| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1"At that time," declares the LORD, "the bones of the king of Judah, the bones of his officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the residents of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. | 1"At that time"--this is the LORD's declaration--"the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of her officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the residents of Jerusalem will be brought out of their graves. |
| 2They'll be spread out to the sun, the moon, and all the stars of the heavens, which they loved and served, and which they followed, consulted, and worshipped. Their bones won't be collected, nor will they be buried. They'll be like dung on the surface of the ground. | 2They will be exposed to the sun, the moon, and the whole heavenly host, which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be collected and buried but will become like manure on the surface of the soil. |
| 3"In all the places where the people remain, where I've banished them, death will be chosen over life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. | 3Death will be chosen over life by all the survivors of this evil family, those who remain wherever I have banished them." This is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts. |
| 4"You are to say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: "Will a person fall down and then not get up? Will someone turn away and then not turn back again? | 4"You are to say to them: This is what the LORD says: Do people fall and not get up again? If they turn away, do they not return? |
| 5Why has this people turned away? Why does Jerusalem continue in apostasy? They hold on to deceit and refuse to repent. | 5Why have these people turned away? Why is Jerusalem always turning away? They take hold of deceit; they refuse to return. |
| 6I've listened and I've heard, and what they say is not right. No one repents of his evil and says, 'What have I done?' "They all turn to their own course like a horse racing into battle. | 6I have paid careful attention. They do not speak what is right. No one regrets his evil, asking, 'What have I done?' Everyone has stayed his course like a horse rushing into battle. |
| 7Even the stork in the sky knows its seasons, and the dove, the swallow, and the crane observe the time for migration. But my people don't know the requirements of the LORD. | 7Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons. The turtledove, swallow, and crane are aware of their migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD. |
| 8How can you say, 'We're wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,' when, in fact, the deceitful pen of the scribe has made it into something that deceives. | 8"How can you claim, 'We are wise; the law of the LORD is with us? In fact, the lying pen of scribes has produced falsehood. |
| 9The wise men will be put to shame. They'll be dismayed and taken captive. Look, they have rejected the message from the LORD! So what kind of wisdom do they have? | 9The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and snared. They have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom do they really have? |
| 10Therefore, I'll give their wives to others, and their fields to new owners. Indeed, from the least important to the most important, they're all greedy for dishonest gain. From prophet to priest, they all act deceitfully. | 10Therefore, I will give their wives to other men, their fields to new occupants, for from the least to the greatest, everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. |
| 11They have treated my people's wound superficially, telling them, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. | 11They have treated superficially the brokenness of My dear people, claiming, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. |
| 12Are they ashamed because they have done what is repugnant to God? They weren't ashamed at all; they don't even know how to blush! Therefore they'll fall with those who fall. When I punish them, they'll be brought down," says the LORD. | 12Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently? They weren't at all ashamed. They can no longer feel humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen. When I punish them, they will collapse," says the LORD. |
| 13"I would have gathered them," declares the LORD, "but there were no grapes on the vine, and no figs on the fig tree, and their leaves were withered. What I've given them has been taken away."'" | 13I will gather them and bring them to an end. This is the LORD's declaration. There will be no grapes on the vine, no figs on the fig tree, and even the leaf will wither. Whatever I have given them will be lost to them. |
| 14Why are we sitting here? Join together! Let's go to the fortified cities and perish there! For the LORD our God has condemned us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him. | 14Why are we just sitting here? Gather together; let us enter the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has destroyed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. |
| 15We waited for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but instead there was terror. | 15We hoped for peace, but there was nothing good; for a time of healing, but there was only terror. |
| 16"The snorting of their horses is heard from Dan. At the neighing of their stallions, the whole earth quakes. They're coming to devour the land and all it contains, the city and all who live in it. | 16From Dan the snorting of horses is heard. At the sound of the neighing of mighty steeds, the whole land quakes. They come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all its residents. |
| 17Look, I'll send snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they'll bite you." | 17Indeed, I am about to send snakes among you, poisonous vipers that cannot be charmed. They will bite you. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 18Incurable sorrow has overwhelmed me, my heart is sick within me. | 18My joy has flown away; grief has settled on me. My heart is sick. |
| 19Listen! My people cry from a distant land: "Is the LORD no longer in Zion? Is her king no longer there?" "Why did they provoke me to anger with their images, with their worthless foreign gods?" | 19Listen--the cry of my dear people from a far away land, "Is the LORD no longer in Zion, her King not within her?" Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols? |
| 20The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we haven't been delivered. | 20Harvest has passed, summer has ended, but we have not been saved. |
| 21Because my people are crushed, I'm crushed. I mourn, and dismay overwhelms me. | 21I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me. |
| 22Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why is there no healing for my people? | 22Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about? |
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