Run ye to and fro through the streets
of Jerusalem
, and see
now, and know
, and seek
in the broad places
thereof, if ye can find
a man
, if there be
any that executeth
judgment
, that seeketh
the truth
; and I will pardon
it.
And though they say, The LORD
liveth
; surely they swear
falsely
.
O LORD, are not thine eyes
upon the truth
? thou hast stricken
them, but they have not grieved
; thou hast consumed
them, but they have refused
to receive
correction
: they have made their faces
harder
than a rock
; they have refused
to return
.
Therefore I said, Surely these are poor
; they are foolish
: for they know
not the way
of the LORD
, nor the judgment
of their God
.
I will get me 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
.
Wherefore a lion out of the forest
shall slay
them, and a wolf
of the evenings
shall spoil
them, a leopard
shall watch
over their cities
: every one that goeth out
thence shall
be torn in pieces
: because their transgressions
are many
, and their backslidings
are increased
.
How shall I pardon
thee for this
? thy children
have forsaken
me, and sworn
by them that are no
gods
: when I had fed them to the full
, they then committed adultery
, and assembled themselves by troops
in the harlots
' houses
.
They were as fed horses
in the morning
: every one
neighed
after his neighbour's
wife
.
Shall I not visit for these things ? saith
the LORD
: and shall not my soul
be avenged
on such a nation
as this?
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
.
For the house of Israel
and the house
of Judah
have dealt very
treacherously
against me, saith
the LORD
.
They have belied the LORD
, and said
, It is not he; neither shall evil
come
upon us; neither shall we see
sword
nor famine
:
And the prophets shall become wind
, and the word
is not in them: thus shall it be done
unto them.
Wherefore thus saith the LORD
God
of hosts
, Because ye speak
this word
, behold, I will make
my words
in thy mouth
fire
, and this people
wood
, and it shall devour
them.
Lo, I will bring a nation
upon you from far
, O house
of Israel
, saith
the LORD
: it is a mighty
nation
, it is an ancient
nation
, a nation
whose language
thou knowest
not, neither understandest
what they say
.
Their quiver is as an open
sepulchre
, they are all mighty men
.
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
: they shall impoverish
thy fenced
cities
, wherein thou
trustedst
, with the sword
.
Nevertheless in those days, saith
the LORD
, I will not make
a full end
with you.
And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore
doeth
the LORD
our God
all these things unto us? then shalt thou 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.
Declare this in the house
of Jacob
, and publish
it in Judah
, saying
,
Hear now this, O foolish
people
, and without understanding
; which have eyes
, and see
not; which have ears
, and hear
not:
Fear ye not me? saith
the LORD
: will ye not tremble
at my presence
, which have placed
the sand
for the bound
of the sea
by a perpetual
decree
, that it cannot pass
it: and though the waves
thereof toss
themselves, yet can they not prevail
; though they roar
, yet can they not pass over
it?
But this people hath a revolting
and a rebellious
heart
; they are revolted
and gone
.
Neither say they in their heart
, Let us now fear
the LORD
our God
, that giveth
rain
, both the former
and the latter
, in his season
: he reserveth
unto us the appointed
weeks
of the harvest
.
Your iniquities have turned away
these things , and your sins
have withholden
good
things from you.
For among my people are found
wicked
men : they lay wait
, as he that setteth
snares
; they set
a trap
, they catch
men
.
As a cage is full
of birds
, so are their houses
full
of deceit
: therefore they are become great
, and waxen rich
.
They are waxen fat, they shine
: yea, they overpass
the deeds
of the wicked
: they judge
not the cause
, the cause of the fatherless
, yet they prosper
; and the right
of the needy
do they not judge
.
Shall I not visit for these things ? saith
the LORD
: shall not my soul
be avenged
on such a nation
as this?
A wonderful and horrible thing
is committed
in the land
;
The prophets prophesy
falsely
, and the priests
bear rule
by their means
; and my people
love
to have it so: and what will ye do
in the end
thereof?