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.

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

“And although 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 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 poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know the way of Yahweh, nor the 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 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 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 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 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 “ 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 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 as fed horses roaming at large: everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

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

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 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 treacherously against me,” says Yahweh.

“For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares 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 the Lord And said, “ Not He; Misfortune will not come on us, And we will not see sword or famine.

13 T he prophets shall 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 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, 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 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 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 an open tomb, they are all mighty men.

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

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

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

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.’

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

“Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying,

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

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

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

‘But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed.

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.’

‘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 “ Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld 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, as fowlers 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. Therefore they have become great, and grew 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. 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 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 “ 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 these people ?’ declares the Lord, ‘On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?’

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

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