| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of 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. |
| 2And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. | 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. |
| 3And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts. | 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. |
| 4Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? | 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 then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. | 5Why have these people turned away? Why is Jerusalem always turning away? They take hold of deceit; they refuse to return. |
| 6I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the 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. |
| 7Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment 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 do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. | 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 are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? | 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 will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. | 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. |
| 11For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, 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. |
| 12Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith 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. |
| 13I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them. | 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 do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. | 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 looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble! | 15We hoped for peace, but there was nothing good; for a time of healing, but there was only terror. |
| 16The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein. | 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. |
| 17For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD. | 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. |
| 18When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. | 18My joy has flown away; grief has settled on me. My heart is sick. |
| 19Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that 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 graven images, and with strange vanities? | 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 is ended, and we are not saved. | 20Harvest has passed, summer has ended, but we have not been saved. |
| 21For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on 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? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? | 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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