"At that time," declares
the LORD
, "they will abring
out the bones
of the kings
of Judah
and the bones
of its princes
, and the bones
of the priests
and the bones
of the prophets
, and the bones
of the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
from their graves
.
"They will spread them out to the sun
, the moon
and to all
the ahost
of heaven
, which
they have loved
and which
they have served
, and which
they have gone
after
and which
they have sought
, and which
they have worshiped
. They will not be gathered
bor buried
; cthey will be as dung
on the face
of the ground
.
"And adeath will be chosen
rather
than
life
by all
the remnant
that remains
of this
evil
family
, that remains
in all
the bplaces
to which
I have driven
them," declares
the LORD
of hosts
.
"You shall say to them, `Thus
says
the LORD
, "Do men afall
and not get
up again? Does one turn
away
and not 1repent
?
"Why then has this
people
, Jerusalem
, aTurned
away
in continual
apostasy
? They bhold
fast
to deceit
, They crefuse
to return
.
"I ahave listened and heard
, They have spoken
what
is not right
; bNo
man
repented
of his wickedness
, Saying
, `What
have I done
?' Everyone
turned
to his course
, Like a chorse
charging
into the battle
.
"Even the stork
in the sky
aKnows
her seasons
; And the bturtledove
and the swift
and the thrush
Observe
the time
of their 1migration
; But cMy people
do not know
The ordinance
of the LORD
.
" aHow can you say
, `We are wise
, And the law
of the LORD
is with us'? But behold
, the lying
pen
of the scribes
Has made
it into a lie
.
"The wise men
are aput
to shame
, They are dismayed
and caught
; Behold
, they have brejected
the word
of the LORD
, And what
kind of wisdom
do they have?
"Therefore I will agive
their wives
to others
, Their fields
to 1new
owners
; Because
from the least
even to the greatest
Everyone
is bgreedy
for gain
; From the prophet
even to the priest
Everyone
practices
deceit
.
"They aheal the brokenness
of the daughter
of My people
superficially
, Saying
, `Peace
, peace
,' But there
is no
peace
.
"Were they aashamed because
of the abomination
they had done
? They certainly
were not ashamed
, And they did not know
how to blush
; Therefore
they shall bfall
among those who fall
; At the ctime
of their punishment
they shall be brought
down
," Says
the LORD
.
"I will asurely snatch
them away
," declares
the LORD
; "There
will be bno
grapes
on the vine
And cno
figs
on the fig
tree
, And the leaf
will wither
; And what I have given
them will pass
away
.""'
Why are we sitting
still
? aAssemble
yourselves, and let us bgo
into the fortified
cities
And let us perish
there
, Because
the LORD
our God
has doomed
us And given
us cpoisoned
water
to drink
, For dwe have sinned
against the LORD
.
We awaited for peace
, but no
good
came; For a time
of healing
, but behold
, terror
!
From aDan is heard
the snorting
of his horses
; At the sound
of the neighing
of his bstallions
The whole
land
quakes
; For they come
and cdevour
the land
and its fullness
, The city
and its inhabitants
.
"For behold, I am asending
serpents
against you, Adders
, for which
there
is bno
charm
, And they will bite
you," declares
the LORD
.
1My asorrow is beyond healing
, My bheart
is faint
within me!
Behold, listen
! The cry
of the daughter
of my people
from a adistant
land
: "Is the LORD
not in Zion
? Is her King
not within her?" "Why
have they bprovoked
Me with their graven
images
, with foreign
1 cidols
?"
"Harvest is past
, summer
is ended
, And we are not saved
."
For the abrokenness of the daughter
of my people
I am broken
; I bmourn
, dismay
has taken
hold
of me.
Is there no
abalm
in Gilead
? Is there
no
physician
there
? bWhy
then
has not the 1health
of the daughter
of my people
2been restored
?