Of what [value] to Me is the abundance of your sacrifices? Says the Lord; I am full of whole burnt offerings of rams; and I delight not in the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats;

Though you bring fine flour, [it is] futile; incense is an abomination to Me; I cannot bear your new moons, and your Sabbaths, and the great day;

When you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away My eyes from you; and though you make many supplications, I will not hearken to you; for your hands are full of blood.

And the Lord has said, This people draw near to Me with their mouth, and they honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching the commandments and doctrines of men.

Hear these [words], you house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth out of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord God of Israel, making mention [of it, but] not with truth, nor with righteousness;

maintaining also the name of the holy city, and staying themselves on the God of Israel; the Lord of hosts is His name. The former things I have already declared;

And the Lord heard the voice of your words as you spoke to me; and the Lord said to me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, even all things that they have said to you. [They have] well [said] all that they have spoken.

O that there were such a heart in them, that they should fear Me, and keep My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their sons forever!

But the people took of the spoils, the best flocks and herds out of that which was destroyed, to sacrifice before the Lord our God in Gilgal.

For sin is as divination; idols bring on pain and grief. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord also shall reject you from being king over Israel.

And now remove my sin, I pray, and turn back with me, and I will worship the Lord your God.

The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord, but the prayers of them that walk honestly are acceptable to Him.

And [as for] you, son of man, the children of your people are they that speak concerning you by the walls, and in the porches of the houses, and they talk one to another, saying, Let us come together, and let us hear the [words] that proceed from the Lord.

And you are to them as a sound of a sweet, well-tuned psaltery, and they will hear your words, but they will not do them.

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying,

And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

And these are similarly the [seeds] being sown on stony ground which, whenever they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy;

and they have no root in themselves, but are shortlived. Afterward, when trials or persecution arise because of the word, immediately they fall away.

for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he was protecting him. And when he heard him, he did many things, but he would hear him gladly.

He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

They profess to know God, but in their works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and became partakers of the Holy Spirit,

and having fallen away, to renew [them] again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and hold Him up to contempt.

to Jeremiah the prophet, and said to him, Let now our supplication come before your face, and pray to the Lord your God for this remnant; for we are left [but a] few out of many, as your eyes see.

that you have wrought wickedness in your hearts, when you sent for me, saying, Pray for us to the Lord; and according to all that the Lord shall speak to you we will do.

And they came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and it does not make a difference to you about anyone; for You do not look on the face of men, but you teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

Therefore laying aside all filthiness and abundance of evil, in meekness receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Therefore having put away all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all slanders,

as newborn babes, desire the genuine milk of the word, that by it you may grow,