Ezr 9:7, Neh 9:32-34, Isa 1:4-6, 23, 9:14-15, Jer 2:26, Eze 22:6, 25-29 | ESV | STEP | From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt . And for our iniquities we, our kings , and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands , to the sword , to captivity , to plundering , and to utter shame , as it is today .

7 ^aFrom the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great ^bguilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, ^cand to utter shame, as it is today.

Nehemiah 9:32-34

32 “Now, therefore, our God, ^dthe great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, ^esince the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. 33 ^fYet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully ^gand we have acted wickedly. 34 Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them.

Isaiah 1:4-6

4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
^hoffspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
they have ⁱdespised ^jthe Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly ^kestranged.
5 Why will you still be ^lstruck down?
Why will you ^mcontinue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
6 ⁿFrom the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are ^onot pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.

Isaiah 1:23

23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone ^ploves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
^qThey do not bring justice to the fatherless,
and the widow’s cause does not come to them.

Isaiah 9:14-15

14 So the Lord cut off from Israel ^rhead and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day—
15 ^sthe elder and honored man is the head,
and ^tthe prophet who teaches lies is the tail;

Jeremiah 2:26

26 “As a thief is shamed when caught,
so the house of Israel shall be shamed:
^uthey, their kings, their officials,
their priests, and their prophets,

Ezekiel 22:6

6 “Behold, ^vthe princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood.

Ezekiel 22:25-29

25 ^wThe conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is ^xlike a roaring lion ^ytearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 ^zHer priests ^aahave done violence to my law and ^abhave profaned my holy things. ^acThey have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and ^adthey have disregarded my Sabbaths, ^aeso that I am profaned among them. 27 ^afHer princes in her midst are like wolves ^agtearing the prey, ^ahshedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. 28 And ^aiher prophets have smeared whitewash for them, ^ajseeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the land ^akhave practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and ^alhave extorted from the sojourner without justice.