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Jerusalem’s Godlessness
“Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
And look now and take note.
And seek in her open squares,
If you can find a man,
If there is one who does justice, who seeks truth,
Then I will pardon her.
“Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
And look now and take note.
And seek in her open squares,
If you can find a man,
If there is one who does justice, who seeks truth,
Then I will 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.
“And although they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’
Surely they swear falsely.”
Surely 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 smitten them,
But they did not weaken;
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 smitten them,
But they did not weaken;
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, “They are only the poor,
They are foolish;
For they do not know the way of the LORD
Or the ordinance of their God.
They are foolish;
For they do not know the way of the LORD
Or the ordinance 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
And the ordinance of their God.”
But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.
And will speak to them,
For they know the way of the LORD
And the ordinance of their God.”
But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke
And 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 will slay them,
A wolf of the deserts will destroy them,
A leopard is watching their cities.
Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many,
Their apostasies are numerous.
A wolf of the deserts will destroy them,
A leopard is watching their cities.
Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many,
Their apostasies are numerous.
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.
“Why should I pardon you?
Your sons have forsaken Me
And sworn by those who are not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
They committed adultery
And trooped to the harlot’s house.
Your sons have forsaken Me
And sworn by those who are not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
They committed adultery
And trooped to the harlot’s house.
“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 horses,
Each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
Each one neighing after 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 these people,” declares the LORD,
“And on a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?
“And on a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?
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 do not execute a complete destruction;
Strip away her branches,
For they are not the LORD’S.
But do not execute a complete destruction;
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 dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the LORD.
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the LORD.
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 lied about the LORD
And said, “Not He;
Misfortune will not come on us,
And we will not see sword or famine.
And said, “Not He;
Misfortune will not come on us,
And we will not 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 are as wind,
And the word is not in them.
Thus it will be done to them!”
And the word is not in them.
Thus it will 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!’”
Judgment Proclaimed
Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts,
“Because you have spoken this word,
Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire
And this people wood, and it will 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 a nation against you 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.
“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 grave,
All of them are mighty men.
All of them are mighty men.
Their weapons are deadly;
their warriors are mighty.
their warriors are mighty.
“They will devour your harvest and your food;
They will devour your sons and your daughters;
They will devour your flocks and your herds;
They will devour your vines and your fig trees;
They will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust.
They will devour your sons and your daughters;
They will devour your flocks and your herds;
They will devour your vines and your fig trees;
They will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust.
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.
“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make you a complete destruction.
“Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely,” says the LORD.
“It shall come about when they say, ‘Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers 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
And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people,
Who have eyes but do not see;
Who have ears but do not hear.
Who have eyes but do not see;
Who have ears but do not hear.
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 in My presence?
For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it.
Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.
‘Do you not tremble in My presence?
For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it.
Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, yet they cannot cross 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 departed.
They have turned aside and departed.
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 heart,
“Let us now fear the LORD our God,
Who gives rain in its season,
Both the autumn rain and the spring rain,
Who keeps for us
The appointed weeks of the harvest.”
“Let us now fear the LORD our God,
Who gives rain in its season,
Both the autumn rain and the spring rain,
Who keeps for us
The appointed weeks of 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 withheld good from you.
And your sins have withheld 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.
‘For wicked men are found among My people,
They watch like fowlers lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch men.
They watch like fowlers lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch men.
“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,
So their houses are full of deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.
So 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 are fat, they are sleek,
They also excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper;
And they do not defend the rights of the poor.
They also excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper;
And they do not defend the rights of the poor.
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 these people?’ declares the LORD,
‘On a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?’
‘On a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?’
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 on their own authority;
And My people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?
And the priests rule on their own authority;
And My people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?
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?