| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city. | 1"Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. |
| 2Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.” | 2Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely." |
| 3O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. | 3LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. |
| 4Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God. | 4I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God. |
| 5I will go to the powerful and speak to them. Surely they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke and torn off the chains. | 5So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. |
| 6Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous. | 6Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many. |
| 7“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes. | 7"Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. |
| 8They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife. | 8They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife. |
| 9Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? | 9Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? |
| 10Go up through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not finish them off. Strip off her branches, for they do not belong to the LORD. | 10"Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the LORD. |
| 11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,” declares the LORD. | 11The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD. |
| 12They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine. | 12They have lied about the LORD; they said, "He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine. |
| 13The prophets are but wind, for the word is not in them. So let their own predictions befall them.” | 13The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them." |
| 14Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes. | 14Therefore this is what the LORD God Almighty says: "Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes. |
| 15Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand. | 15People of Israel," declares the LORD, "I am bringing a distant nation against you-- an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand. |
| 16Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men. | 16Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors. |
| 17They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.” | 17They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust. |
| 18“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you. | 18"Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I will not destroy you completely. |
| 19And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’ ” | 19And when the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.' |
| 20Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah: | 20"Announce this to the descendants of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah: |
| 21“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear. | 21Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: |
| 22Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it. | 22Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. |
| 23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away. | 23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. |
| 24They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’ | 24They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.' |
| 25Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty. | 25Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good. |
| 26For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men. | 26"Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. |
| 27Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich. | 27Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful |
| 28They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy. | 28and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor. |
| 29Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? | 29Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? |
| 30A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land. | 30"A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: |
| 31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end? | 31The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end? |
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