International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1"Wander through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and investigate; search through her squares and see whether you find anyone— even one person there—doing justice and seeking truth. Then I'll forgive them.

1Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her.

2Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely."

2Though they say, “As the LORD lives,” yet they swear falsely.

3LORD, don't your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they didn't flinch. You brought them to an end, but they refused to receive discipline. They made their faces harder than stone, and they refused to repent.

3O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.

4Then I said, "These are only the poor, they're foolish, for they don't know the LORD's way, the requirement of their God.

4Then I said, “These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.

5Let me go to the leaders and speak to them. For they know the LORD's way, the requirement of their God." "But they, all together, have broken the yoke and torn off the restraints.

5I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they all alike had broken the yoke; they had burst the bonds.

6Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will devastate them. A leopard is watching their towns, and everyone who goes out of them will be torn to pieces. For their transgressions are many, and their apostasies numerous.

6Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them down; a wolf from the desert shall devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities; everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great.

7Why should I forgive you? Your sons have forsaken me, and you have sworn by those who aren't gods. When I gave them enough food to satisfy them, they committed adultery and marched to the prostitute's house.

7“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores.

8They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each one neighing after his neighbor's wife.

8They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.

9"Should I not punish them for these things?" asks the LORD, "And on a nation like this, should I not seek retribution?"

9Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?

10"Go through her rows of vines and destroy them, but don't completely destroy them. Strip away her branches, because they aren't the LORD's.

10“Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the LORD’s.

11For both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD.

11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly treacherous to me, declares the LORD.

12"They have lied about the LORD by saying, 'He wouldn't do that! Disaster won't come on us. We won't see sword and famine.

12They have spoken falsely of the LORD and have said, ‘He will do nothing; no disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine.

13The prophets are nothing but wind, and the word is not in them. So may the disaster happen to them!'"

13The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them!’”

14Therefore, this is what the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies says: "Because you people have said this, my words in your mouth will become a fire and these people the wood. The fire will destroy them.

14Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts: “Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.

15People of Israel, I'm now bringing a nation from far away to attack you," declares the LORD. "It is an enduring nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don't know. And you won't understand what they say.

15Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, declares the LORD. It is an enduring nation; it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say.

16Their quiver is like an open grave, and all of them are powerful warriors.

16Their quiver is like an open tomb; they are all mighty warriors.

17"They'll devour your harvest and your food. They'll devour your sons and your daughters. They'll devour your vines and your fig trees. With their swords they'll batter down your fortified cities in which you trust.

17They shall eat up your harvest and your food; they shall eat up your sons and your daughters; they shall eat up your flocks and your herds; they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; your fortified cities in which you trust they shall beat down with the sword.”

18"Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I won't destroy you completely.

18“But even in those days, declares the LORD, I will not make a full end of you.

19When the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you are to 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.'"

19And when your people say, ‘Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’”

20"Declare this to the descendants of Jacob, and proclaim it in Judah:

20Declare this in the house of Jacob; proclaim it in Judah:

21Hear this, you foolish and stupid people: They have eyes, but don't see; they have ears, but don't hear.

21“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

22You don't fear me, do you?' declares the LORD. 'You don't tremble before me, do you? I'm the one who put the sand as a boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot cross. Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail against it, though they roar, they cannot cross it.'

22Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and have gone away.

23But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.

24They don't say to themselves, 'Let's fear the LORD our God, who gives rain in its season, both the autumn and the spring rain. He sets aside for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'

24They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.’

25Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have held back from you what is good.

25Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you.

26"Evil men are found among my people. They lie in wait like someone who traps birds. They set a trap, but they do so to catch people.

26For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men.

27Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are filled with treachery. This is how they have become prominent and rich,

27Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich;

28and have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They don't argue the case of the orphan to secure justice. They don't defend the rights of the poor.

28they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.

29Should I not punish them for this?' asks the LORD. 'Should I not avenge myself on a nation like this?'

29Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?”

30"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:

30An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:

31The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?"

31the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?

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