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.

“ 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.

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

“And although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ 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 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.

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, “They are only the poor, They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the Lord Or the ordinance 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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

“They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing 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 punish these people,” declares the Lord, “And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?

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 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.

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 with Me,” declares the Lord.

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 lied about the Lord And said, “ Not He; Misfortune will not come on us, And we will not see sword or famine.

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

“The prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!” Judgment Proclaimed

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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

“Their quiver is like an open grave, All of them are 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.

“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.

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

“Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not make you a complete destruction.

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.

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.’

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

“Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim 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:

‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear.

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.

‘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.

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 has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed.

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.

‘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.”

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

‘Your iniquities have turned these away, And your sins have withheld 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 wicked men are found among My people, They watch like fowlers lying 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,

‘Like a cage full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit; Therefore they have become great and 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 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.

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 punish these people ?’ declares the Lord, ‘On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?’

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

“An appalling and horrible thing Has happened 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 rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?