They say to themselves, "We will never fail; we will never be in trouble."

Some teachers of the Law who were sitting there thought to themselves,

When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, "If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!"

They encourage each other in their evil plots; they talk about where they will place their traps. "No one can see them," they say.

They say, "God will not know; the Most High will not find out."

They say, "The LORD does not see us; the God of Israel does not notice."

And yet you ask, "What does God know? He is hidden by clouds---how can he judge us?"

You think the thick clouds keep him from seeing, as he walks on the dome of the sky.

Why do people commit crimes so readily? Because crime is not punished quickly enough.

God asked me, "Mortal man, do you see what the Israelite leaders are doing in secret? They are all worshiping in a room full of images. Their excuse is: 'The LORD doesn't see us! He has abandoned the country.' "

God answered, "The people of Israel and Judah are guilty of terrible sins. They have committed murder all over the land and have filled Jerusalem with crime. They say that I, the LORD, have abandoned their country and that I don't see them.