Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city.

1"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.

2Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”

2"And although they say, 'As the LORD lives,' Surely they swear falsely."

3O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

3O 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.

4Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.

4Then 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.

5I will go to the powerful and speak to them. Surely they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke and torn off the chains.

5"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.

6Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.

6Therefore 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“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.

7"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.

8They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.

8"They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbor's wife.

9Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

9"Shall I not punish these people," declares the LORD, "And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?

10Go up through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not finish them off. Strip off her branches, for they do not belong to the LORD.

10"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.

11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,” declares the LORD.

11"For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me," declares the LORD.

12They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.

12They have lied about the LORD And said, "Not He; Misfortune will not come on us, And we will not see sword or famine.

13The prophets are but wind, for the word is not in them. So let their own predictions befall them.”

13"The prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!"

14Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.

14Therefore, 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.

15Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.

15"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.

16Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men.

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

17They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”

17"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“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you.

18"Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I will not make you a complete destruction.

19And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’ ”

19"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.'

20Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:

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

21“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

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

22Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.

22'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.

23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away.

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

24They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’

24'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."

25Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty.

25'Your iniquities have turned these away, And your sins have withheld good from you.

26For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.

26'For wicked men are found among My people, They watch like fowlers lying in wait; They set a trap, They catch men.

27Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich.

27'Like a cage full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit; Therefore they have become great and rich.

28They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.

28'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.

29Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

29Shall I not punish these people?' declares the LORD, 'On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?'

30A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.

30"An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land:

31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

31The 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?

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New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org