1 “ Go up and down through the streets of Jerusalem, and look and learn. Look in her open places to see if you can find just one man who does what is right and looks for the truth. Then I will forgive this city.

“Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its wide places, if you can find a man, if there are any who does justly, who seeks truth; and I will pardon her.

2 E ven if they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ for sure their promises are false.”

Though they say, ‘As Yahweh lives;’ surely they swear falsely.”

3 O Lord, do not Your eyes look for truth? You have punished them, but they were not sorry. You have destroyed them, but they would not change. They have made their faces harder than rock. They would not be sorry for their sins and turn from them.

O Yahweh, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have 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, “They are only the poor. They are foolish. For they do not know the way of the Lord or the Law of their God.

Then I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know the way of Yahweh, nor the law of their God.

5 I will go to the great men and will speak to them, for they know the way of the Lord, and the Law of their God.” But they too have broken the load from their neck and have broken the chains.

I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they know the way of Yahweh, and the law of their God.” But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

6 S o a lion from among the trees will kill them. A wolf of the deserts will destroy them. A leopard is watching their cities. Every one who goes out of them will be torn in pieces, because they have done many sins. They have turned away from the Lord in many ways.

Therefore a lion out of the forest shall kill them, a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch against their cities; everyone who goes out there shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backsliding is increased.

7 “ Why should I forgive you? Your sons have left Me and have sworn by those who are not gods. When I gave them everything they needed, they did sex sins and met at the house of the woman who sells the use of her body.

“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes’ houses.

8 T hey were like well-fed horses full of sinful desire, each one wanting his neighbor’s wife.

They were as fed horses roaming at large: everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

9 S hould I not punish these people?” says the Lord. “Should I not make a nation such as this pay for its sins?

Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?” says Yahweh; “and shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 “ Go up through her grape-fields and destroy, but do not destroy all of them. Cut away her branches, for they are not the Lord’s.

“Go up on her walls, and destroy; but don’t make a full end. Take away her branches; for they are not Yahweh’s.

11 F or the people of Israel and the people of Judah have not been faithful to Me,” says the Lord. Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed

For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me,” says Yahweh.

12 “ They have lied about the Lord and said, ‘He will do nothing. Nothing bad will happen to us, and we will not see sword or hunger.

They have denied Yahweh, and said, “It is not he; neither shall evil come on us; neither shall we see sword nor famine.

13 T he men who speak for God are only wind. The word is not in them. So let what they say be done to them!’”

The prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.”

14 S o the Lord, the God of All, says, “Because you have said this, I am making My words in your mouth a fire and I am making these people wood so they will be burned up.

Therefore Yahweh, the God of Armies says, “Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

15 S ee, I am bringing a nation that is far away against you, O people of Israel,” says the Lord. “It is a strong nation and an old nation, a nation whose language you do not know. You cannot understand what they say.

Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far, house of Israel,” says Yahweh. “It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don’t know, neither understand what they say.

16 T heir arrow-holder is like an open grave. All of them are powerful men.

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

17 T hey will eat up your food that you gather from your fields. They will eat the food your sons and your daughters should eat. They will eat up your flocks and your cattle. They will destroy your grape-fields and your fig trees. They will destroy with the sword your strong cities in which you trust.

They shall eat up your harvest, and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds. They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees. They shall beat down your fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.

18 “ Yet even in those days I will not make a complete end of you,” says the Lord.

“But even in those days,” says Yahweh, “I will not make a full end with you.

19 “ When your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you will say to them, ‘As you have left Me and served strange gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’

It will happen, when you say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Just like you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’

20 “ Make this known in the family of Jacob and in Judah, saying,

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

21 ‘ Hear this, O foolish people without understanding, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

‘Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and don’t see; who have ears, and don’t hear:

22 D o you not fear Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Do you not shake in fear before Me? For I have placed the sand to be on one side of the sea, a lasting wall that it cannot cross. Even if there are waves, they cannot pass. Even if they make much noise, they cannot cross over it.

Don’t you fear me?’ says Yahweh ‘Won’t you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? and though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail; though they roar, yet they can’t pass over it.’

23 B ut these people have a strong-will and a heart that has turned against Me. They have turned aside and gone away.

“But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart; they have revolted and gone.

24 T hey do not say in their heart, “Let us fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain in its time, both the fall rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us the weeks for gathering food.”

Neither do they say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’

25 Y our wrong-doing has kept these good things away. Your sins have kept good from you.

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

26 F or sinful men are found among My people. They watch like men lying in wait watching for birds. They set a trap, and 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 L ike a basket full of birds, their houses are full of lies and false ways. So they have become important and rich.

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

28 T hey are fat and smooth, and have done many sinful acts. They do not do what is right for those whose parents have died so that they may do well. And they do not help fight for the rights of the poor.

They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t judge the right of the needy.

29 “ Should I not punish these people?” says the Lord. “Should I not punish a nation such as this?”

“Shall I not punish for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 A very bad and surprising thing has happened in the land.

“An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.

31 T he men of God say things that are not true, and the religious leaders rule by their own thoughts. And My people love to have it this way! But what will you do in the end?

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?