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Jerusalem Refused to Repent
Run 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.
Run 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.
The Sins of Judah
“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the LORD.
“Look high and low; search throughout the city!
If you can find even one just and honest person,
I will not destroy the city.
“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the LORD.
“Look high and low; search throughout the city!
If you can find even one just and honest person,
I will not destroy the city.
Though they say, “As the Lord lives,”
yet they swear falsely.
yet they swear falsely.
But even when they are under oath,
saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’
they are still telling lies!”
saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’
they are still telling lies!”
O 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.
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.
LORD, you are searching for honesty.
You struck your people,
but they paid no attention.
You crushed them,
but they refused to be corrected.
They are determined, with faces set like stone;
they have refused to repent.
You struck your people,
but they paid no attention.
You crushed them,
but they refused to be corrected.
They are determined, with faces set like stone;
they have refused to repent.
Then 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.
they have no sense;
for they do not know the way of the Lord,
the justice of their God.
Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor?
They are ignorant.
They don’t know the ways of the LORD.
They don’t understand God’s laws.
They are ignorant.
They don’t know the ways of the LORD.
They don’t understand God’s laws.
I 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.
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.
So I will go and speak to their leaders.
Surely they know the ways of the LORD
and understand God’s laws.”
But the leaders, too, as one man,
had thrown off God’s yoke
and broken his chains.
Surely they know the ways of the LORD
and understand God’s laws.”
But the leaders, too, as one man,
had thrown off God’s yoke
and broken his chains.
Therefore 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.
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.
So now a lion from the forest will attack them;
a wolf from the desert will pounce on them.
A leopard will lurk near their towns,
tearing apart any who dare to venture out.
For their rebellion is great,
and their sins are many.
a wolf from the desert will pounce on them.
A leopard will lurk near their towns,
tearing apart any who dare to venture out.
For their rebellion is great,
and their sins are many.
“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.
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.
“How can I pardon you?
For even your children have turned from me.
They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all!
I fed my people until they were full.
But they thanked me by committing adultery
and lining up at the brothels.
For even your children have turned from me.
They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all!
I fed my people until they were full.
But they thanked me by committing adultery
and lining up at the brothels.
They were well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
Shall I not punish them for these things?
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?
Should I not punish them for this?” says the LORD.
“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?
“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?
“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.
but make not a full end;
strip away her branches,
for they are not the Lord’s.
“Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines,
leaving a scattered few alive.
Strip the branches from the vines,
for these people do not belong to the LORD.
leaving a scattered few alive.
Strip the branches from the vines,
for these people do not belong to the LORD.
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
have been utterly treacherous to me,
have been utterly treacherous to me,
The people of Israel and Judah
are full of treachery against me,”
says the LORD.
are full of treachery against me,”
says the LORD.
They 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.
and have said, ‘He will do nothing;
no disaster will come upon us,
nor shall we see sword or famine.
“They have lied about the LORD
and said, ‘He won’t bother us!
No disasters will come upon us.
There will be no war or famine.
and said, ‘He won’t bother us!
No disasters will come upon us.
There will be no war or famine.
The prophets will become wind;
the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them!’”
the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them!’”
God’s prophets are all windbags
who don’t really speak for him.
Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’”
who don’t really speak for him.
Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’”
The Lord Proclaims Judgment
Therefore 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.
Therefore 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.
Therefore, this is what the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies says:
“Because the people are talking like this,
my messages will flame out of your mouth
and burn the people like kindling wood.
“Because the people are talking like this,
my messages will flame out of your mouth
and burn the people like kindling wood.
Behold, I am bringing against you
a nation from afar, O house of Israel,
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.
a nation from afar, O house of Israel,
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.
O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,”
says the LORD.
“It is a mighty nation,
an ancient nation,
a people whose language you do not know,
whose speech you cannot understand.
says the LORD.
“It is a mighty nation,
an ancient nation,
a people whose language you do not know,
whose speech you cannot understand.
Their quiver is like an open tomb;
they are all mighty warriors.
they are all mighty warriors.
Their weapons are deadly;
their warriors are mighty.
their warriors are mighty.
They 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.”
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.”
They will devour the food of your harvest;
they will devour your sons and daughters.
They will devour your flocks and herds;
they will devour your grapes and figs.
And they will destroy your fortified towns,
which you think are so safe.
they will devour your sons and daughters.
They will devour your flocks and herds;
they will devour your grapes and figs.
And they will destroy your fortified towns,
which you think are so safe.
“But even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not make a full end of you.
“Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely,” says the LORD.
And 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.’”
“And when your people ask, ‘Why did the LORD our God do all this to us?’ you must reply, ‘You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’
A Warning for God’s People
A Warning for God’s People
Declare this in the house of Jacob;
proclaim it in Judah:
proclaim it in Judah:
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes, but see not,
who have ears, but hear not.
who have eyes, but see not,
who have ears, but hear not.
Listen, you foolish and senseless people,
with eyes that do not see
and ears that do not hear.
with eyes that do not see
and ears that do not hear.
Do 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.
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.
Have you no respect for me?
Why don’t you tremble in my presence?
I, the LORD, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline
as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross.
The waves may toss and roar,
but they can never pass the boundaries I set.
Why don’t you tremble in my presence?
I, the LORD, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline
as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross.
The waves may toss and roar,
but they can never pass the boundaries I set.
But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
they have turned aside and gone away.
they have turned aside and gone away.
But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.
They have turned away and abandoned me.
They have turned away and abandoned me.
They 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.’
‘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.’
They do not say from the heart,
‘Let us live in awe of the LORD our God,
for he gives us rain each spring and fall,
assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’
‘Let us live in awe of the LORD our God,
for he gives us rain each spring and fall,
assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’
Your iniquities have turned these away,
and your sins have kept good from you.
and your sins have kept good from you.
Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.
Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.
Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.
“Among my people are wicked men
who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind.
They continually set traps
to catch people.
who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind.
They continually set traps
to catch people.
Like a cage full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
therefore they have become great and rich;
their houses are full of deceit;
therefore they have become great and rich;
Like a cage filled with birds,
their homes are filled with evil plots.
And now they are great and rich.
their homes are filled with evil plots.
And now they are great and rich.
they 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.
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.
They are fat and sleek,
and there is no limit to their wicked deeds.
They refuse to provide justice to orphans
and deny the rights of the poor.
and there is no limit to their wicked deeds.
They refuse to provide justice to orphans
and deny the rights of the poor.
Shall I not punish them for these things?
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?”
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?”
Should I not punish them for this?” says the LORD.
“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?
“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?
An appalling and horrible thing
has happened in the land:
has happened in the land:
A horrible and shocking thing
has happened in this land —
has happened in this land —
the 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?
and the priests rule at their direction;
my people love to have it so,
but what will you do when the end comes?
the prophets give false prophecies,
and the priests rule with an iron hand.
Worse yet, my people like it that way!
But what will you do when the end comes?
and the priests rule with an iron hand.
Worse yet, my people like it that way!
But what will you do when the end comes?