Then the LORD said: 'Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, establishing the root cause of the judgment: the people's worship and devotion are superficial and external, lacking the internal sincerity and true reverence that God demands. The contrast between lips and heart, between external gesture and internal reality, identifies the fundamental spiritual failure. The tradition learned by rote suggests the mechanical performance of religious duties without genuine understanding or commitment. The oracle grounds the judgment in hypocrisy and insincerity, suggesting that the absence of genuine faith and devotion is the reason for the removal of prophecy and vision.

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