1 “ 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.

Run 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.

2 T hough they say, ‘As Yahweh lives;’ surely they swear falsely.”

And though they say, As the Lord lives, surely they swear falsely.

3 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.

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.

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

Then 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.

5 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.

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.

6 T herefore 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.

Therefore 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.

7 “ 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.

Why 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.

8 T hey were as fed horses roaming at large: everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

They were like fed stallions roaming at large; each one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

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

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

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

Go 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.

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

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

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

They 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.

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

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

14 T herefore 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.

Therefore 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.

15 B ehold, 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.

Behold, 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.

16 T heir quiver is an open tomb, they are all mighty men.

Their quiver is like an open sepulcher are all mighty men (heroes).

17 T hey 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.

They 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.

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

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

19 I t 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.’

And 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.

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

Declare this in the house of Jacob and publish it in Judah:

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

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

22 D on’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.’

Do 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.

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

But 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.

24 N either 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.’

Nor 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.

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

Your iniquities have turned these blessings away, and your sins have kept good from you.

26 F or among my people are found wicked men. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men.

For among My people are found wicked men; they watch like fowlers who 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. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich.

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

28 T hey 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.

They 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.

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

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

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

An appalling and horrible thing has come to pass in the land:

31 T he 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?

The 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?