1 A t that time, an affirmation of Jehovah, They bring the bones of the kings of Judah, And the bones of its princes, And the bones of the priests, And the bones of the prophets, And the bones of inhabitants of Jerusalem, Out of 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 have spread them to sun, and to moon, And to all the host of the heavens, that they have loved, And that they have served, And that they have walked after, And that they have sought, And to which they have bowed themselves, They are not gathered, nor buried, They are for dung on the face 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 chosen is death rather than life By all the remnant who are left of this evil family, In all the remaining places, whither I have driven them, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.

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 A nd thou hast said unto them: Thus said Jehovah, Do they fall, and not rise? Doth he turn back, 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 herefore hath this people of Jerusalem Turned back -- a perpetual backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, They have refused to turn back.

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 given attention, yea, I hearken, They do not speak right, No man hath repented of his wickedness, Saying, What have I done? Every one hath turned to his courses, As a horse is rushing 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 a stork in the heavens hath known her seasons, And turtle, and swallow, and crane, Have watched the time of their coming, And -- My people have not known the judgment of Jehovah.

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 H ow do ye say, We wise, And the law of Jehovah with us? Surely, lo, falsely it hath wrought, The false pen of scribes.

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 A shamed have been the wise, They have been affrighted, and are captured, Lo, against a word of Jehovah they kicked, And the wisdom of what -- have they?

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 T herefore, I give their wives to others, Their fields to dispossessors, For from the least even unto the greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, From prophet even unto priest, every one is dealing falsely.

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 A nd they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! and 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 T hey were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, And blushing they have not known, Therefore, they do fall among falling ones, In the time of their inspection they stumble, said Jehovah.

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 I utterly consume them, an affirmation of Jehovah, There are no grapes in the vine, Yea, there are no figs in the fig-tree, And the leaf hath faded, And the strength they have passeth from them.

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 herefore are we sitting still? Be gathered, and we go in to the fenced cities, And we are silent there, For Jehovah our God hath made us silent, Yea, He causeth us to drink water of gall, For we have sinned against Jehovah.

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 L ooking for peace -- and there is no good, For a time of healing, and lo, terror.

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

16 F rom Dan hath been heard the snorting of his horses, From the voice of the neighings of his mighty ones, Trembled hath all the land, And they come in and consume the land and its fulness, The city and the inhabitants 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 F or, lo, I am sending among you serpents, Vipers that have no charmer, And they have bitten you, an affirmation of Jehovah.

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

18 M y refreshing for me sorrow, For me my heart sick.

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

19 L o, the voice of a cry of the daughter of my people from a land afar off, Is Jehovah not in Zion? is her king not in her? Wherefore have they provoked Me with their graven images, With the vanities of a foreigner?

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 H arvest hath passed, summer hath ended, And we -- we have not been saved.

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

21 F or a breach of the daughter of my people have I been broken, I have been black, astonishment hath seized 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 balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? For wherefore hath not the health of the daughter of my people gone up?

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