17 We have all sinned against the Lord our God.
18 We have disobeyed him and have refused to follow the laws he has given.
19 In fact, ever since the Lord brought our ancestors out of Egypt, we have been unfaithful and have ignored him.
20 The Lord rescued our ancestors from Egypt, so that he could give them a land that is rich with milk and honey. He also warned his servant Moses that terrible things would happen, if our ancestors refused to obey the Lord. And so, because they disobeyed him, we are suffering from those curses.
21 Even when the Lord's prophets came and told us how the Lord our God wanted us to live, we refused to listen.
22 Instead, we did what we wanted and followed our own evil ways—we worshiped other gods and did what the Lord hated.