guilty of spilling blood. Your statues have made you‘ unclean.’ You have brought your days to a close. The end of your years has come. So the nations will make fun of you. All the countries will laugh at you.Those who are near you will tell jokes about you. So will those who are far away. Trouble fills the streets of your sinful city.“‘ “The princes of Israel are in your city. All of them use their power to spill blood.They have made fun of fathers and mothers alike. They have crushed outsiders. They have treated badly the children whose fathers have died. They have done the same thing to widows.You have looked down on the holy things that were set apart to me. You have misused my Sabbath days.You have spread lies about others so you can spill someone’s blood. You eat at the mountain temples. You commit impure acts.You bring shame on your fathers by having sex with their wives. You have sex with women during their monthly period. That is when they are‘ unclean.’One of you has sex with another man’s wife. I hate that sin. Another brings shame on his daughter- in- law by having sex with her. Still another has sex with his sister, even though she is his own father’s daughter.You accept money from people who want special favors. You do this to spill someone’s blood. You charge interest to poor people when you lend them money. You make money from them. You get rich by cheating your neighbors. And you have forgotten me,” announces the Lord and King.

How terrible it will be for this sinful nation! They are loaded down with guilt. They are people who do nothing but evil. They are children who are always sinning. They have deserted the Lord. They have turned against the Holy One of Israel. They have turned their backs on him.

But look! You are trusting in worthless lies.“‘ “You continue to steal and commit murder. You commit adultery. You tell lies in court. You burn incense to Baal. You worship other gods you didn’t know before.Then you come and stand in front of me. You keep coming to this house where I have put my Name. You say,‘ We are safe.’ You think you are safe when you do so many things I hate.

Lord, don’t your eyes look for truth? You struck down your people. But they didn’t feel any pain. You crushed them. But they refused to be corrected. They made their faces harder than stone. They refused to turn away from their sins.I thought,“ The people of Jerusalem are foolish. They don’t know how the Lord wants them to live. They don’t know what their God requires of them.So I will go to the leaders. I’ll speak to them. They should know how the Lord wants them to live. They must know what their God requires of them.” But all of them had broken off the yoke the Lord had put on them. They had torn off the ropes he had tied them up with.So a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the desert will destroy them. A leopard will hide and wait near their towns. It will tear to pieces anyone who dares to go out. Again and again they have refused to obey the Lord. They have turned away from him many times.The Lord says,“ Jerusalem, why should I forgive you? Your people have deserted me. They have made their promises in the names of gods that are not really gods at all. I supplied everything they needed. But they committed adultery. Large crowds went to the houses of prostitutes.Your people are like stallions that have plenty to eat. Their sinful desires are out of control. Each of them goes after another man’s wife.Shouldn’t I punish them for this?” announces the Lord.“ Shouldn’t I pay back the nation that does these things?

But the things you have done wrong have robbed you of these gifts. Your sins have kept these good things far away from you.’“ Jeremiah, some of my people are evil. They hide and wait just as people hide to catch birds. They set traps for people.A hunter uses tricks to fill his cage with birds. And my people have filled their houses with a lot of goods. They have become rich and powerful.They have grown fat and heavy. There is no limit to the evil things they do. In court they do not seek justice. They don’t protect the rights of children whose fathers have died. They do not stand up for poor people.Shouldn’t I punish them for this?” announces the Lord.“ Shouldn’t I pay back the nation that does these things?

“ Son of man, once there were two women. They had the same mother.They became prostitutes in Egypt. They have been unfaithful to me since they were young. In that land they allowed their breasts to be touched. They permitted their virgin breasts to be kissed.The older sister was named Oholah. The younger one was Oholibah. They belonged to me. Sons and daughters were born to them. Oholah stands for Samaria. And Oholibah stands for Jerusalem.“ Oholah was unfaithful to me even while she still belonged to me. She longed for her Assyrian lovers. They included soldierswho wore blue uniforms. They also included governors and commanders. All of them were young and handsome. They rode horses.She gave herself as a prostitute to all Assyria’s finest warriors. She made herself impure with the statues of the gods of everyone she longed for.She started being a prostitute in Egypt. And she never stopped. When she was young, men had sex with her. They kissed her virgin breasts. They used up all their sinful desires on her.“ So I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers. She longed for them.They stripped her naked. They took away her sons and daughters. And they killed her with their swords. Other women laughed when that happened. I was the one who had punished her.“ Her sister Oholibah saw it. But her evil desire for sexual sin was worse than her sister’s.She too longed for the men of Assyria. They included governors and commanders. They included soldiers who wore fancy uniforms. They also included men who rode horses. All of them were young and handsome.I saw that she too made herself impure. So both sisters did the same evil things.“ But Oholibah went even further with her sexual sins. She saw pictures of men drawn on a wall. They were figures of Babylonians drawn in red.They had belts around their waists. They wore flowing turbans on their heads. All of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers. They were from the land of the Chaldeans.As soon as she saw the pictures, she longed for the men. So she sent messengers to them in Babylon.Then the Babylonians came to her. They went to bed with her. They had sex with her. They made her impure when they had sex with her. After they did it, she became sick of them. So she turned away from them.She acted like a prostitute who had no shame at all. She openly showed her naked body. I became sick of what she was doing. So I turned away from her. I had also turned away from her sister.But Oholibah offered her body to her lovers again and again. She remembered the days when she was a young prostitute in Egypt.There she had longed for her lovers. Their private parts seemed as big as those of donkeys. And their flow of semen appeared to be as much as that of horses.So you wanted to return to the days when you were young. You longed for the time when you first became impure in Egypt. That was when you allowed your breasts to be kissed. And you permitted your young breasts to be touched.”So the Lord and King says,“ Oholibah, I will stir up your lovers against you. You became sick of them. You turned away from them. But I will bring them against you from every side.They include the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans. They include the men from Pekod, Shoa and Koa. They also include all the Assyrians. They are young and handsome. Some of them are governors and commanders. Others are chariot officers. Still others are very high officials. All of them ride horses.So a huge army will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons. They will take up positions against you on every side. They will carry large and small shields. They will wear helmets. I will turn you over to them to be punished. They will punish you in their own way.I will pour out my jealous anger on you. And the army’s anger will burn against you. They will cut off your noses and ears. Some of you who are left will be killed by swords. They will take away your sons and daughters. Others of you who are left will be burned up.The army will also strip off your clothes. They will take your fine jewelry away from you.You became an impure prostitute in Egypt. But I will put a stop to all of that. You will no longer want to do any of it. You will not remember Egypt anymore.”The Lord and King says,“ I am about to hand you over to people you hate. You became sick of them. You turned away from them.They will punish you because they hate you so much. They will take away from you everything you have worked for. They will leave you completely naked. Then everyone will see that you are a prostitute who has no shame at all. You were impure. You offered your body to your lovers again and again.That is why you will be punished. You longed for lovers in other nations. You made yourself impure by worshiping their gods.You did the same things your sister Oholah did. So I will put her cup in your hand. It is filled with the wine of my anger.”The Lord and King says to Oholibah,“ You will drink from your sister’s cup. It is large and deep. It is filled with the wine of my anger. So others will laugh at you. They will make fun of you.You will become drunk and sad. The cup of my anger will completely destroy you. It is the same cup your sister Samaria drank from.You will drink from it until it is empty. Then you will chew on its pieces. And you will claw at your breasts. I have spoken,” announces the Lord and King.So the Lord and King says,“ You have forgotten me. You have turned your back on me. You have been impure. You have acted like a prostitute. So I will punish you.”The Lord said to me,“ Son of man, are you going to judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then tell them they have done many evil things. I hate those things.They have committed adultery. Their hands are covered with the blood of the people they have murdered. They have worshiped other gods. They have not been faithful to me. They have even sacrificed their children as food to other gods. Those children belonged to me.Here are some other things the sisters have done to me. They have made my temple‘ unclean.’ They have misused my Sabbath days.They have sacrificed their children to their gods. On that same day they entered my temple and made it‘ unclean.’ That is what they have done in my house.“ They even sent messengers to bring men from far away. When the men arrived, Oholibah took a bath. She put makeup on her eyes. She put her jewelry on.She sat down on a beautiful couch. A table was in front of it. There she put the incense and olive oil that belonged to me.“ The noise of a carefree crowd was all around her. Men who drink too much were brought from the desert. Other men were brought along with them. They put bracelets on the wrists of the two sisters. They put beautiful crowns on their heads.Then I spoke about Oholibah. She was worn out by adultery. I said,‘ Let them use her as a prostitute. After all, that is what she is.’So they slept with her. In fact, they slept with both of these impure women, Oholah and Oholibah. They slept with them just as men sleep with prostitutes.But judges who are right with God will sentence the sisters to be punished. They will be punished in the same way as women who commit adultery and murder. After all, they have committed adultery. And their hands are covered with the blood of the people they have murdered.”The Lord and King says,“ Bring an angry crowd against the sisters. Hand them over to those who will terrify them and steal everything they have.The crowd will kill them by throwing stones at them. They will use swords to cut them down. They will kill their sons and daughters. And they will burn down their houses.“ So I will put an end to impurity in the land. Then all its women will be warned. They will not want to be like the sisters.Those sisters will be punished because of the impure things they have done. They will be judged because they have worshiped other gods. Then they will know that I am the Lord and King.”

“‘ Ezekiel, get ready to put my people in chains. The land is full of murderers. They are harming one another all over Jerusalem.

But its people are sinful. They have refused to obey my laws and rules. They have turned their backs on my laws. They have not followed my rules. These people are worse than the nations and countries around them.”

Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You sinned even more than they did. I hate those sins. Compared to what you did, you made your sisters seem godly.So you will be dishonored. You have given your sisters an excuse for what they did. Your sins were far worse than theirs. In fact, your sisters appear to be more godly than you. So then, be ashamed. You will be dishonored. You have made them appear to be godly.

We have sinned and done what is wrong. We have been evil. We have refused to obey you. We have turned away from your commands and laws.We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets. They spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our people of long ago. They also brought your message to all our people in the land.“ Lord, you always do what is right. But we are covered with shame today. We are the people of Judah and Jerusalem. All of us are Israelites, no matter where we live. We are now living in many countries. You scattered us among the nations because we weren’t faithful to you.Lord, we are covered with shame. So are our kings and princes, and our people of long ago. We have sinned against you.

People curse one another. They tell lies and commit murder. They steal and commit adultery. They break all my laws. They keep spilling the blood of other people.

The pride of Israel proves that they are guilty. But in spite of everything, they don’t return to the Lord their God. They don’t go to him for help.

“ Look up at the bare hilltops. Is there any place where you have not worshiped other gods? You have been unfaithful to me like a wife committing adultery. By the side of the road you sat waiting for lovers. You sat there like someone who wanders in the desert. You have made the land impure. You are like a sinful prostitute.

“ Son of man, speak to the land. Tell it,‘ You have not been washed clean with rain. That’s because I am angry with you.’Ezekiel, the princes of the land are like a roaring lion that tears its food apart. They eat people up. They take treasures and other valuable things. They cause many women in the land to become widows.Its priests break my law. They treat things set apart to me as if they were not holy. They treat holy and common things as if they were the same. They teach that there is no difference between things that are‘ clean’ and things that are not. They refuse to keep my Sabbath days. So they treat me as if I were not holy.The officials in the land are like wolves that tear their food apart. They spill blood and kill people to get rich.The prophets cover up these acts for them. The visions of these prophets are false. They use magic to try to find out what is going to happen. But their magic tricks are lies. They say,‘ The Lord and King says.’ But I have not spoken to them.The people of the land get rich by cheating others. They steal. They crush those who are poor and in need. They treat outsiders badly. They refuse to be fair to them.“ I looked for someone among them who would stand up for Jerusalem. I tried to find someone who would pray to me for the land. Then I would not have to destroy it. But I could not find anyone who would pray for it.

The Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets also forced us to leave. They do not please God. They are enemies of everyone.They try to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles. These Jews don’t want the Gentiles to be saved. In this way, these Jews always increase their sins to the limit. God’s anger has come on them at last.

He said to me,“ Son of man, dig into the wall.” So I did. And I saw a door there.He continued,“ Go through it. Look at the evil things they are doing here. I hate those things.”So I went in and looked. All over the walls were pictures of all kinds of crawling things and“ unclean” animals. The Lord hates it when people worship those things. There were also carvings of the gods of the people of Israel.In front of them stood 70 elders of Israel. Jaazaniah was standing there among them. He is the son of Shaphan. Each elder was holding a shallow cup. A sweet- smelling cloud of incense was rising from the cups.The Lord spoke to me. He said,“ Son of man, do you see what the elders of Israel are doing in the dark? Each of them is in his own room worshiping his own god. They say,‘ The Lord doesn’t see us. He has deserted the land.’ ”He continued,“ You will see them doing things I hate even more.”Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’ s house. I saw women sitting there. They were mourning for the god named Tammuz.The Lord said to me,“ Son of man, do you see what they are doing? You will see things I hate even more.”Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord’ s house. About 25 men were there. They were at the entrance to the Lord’ s temple between the porch and the altar. Their backs were turned toward the temple. Their faces were turned toward the east. And they were bowing down to the sun.

So go ahead and finish the sins that those who lived before you started!“ You nest of poisonous snakes! How will you escape from being sentenced to hell?

In spite of everything that has happened to us, you have been fair. You have been faithful in what you have done. But we did what was evil.

What the law says, it says to those who are ruled by the law. Its purpose is to shut every mouth and make the whole world accountable to God.So no one will be considered right with God by obeying the law. Instead, the law makes us more aware of our sin.