" aRoam to and fro
through the streets
of Jerusalem
, And look
now
and take
note
. And seek
in her open
squares
, If
you can bfind
a man
, cIf
there
is one who does
justice
, who seeks
1truth
, Then I will pardon
her.
"And aalthough they say
, `As the LORD
lives
,' Surely
they swear
falsely
."
O LORD, do not aYour eyes
look for 1truth
? You have bsmitten
them, But they did not 2weaken
; You have consumed
them, But they crefused
to take
correction
. They have dmade
their faces
harder
than
rock
; They have refused
to repent
.
Then I said, "They are only
the poor
, They are foolish
; For they ado not know
the way
of the LORD
Or the ordinance
of their God
.
"I will go to the great
And will speak
to them, For athey know
the way
of the LORD
And the ordinance
of their God
." But they too, with one
accord
, have bbroken
the yoke
And burst
the bonds
.
Therefore aa lion
from the forest
will slay
them, A bwolf
of the deserts
will destroy
them, A cleopard
is watching
their cities
. Everyone
who goes
out of them will be torn
in pieces
, Because
their dtransgressions
are many
, Their apostasies
are numerous
.
"Why should I pardon
you? Your sons
have forsaken
Me And asworn
by those who are bnot gods
. When I had fed
them to the full
, They ccommitted
adultery
And trooped
to the harlot's
house
.
"They were well-fed lusty
horses
, Each
one
neighing
after
his aneighbor's
wife
.
"Shall I not punish 1these
people," declares
the LORD
, "And on a nation
such
as this
aShall I not avenge
Myself
?
"Go up through her vine
rows
and destroy
, But do not execute
a complete
destruction
; Strip
away
her branches
, For they are not the LORD'S
.
"For the ahouse of Israel
and the house
of Judah
Have dealt
very
treacherously
with Me," declares
the LORD
.
They have alied about the LORD
And said
, " 1 bNot He; Misfortune
will cnot come
on us, And we dwill not see
sword
or famine
.
"The aprophets are as wind
, And the word
is not in them. Thus
it will be done
to them!"
Therefore, thus
says
the LORD
, the God
of hosts
, "Because
you have spoken
this
word
, Behold
, I am amaking
My words
in your mouth
fire
And this
people
wood
, and it will consume
them.
"Behold, I am abringing
a nation
against
you from afar
, O house
of Israel
," declares
the LORD
. "It is an enduring
nation
, It is an ancient
nation
, A nation
whose blanguage
you do not know
, Nor
can you understand
what
they say
.
"Their aquiver is like an bopen
grave
, All
of them are mighty
men
.
"They will adevour your harvest
and your food
; They will devour
your sons
and your daughters
; They will devour
your flocks
and your herds
; They will devour
your bvines
and your fig
trees
; They will demolish
with the sword
your cfortified
cities
in which
you trust
.
"Yet even in those
days
," declares
the LORD
, "I will not make
you a complete
destruction
.
"It shall come about awhen
1they say
, `Why
has the LORD
our God
done
all
these
things
to us?' then you shall say
to them, `As you have forsaken
Me and served
foreign
gods
in your land
, so
you will bserve
strangers
in a land
that is not yours.'
"Declare this
in the house
of Jacob
And proclaim
it in Judah
, saying
,
`Now hear
this
, O foolish
and 1senseless
people
, Who have aeyes
but do not see
; Who have ears
but do not hear
.
`Do you not afear Me?' declares
the LORD
. `Do you not tremble
in My presence
? For I have bplaced
the sand
as a boundary
for the sea
, An eternal
decree
, so it cannot
cross
over
it. Though the waves
toss
, yet they cannot
prevail
; Though they roar
, yet they cannot
cross
over
it.
`But this people
has
a astubborn
and rebellious
heart
; They have turned
aside
and departed
.
`They do not say in their heart
, "Let us now
fear
the LORD
our God
, Who agives
rain
in its season
, Both bthe autumn
rain
and the spring
rain
, Who keeps
for us The cappointed
weeks
of the harvest
."
`Your ainiquities have turned
these
away
, And your sins
have withheld
good
from you.
`For wicked men
are found
among My people
, They awatch
like fowlers
1lying
in wait
; They set
a trap
, They catch
men
.
`Like a cage full
of birds
, So
their houses
are full
of adeceit
; Therefore
they have become
great
and rich
.
`They are afat, they are sleek
, They also
1excel
in deeds
of wickedness
; They do not plead
the cause
, The cause
of the 2 borphan
, that they may prosper
; And they do not 3defend
the rights
of the poor
.
` aShall I not punish 1these
people?' declares
the LORD
, `On a nation
such
as this
Shall I not avenge
Myself
?'
"An appalling and ahorrible
thing
Has happened
in the land
:
The aprophets prophesy
falsely
, And the priests
rule
1on their own authority
; And My people
blove
it so
! But what
will you do
at the end
of it?