International Standard Version

King James Bible

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 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.

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

2And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely 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, 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.

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.

4Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment 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 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.

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.

6Wherefore 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.

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.

7How 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.

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

8They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour'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 visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation 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.

10Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; 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 dealt very treacherously against me, saith 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 belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:

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

13And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto 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.

14Wherefore 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.

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.

15Lo, 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.

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

16Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.

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.

17And 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.

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

18Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with 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 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.

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

20Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

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

21Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and 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.'

22Fear 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?

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

23But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

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.'

24Neither 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.

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

25Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things 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 among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; 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,

27As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen 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 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.

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

29Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

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

30A wonderful and horrible thing is committed 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 bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.