The LORD says, "Do you think I sent my people away like a man who divorces his wife? Where, then, are the papers of divorce? Do you think I sold you into captivity like a man who sells his children as slaves? No, you went away captive because of your sins; you were sent away because of your crimes.

"When the LORD saw this, he was angry and rejected his sons and daughters.

Israel has sinned! They have broken the agreement with me that I ordered them to keep. They have taken some of the things condemned to destruction. They stole them, lied about it, and put them with their own things.

When good people pray, the LORD listens, but he ignores those who are evil.

Instead, your sins have kept these good things from you.

I was angry with them because of their sin and greed, and so I punished them and abandoned them. But they were stubborn and kept on going their own way.

When that happens, I will become angry with them; I will abandon them, and they will be destroyed. Many terrible disasters will come upon them, and then they will realize that these things are happening to them because I, their God, am no longer with them.

And I will refuse to help them then, because they have done evil and worshiped other gods.

'I will no longer help them,' he said; 'then I will see what happens to them, those stubborn, unfaithful people.

And the nations will know that the Israelites went into exile because of the sins which they committed against me. I turned away from them and let their enemies defeat them and kill them in battle.

I gave them what they deserved for their uncleanness and their wickedness, and I turned away from them."

I will pour out my spirit on the people of Israel and never again turn away from them. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken."

The time is coming when you will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer you. He will not listen to your prayers, for you have done evil.