^44:4I sent my servants the prophets to you people over and over¹¹ again warning you not to do this disgusting thing I hate.¹²^44:5But the people of Jerusalem and Judah¹³ would not listen or pay any attention. They would not stop the wickedness they were doing nor quit sacrificing to other gods.¹⁴

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Footnotes

11 See 7:13 for an explanation of this idiom and compare 7:25; 25:4; 26:5; 29:19; 35:15 for similar references to the persistent warnings of the prophets.
12 Heb “sent … over again, saying, ‘Do not do this terrible thing that I hate.’ ” The indirect quote has been used to shorten the sentence and eliminate one level of embedded quotes. This refers to the worship of other gods mentioned in the previous verse.
13 There appears to be a deliberate shift in the pronouns used in vv. 2–5. “You” refers to the people living in Egypt who are being addressed (v. 2) and to the people of present and past generations to whom the Lord persistently sent the prophets (v. 4). “They” refers to the people of Jerusalem and the towns of Judah who have suffered disaster (v. 2) because of the wickedness of sacrificing to other gods (vv. 3, 5). The referents have been explicitly identified in the translation for the sake of clarity.
14 Heb “They did not listen or incline their ear [= pay attention] by turning from their wickedness by not sacrificing to other gods.” The לְ (lamed) + the negative + the infinitive is again epexegetical. The sentence has been restructured and more idiomatic English expressions have been used to better conform with contemporary English style but an attempt has been made to retain the basic relationships of subordination.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, ‘Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!’ But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’ But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

So I sent you all my servants the prophets time and time again, saying, ‘Don’t commit this detestable action that I hate.’ But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their evil or stop burning incense to other gods.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Again and again I sent my servants, the prophets, to plead with them, ‘Don’t do these horrible things that I hate so much.’ But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept on burning incense to these gods.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And I sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending over and over again, saying, “Please, you must not do this detestable thing that I hate.” But they did not listen and they did not incline their ears to turn back from their wickedness, to not make smoke offerings to other gods.

KJV 1900King James Version

Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.

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