1 “ At that time,” says the Lord, “they will bring out the bones of the kings and leaders of Judah, the bones of the religious leaders, the bones of the men of God, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem from their graves.

At that time, says the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves.

2 A nd they will spread them out to the sun, the moon, and to all the stars of heaven. For these they have loved, and served, and followed, and looked for, and worshiped. The bones will not be gathered or buried. They will be as animal waste on top of the ground.

And they will scatter before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which have loved and which they have served and after which they have walked and which they have sought, inquired of, and required and which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered, or be buried; they shall be like dung upon the face of the earth.

3 A nd death will be chosen instead of life by all those who are left of this sinful family in all the places where I have driven them,” says the Lord of All. Sin and Its Punishment

And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of those who remain of this evil family (nation), who remain in all the places to which I have driven them, says the Lord of hosts.

4 “ You will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not return?

Moreover, you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: Shall men fall and not rise up again? Shall one turn away and not repent and return ?

5 W hy then have the people of Jerusalem always turned away from Me? They hold on to what is false, and will not return.

Why then is this people of Jerusalem turned away with a perpetual turning away ? They hold fast to deceit (idolatry); they refuse to repent and return.

6 I have listened and heard, but they have not said what is right. No man turned from his sinful way, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Every one turns to his own way like a horse running into battle.

I have listened and heard, but they have not spoken aright; no man repents of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turns to his course, as the horse rushes like a torrent into battle.

7 E ven the stork in the sky knows her times. And the turtle-dove, crane, and swallow keep the time of their coming. But My people do not know the Law of the Lord.

Yes, the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times, and the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane observe the time of their return. But My people do not know the law of the Lord.

8 “ How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us’? See, the lying hand of the writers has made it into a lie.

How can you say, We are wise, and we have the written law of the Lord ? Behold, the truth is, the lying pen of the scribes has made of the law a falsehood (a mere code of ceremonial observances).

9 T he wise men are put to shame. They are troubled and taken. See, they have turned away from the Word of the Lord, and what kind of wisdom do they have?

The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom and broad, full intelligence is in them?

10 S o I will give their wives to others, and their fields to new owners. Because from the least to the greatest, every one is always wanting much. From the man of God to the religious leader, no one can be trusted in what he does.

Therefore will I give their wives to others and their fields to those who gain possession of them; for everyone, from the least even to the greatest, is given to covetousness (is greedy for unjust gain); from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.

11 T hey have healed the hurt of My people very little, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.

For they have healed the wound of the daughter of My people only lightly and slightingly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.

12 W ere they ashamed because of the hated sin they had done? They were not ashamed at all. They did not even know how to turn red. So they will fall among those who fall. When I punish them, they will be put down,” says the Lord.

They are brought to shame because they have committed abominations (extremely disgusting and shamefully vile things). And yet they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time of their punishment they shall be overthrown, says the Lord.

13 “ For sure I will take them away,” says the Lord. “There will be no grapes on the vine, and no figs on the fig tree, and the leaves will dry up. What I have given them will pass away.”

I will gather and sweep them away, utterly consuming them, says the Lord. no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and even the leaf is withered; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

14 W hy are we sitting here? Gather together, and let us go into the strong cities and die there. For the Lord our God has given us up to die. He has given us poison in our water to drink, for we have sinned against Him.

Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities and be silent or perish there! For the Lord our God has decreed our ruin and given us bitter and poisonous water to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.

15 W e waited for peace, but no good came. We waited for a time of healing, but see, there is much trouble.

We looked for peace and completeness, but no good came, and for a time of healing, but behold, dismay, trouble, and terror!

16 T he noise of his horses is heard from Dan. The whole land shakes at the sound of his war horses. For they come and destroy the land and everything that is in it, the city and those who live in it.

The snorting of horses is heard from Dan. At the sound of the neighing of his strong war-horses the whole land quakes; for they come and devour the land and all that is in it, the city and those who dwell in it.

17 “ For see, I am sending the worst of snakes against you, poison snakes which cannot be stopped. And they will bite you,” says the Lord.

For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you, says the Lord.

18 M y sorrow is too much to heal. My heart is weak within me.

Oh, that I could comfort myself against sorrow,, my heart is sick and faint within me!

19 L isten! It is the cry of my people from a far away land: “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not in her?” “Why have they made Me angry with their objects of worship, and with strange gods?”

Behold the cry of the daughter of my people because of those who dwell in a far country: Is not the Lord in Zion? Is not her King in her? Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images and with foreign idols?

20 “ Gathering time is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

The harvest is past, the summer has ended and the gathering of fruit is over, yet we are not saved!

21 I am hurt because my people are hurt. I am filled with sorrow, and fear has taken hold of me.

For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I go around mourning; dismay has taken hold on me.

22 I s there no healing oil in Gilead? Is there no doctor there? Why then have my people not been healed?

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people restored?