New King James Version

King James Bible

1“Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places If you can find a man, If there is anyone who executes judgment, Who seeks the truth, And I will pardon her.

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.

2Though they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’ Surely they swear falsely.”

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

3O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, But they have not grieved; You have consumed them, But they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to return.

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.

4Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD, The judgment 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.

5I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God.” But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds.

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 shall slay them, A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; A leopard will watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many; Their backslidings have increased.

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.

7“How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.

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 like well-fed lusty stallions; Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

8They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.

9Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the LORD. “And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

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 up on her walls and destroy, But do not make a complete end. Take away her branches, For they are not 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 the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” says the LORD.

11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.

12They have lied about the LORD, And said, “It is not He. Neither will evil come upon us, Nor shall we see sword or 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:

13And the prophets become wind, For the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.”

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

14Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts: “Because you speak this word, Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour 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.

15Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” says the LORD. “It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you 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 tomb; They are all mighty men.

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

17And they shall eat up your harvest and your bread, Which your sons and daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds; They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; They shall destroy your fortified cities, In which you trust, with the sword.

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“Nevertheless in those days,” says the LORD, “I will not make a complete end of you.

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

19And it will be when you say, ‘Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens 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 in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying,

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

21‘Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not:

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

22Do you not fear Me?’ says the LORD. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, Yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over 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 this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; They have revolted and departed.

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

24They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of 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 withheld good from you.

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

26‘For among My people are found wicked men; They lie in wait as one who sets snares; They set a trap; They catch men.

26For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

27As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich.

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

28They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend.

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.

29Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the LORD. ‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as 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 astonishing and horrible thing Has been committed in the land:

30A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

31The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. 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, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.