The word of the LORD
also came
to me saying
,
"You shall not take a wife for yourself nor
have
sons
or daughters
in this
place
."
For thus says
the LORD
concerning
the sons
and daughters
born
in this
place
, and concerning
their amothers
who bear
them, and their bfathers
who beget
them in this
land
:
"They will adie of deadly
diseases
, they bwill not be lamented
or buried
; they will be as cdung
on the surface
of the ground
and come
to an end
by sword
and famine
, and their carcasses
will become
food
for the dbirds
of the sky
and for the beasts
of the earth
."
For thus says
the LORD
, "Do not enter
a house
of 1 amourning
, or go
to lament
or to console
them; for I have bwithdrawn
My peace
from this
people
," declares
the LORD
, "My clovingkindness
and compassion
.
"Both agreat men
and small
will die
in this
land
; they will not be buried
, they will not be lamented
, nor
will anyone bgash
himself or cshave
his head
for them.
"Men will not abreak bread in mourning
for them, to comfort
anyone for the dead
, nor
give
them a cup
of consolation
to drink
for anyone's father
or mother
.
"Moreover you shall anot go into a house
of feasting
to sit
with them to eat
and drink
."
For thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
: "Behold
, I am going to 1 aeliminate
from this
place
, before your eyes
and in your time
, the voice
of rejoicing
and the voice
of gladness
, the voice
of the groom
and the voice
of the bride
.
"Now when you tell
this
people
all
these
words
, they will say
to you, ` aFor what
reason
has the LORD
declared
all
this
great
calamity
against
us? And what
is our iniquity
, or what
is our sin
which
we have committed
against the LORD
our God
?'
"Then you are to say to them, `It is abecause
your forefathers
have forsaken
Me,' declares
the LORD
, `and have followed
bother
gods
and served
them and bowed
down
to them; but Me they have forsaken
and have not kept
My law
.
`You too have done evil
, even amore
than
your forefathers
; for behold
, you are each
one
walking
according
to the bstubbornness
of his own cevil
heart
, without
listening
to Me.
`So I will ahurl you out of this
land
into the bland
which
you have not known
, neither you nor
your fathers
; and there
you will cserve
other
gods
day
and night
, for I will grant
you no
favor
.'
" aTherefore behold
, days
are coming
," declares
the LORD
, "when it will no
longer
be said
, `As the LORD
lives
, who
bbrought
up the sons
of Israel
out of the land
of Egypt
,'
but, `As the LORD lives
, who
brought
up the sons
of Israel
from the aland
of the north
and from all
the countries
where
He had banished
them.' For I will restore
them to their own land
which
I gave
to their fathers
.
"Behold, I am going to send
for many
afishermen
," declares
the LORD
, "and they will fish
for them; and afterwards
I will send
for many
hunters
, and they will bhunt
them cfrom every
mountain
and every
hill
and from the clefts
of the rocks
.
" aFor My eyes are on all
their ways
; they are not hidden
from My face
, bnor
is their iniquity
concealed
from My eyes
.
"I will first adoubly
repay
their iniquity
and their sin
, because
they have bpolluted
My land
; they have filled
My inheritance
with the carcasses
of their cdetestable
idols
and with their abominations
."
O LORD, my astrength
and my stronghold
, And my brefuge
in the day
of distress
, To You the cnations
will come
From the ends
of the earth
and say
, "Our fathers
have inherited
nothing
but dfalsehood
, Futility
and 1 ethings
of no
profit
."
Can man make
gods
for himself? Yet they are anot gods
!
"Therefore behold
, I am going to make them know
-- This
time
I will amake them know
My 1power
and My might
; And they shall bknow
that My name
is the LORD
."