1 R un to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and take notice! Seek in her broad squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice, who seeks truth, sincerity, and faithfulness; and I will pardon.

Run 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 doeth justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her.

2 A nd though they say, As the Lord lives, surely they swear falsely.

And though they say, As Jehovah liveth; surely they swear falsely.

3 O Lord, do not your eyes look on the truth? You have stricken them, but they have not grieved; You have consumed them, but they have refused to take correction or instruction. They have made their faces harder than a rock, they have refused to repent and return to You.

O Jehovah, do not thine eyes look upon truth? thou hast stricken them, but they were 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.

4 T hen I said, Surely these are only the poor; they are foolish and have no understanding, for they know not the way of the Lord, the judgment (the just and righteous law) of their God.

Then I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jehovah, nor the law of their God:

5 I will go to the great men and will speak to them, for they must know the way of the Lord, the judgment (the just and righteous law) of their God. But these had all alike broken the yoke and had burst the bonds.

I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they know the way of Jehovah, and the law of their God. But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

6 T herefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the desert shall destroy them, a leopard or panther shall lie in wait against their cities. Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their backslidings and total desertion of faith are increased and have become great and mighty.

Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch against their cities; every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

7 W hy should I and how can I pass over this and forgive you for it? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those that are no gods. When I had fed them to the full and bound them to Me by oath, they committed adultery, assembling themselves in troops at the houses of harlots.

How can I pardon thee? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots' houses.

8 T hey were like fed stallions roaming at large; each one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

They were as fed horses roaming at large; every one neighed after his neighbor's wife.

9 S hall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord; and shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 G o up within walls and destroy, but do not make a full and complete end. Trim away the tendrils, for they are not the Lord’s.

Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her branches; for they are not Jehovah's.

11 F or the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very faithlessly and treacherously against Me, says the Lord.

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

12 T hey have lied about and denied the Lord by saying, It is not He! Evil shall not come upon us; nor shall we see war or famine.

They have denied Jehovah, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:

13 A nd the prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.

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

14 T herefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: Because you have spoken this word, behold, I will make My words fire in your mouth and this people wood, and it will devour them.

Wherefore thus saith Jehovah, the 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.

15 B ehold, I am bringing a nation upon you from afar, O house of Israel, says the Lord. It is a mighty and enduring nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say.

Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

16 T heir quiver is like an open sepulcher are all mighty men (heroes).

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

17 T hey shall consume your harvest and your food; they shall consume your sons and your daughters; they shall consume your flocks and your herds; they shall consume your vines and your fig trees. They shall break down and impoverish your fortified cities in which you trust, with the sword.

And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat; they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds; they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall beat down thy fortified cities, wherein thou trustest, with the sword.

18 B ut even in those days, says the Lord, I will not make a full and complete end of you.

But even in those days, saith Jehovah, I will not make a full end with you.

19 A nd when your people say, Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us? then you shall answer them, As you have forsaken Me, says the Lord, and have served strange gods in your land, so shall you serve strangers (gods) in a land that is not yours.

And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say unto them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

20 D eclare this in the house of Jacob and publish it in Judah:

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

21 H ear now this, O foolish people without understanding or heart, who have eyes and see not, who have ears and hear not:

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

22 D o you not fear and reverence Me? says the Lord. Do you not tremble before Me? I placed the sand for the boundary of the sea, a perpetual barrier beyond which it cannot pass and by an everlasting ordinance beyond which it cannot go? And though the waves of the sea toss and shake themselves, yet they cannot prevail; though roar, yet they cannot pass over that.

Fear ye not me? saith Jehovah: will ye not tremble at my presence, who 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.

23 B ut these people have hearts that draw back from God and wills that rebel against Him; they have revolted and quit His service and have gone away.

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

24 N or do they say in their hearts, Let us now reverently fear and worship the Lord our God, Who gives rain, both the autumn and the spring rain in its season, Who reserves and keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; that preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

25 Y our iniquities have turned these blessings away, and your sins have kept good from you.

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

26 F or among My people are found wicked men; they watch like fowlers who lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men.

For among my people are found wicked men: they watch, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men.

27 A s a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit and treachery; therefore they have become great and grown rich,

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

28 T hey have grown fat and sleek. Yes, they surpass in deeds of wickedness; they do not judge and plead with justice the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.

They are waxed fat, they shine: yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

29 S hall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord. Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 A n appalling and horrible thing has come to pass in the land:

A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the land:

31 T he prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests exercise rule at their own hands and by means of the prophets. And My people love to have it so! But what will you do when the end comes?

the 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?