1 "Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its wide places, if you can find a man, if there is anyone who does justly, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her. 2 Though they say, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ surely they swear falsely."
3 O Yahweh, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.
4 Then I said, "Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know Yahweh’s way, nor the law of their God. 5 I will go to the great men and will speak to them, for they know the way of Yahweh, and the law of their God." But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. 6 Therefore a lion out of the forest will kill them. A wolf of the evenings will destroy them. A leopard will watch against their cities. Everyone who goes out there will be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many and their backsliding has increased.
7 "How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes’ houses. 8 They were as fed horses roaming at large. Everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife. 9 Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?" says Yahweh. "Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10 "Go up on her walls, and destroy, but don’t make a full end. Take away her branches, for they are not Yahweh’s. 11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me," says Yahweh.
12 They have denied Yahweh, and said, "It is not he. Evil won’t come on us. We won’t see sword or famine. 13 The prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them."
14 Therefore Yahweh, the God of Armies says, "Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it will devour them. 15 Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far away, house of Israel," says Yahweh. "It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don’t know and don’t understand what they say. 16 Their quiver is an open tomb. They are all mighty men. 17 They will eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They will eat up your flocks and your herds. They will eat up your vines and your fig trees. They will beat down your fortified cities in which you trust with the sword.
18 "But even in those days," says Yahweh, "I will not make a full end of you. 19 It will happen when you say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
20 "Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, 21 ‘Hear this now, foolish people without understanding, who have eyes, and don’t see, who have ears, and don’t hear: 22 Don’t you fear me?’ says Yahweh ‘Won’t you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? Though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail. Though they roar, they still can’t pass over it.’
23 "But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart. They have revolted and gone. 24 They don’t say in their heart, ‘Let’s now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’
25 "Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you. 26 For wicked men are found among my people. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men. 27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich. 28 They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t defend the rights of the needy.
29 "Shouldn’t I punish for these things?" says Yahweh. "Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 "An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land. 31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?
1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and find out and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be [any] that execute judgment, that seek the truth; and [I] will pardon the city.
2 And if they should say, The LORD lives; surely they swear falsely.
3 O LORD, [are] not thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they did not feel it; thou hast consumed them, [but] they have refused to receive chastisement; they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
4 Therefore I said, Surely these [are] poor; they have become foolish; for they do not know the way of the LORD [nor] the judgment of their God.
5 I will go unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, [and] the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke [and] burst the bonds.
6 Therefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, [and] a wolf of the desert shall destroy them and a tiger shall lie in wait over their cities; anyone that goes out from there shall be torn in pieces because their rebellions have been multiplied, [and] their backslidings are increased.
7 How shall I pardon thee for this? Thy sons have forsaken me and sworn by [them that are] not gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
8 They were [as] fed horses in the morning; each one neighed after his neighbour's wife.
9 Shall I not visit for these [things]? said the LORD; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10 Go ye up upon her walls and destroy; but make not a full end; take away her battlements for they [are] not the LORD'S.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have made a firm decision to rebel against me, saith the LORD.
12 They have denied the LORD and said, He [is] not; and evil shall not come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine;
13 but the prophets shall become like wind, and there is no word in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
14 Therefore thus hath the LORD God of the hosts said: Because ye have spoken this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15 Behold, I will bring a nation upon you from afar, O house of Israel, saith the LORD; it [is] a mighty nation, it [is] an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou dost not know, neither dost [thou] understand what they say.
16 Their quiver [is] as an open sepulcher; they [are] all mighty men.
17 And they shall eat up thine harvest and thy bread, [which] thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds; they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees; and thy fenced cities, in which thou dost trust, they shall bring to nothing with the sword.
18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.
19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Why does the LORD our God do all these [things] unto us? Then thou shalt answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land [that is] not yours.
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob and publish it in Judah, saying,
21 Hear now this, O foolish people and without heart, who have eyes and do not see; who have ears, and do not hear:
22 Do ye not fear me? saith the LORD; will ye not tremble at my presence, who placed the sand [for] the bound of the sea by an eternal order, which cannot be broken? Storms shall raise themselves up, yet they shall not prevail; their waves shall roar, yet they shall not pass over it.
23 But this people have a false and rebellious heart; they turned and went.
24 Neither do they say in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God that gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; he shall keep us [with] the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25 Your iniquities have turned away these [things], and your sins have withheld good [things] from you.
26 For among my people were found wicked [men]: they lay in wait as he that sets snares; they set a trap of perdition to catch men.
27 As a cage full of birds, so [are] their houses full of deceit; thus they became great and rich.
28 They are become fat; they shine; yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they did not judge the cause, the cause of the fatherless; with all this they made themselves prosperous; and they did not judge the cause of the poor.
29 Shall I not visit for these [things]? saith the LORD; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 A horrible and ugly thing is committed in the land:
31 The prophets prophesied falsely, and the priests bore rule by their hands; and my people love [to have it] so. What will ye do in the end thereof?: