3 An ox knows its master,and a donkey knows where its owner feeds it,but the people of Israel do not know me;my people do not understand.”
4 How terrible! Israel is a nation of sin,a people loaded down with guilt,a group of children doing evil,children who are full of evil.They have left the Lord;they hate God, the Holy One of Israel,and have turned away from him as if he were a stranger.
5 Why should you continue to be punished?Why do you continue to turn against him?Your whole head is hurt,and your whole heart is sick.
6 There is no healthy spotfrom the bottom of your foot to the top of your head;you are covered with wounds, hurts, and open soresthat are not cleaned and covered,and no medicine takes away the pain.
7 Your land is ruined;your cities have been burned with fire.While you watch,your enemies are stealing everything from your land;it is ruined like a country destroyed by enemies.
8 Jerusalem is left alonelike an empty shelter in a vineyard,like a hut left in a field of melons,like a city surrounded by enemies.
9 The Lord All-Powerfulallowed a few of our people to live.Otherwise we would have been completely destroyedlike the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.