1 At that time, says the Lord, they will take the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his rulers, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem out of their resting-places:

2 And they will put them out before the sun and the moon and all the stars of heaven, whose lovers and servants they have been, after whom they have gone, to whom they have made prayers, and to whom they have given worship: they will not be put together or placed in the earth; they will be waste on the face of the earth.

3 And death will be desired more than life by the rest of this evil family who are still living in all the places where I have sent them away, says the Lord of armies.

4 Further, you are to say to them, This is what the Lord has said: Will those who are falling not be lifted up again? will he who has gone away not come back?

5 Why do these people of Jerusalem go back, for ever turning away? they will not give up their deceit, they will not come back.

6 I took note and gave ear, but no one said what is right: no man had regret for his evil-doing, saying, What have I done? everyone goes off on his way like a horse rushing to the fight.

7 Truly, the stork in the heavens is conscious of her fixed times; the dove and the swallow and the crane keep to the times of their coming; but my people have no knowledge of the law of the Lord.

8 How is it that you say, We are wise and the law of the Lord is with us? But see, the false pen of the scribes has made it false.

9 The wise men are shamed, they are overcome with fear and taken: see, they have given up the word of the Lord; and what use is their wisdom to them?

10 So I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will take them for themselves: for everyone, from the least to the greatest, is given up to getting money; from the priest even to the prophet, everyone is false.

11 And they have made little of the wounds of the daughter of Zion, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

12 Let them be put to shame because they have done disgusting things. They had no shame, they were not able to become red with shame: so they will come down with those who are falling: in the time of their punishment they will be made low, says the Lord.

13 I will put an end to them completely, says the Lord: there are no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf is dry.

14 Why are we seated doing nothing? come together, and let us go to the walled towns, and let destruction overtake us there, for the Lord our God has sent destruction on us, and given us bitter water for our drink, because we have done evil against the Lord.

15 We were looking for peace, but no good came; and for a time of well-being, but there is only a great fear.

16 The loud breathing of the horses comes to our ears from Dan: at the sound of the outcry of his war-horses, all the land is shaking with fear; for they have come, and have made a meal of the land and everything in it; the town and the people living in it.

17 See, I will send snakes and poison-snakes among you, against which the wonder-worker has no power; and they will give you wounds which may not be made well, says the Lord.

18 Sorrow has come on me! my heart in me is feeble.

19 The voice of the cry of the daughter of my people comes from a far land: Is the Lord not in Zion? is not her King in her? Why have they made me angry with their images and their strange gods which are no gods?

20 The grain-cutting is past, the summer is ended, and no salvation has come to us.

21 For the destruction of the daughter of my people I am broken: I am dressed in the clothing of grief; fear has taken me in its grip.

22 Is there no life-giving oil in Gilead? is there no expert in medical arts? why then have my people not been made well?

2 Ne levitellään auringon, kuun ja kaikkien taivaan tähtien alle, joita he rakastivat ja palvelivat, joita he seurasivat, joilta kysyivät neuvoa ja joita he rukoilivat. Heidän luitaan ei enää koota hautoihin, vaan ne jäävät hajalleen maatumaan.

4 -- Puhu heille: Herra sanoo näin: -- Jos joku kompastuu, eikö hän heti nouse? Jos joku eksyy tieltä, eikö hän käänny takaisin?

5 Miksi tämä kansa on jatkuvasti eksyksissä, miksi Jerusalem pysyy luopumuksessaan? Miksi se riippuu lujasti kiinni valheessa eikä suostu palaamaan takaisin minun luokseni?

7 Haikarakin taivaalla tietää muuttoaikansa, kyyhkyset ja pääskyset osaavat tulla, kun niiden aika on. Mutta minun kansani ei halua tietää, mitä Herra on sille säätänyt.

9 Onnettomasti käy noille viisaille, he joutuvat ymmälle ja heidät vangitaan. He ovat hylänneet Herran sanan -- mitä viisautta heillä muka olisi!

10 Niinpä minä annan heidän vaimonsa vieraille ja heidän peltonsa valloittajille. He kaikki, pienimmästä suurimpaan, hankkivat väärää voittoa. Niin profeetat kuin papitkin pettävät kansaa.

12 Heille käy onnettomasti, koska he ovat tehneet kauhistuttavia tekoja mutta eivät suostu edes häpeämään -- häpeän tunne heiltä puuttuu tyystin. He kaatuvat kaatuneitten joukkoon, heistä tulee loppu, kun minä rankaisen heitä, sanoo Herra.

13 -- Minä korjaan pois heidät kaikki kuin rypäleet köynnöksestä, sanoo Herra. Silloin viiniköynnökseen ei jää enää rypäleitä eikä viikunapuuhun viikunoita, lehdetkin ovat lakastuneet. Minä annan vihollisen vyöryä tämän kansan yli.

15 Me toivoimme rauhaa, mutta mitään hyvää ei tullut. Me odotimme, että parantuisimme haavoistamme, mutta meille koittikin kauhun aika.

17 -- Katsokaa! Minä lähetän teidän kimppuunne käärmeitä, myrkkykäärmeitä. Niihin eivät loitsut tehoa, vaan ne purevat teitä, sanoo Herra.

18 -- Murhe murtaa minut, sydämeni on sairas.

20 Sadonkorjuu on ohi, kesä on mennyt, mutta me emme ole saaneet apua!

21 Kansani, oma tyttäreni, on murtunut, se isku on murtanut minutkin. Minä pukeudun suruvaatteeseen, toivottomuus on vallannut mieleni.

22 Eikö edes Gileadissa ole balsamia, eikö sieltäkään löydy parantajaa? Minkä vuoksi kansani haavat eivät vieläkään arpeudu?