5“Before I formed you in the wombg I knew1^,h you,

before you were borni I set you apart;j

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.k”

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones

in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;

they will come against all her surrounding walls

and against all the towns of Judah.a Photo

16I will pronounce my judgmentsb on my people

because of their wickednessc in forsaking me,d

in burning incense to other godse

and in worshipingf what their hands have made.g

“ ‘I remember the devotion of your youth,b

how as a bride you loved me

and followed me through the wilderness,c

through a land not sown.

3Israel was holyd to the LORD,e

the firstfruitsf of his harvest;

all who devouredg her were held guilty,h

and disaster overtook them,’ ”

declares the LORD.

4Hear the word of the LORD, you descendants of Jacob,

all you clans of Israel.

“What fault did your ancestors find in me,

that they strayed so far from me?

They followed worthless idolsi

and became worthlessj themselves.

6They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD,

who brought us up out of Egyptk

and led us through the barren wilderness,

through a land of desertsl and ravines,m

a land of drought and utter darkness,

a land where no one travelsn and no one lives?’

7I brought you into a fertile land

to eat its fruit and rich produce.o

But you came and defiled my land

and made my inheritance detestable.p

8The priests did not ask,

‘Where is the LORD?’

Those who deal with the law did not know me;q

the leadersr rebelled against me.

The prophets prophesied by Baal,s

following worthless idols.t

9“Therefore I bring chargesu against you again,”

declares the LORD.

“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.

10Cross over to the coasts of Cyprusv and look,

send to Kedar1^,w and observe closely;

see if there has ever been anything like this:

11Has a nation ever changed its gods?

(Yet they are not godsx at all.)

But my people have exchanged their gloriousy God

for worthless idols.

12Be appalled at this, you heavens,

and shudder with great horror,”

declares the LORD.

13“My people have committed two sins:

They have forsakenz me,

the spring of living water,a

and have dug their own cisterns,

broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

14Is Israel a servant, a slaveb by birth?

Why then has he become plunder?

15Lionsc have roared;

they have growled at him.

They have laid wasted his land;

his towns are burnede and deserted.f

16Also, the men of Memphisg and Tahpanhesh

have cracked your skull.

17Have you not brought this on yourselvesi

by forsakingj the LORD your God

when he led you in the way?

18Now why go to Egyptk

to drink water from the Nile2?l

And why go to Assyriam

to drink water from the Euphrates?n

19Your wickedness will punish you;

your backslidingo will rebukep you.

Consider then and realize

how evil and bitterq it is for you

when you forsaker the LORD your God

and have no awes of me,”

declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

20“Long ago you broke off your yoket

and tore off your bonds;u

you said, ‘I will not serve you!’v

Indeed, on every high hillw

and under every spreading treex

you lay down as a prostitute.y

21I had plantedz you like a choice vinea

of sound and reliable stock.

How then did you turn against me

into a corrupt,b wild vine?

22Although you washc yourself with soapd

and use an abundance of cleansing powder,

the stain of your guilt is still before me,”

declares the Sovereign LORD.e

23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;f

I have not run after the Baals’?g

See how you behaved in the valley;h

consider what you have done.

You are a swift she-camel

runningi here and there,

24a wild donkeyj accustomed to the desert,k

sniffing the wind in her craving—

in her heat who can restrain her?

Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;

at mating time they will find her.

25Do not run until your feet are bare

and your throat is dry.

But you said, ‘It’s no use!l

I love foreign gods,m

and I must go after them.’n

26“As a thief is disgracedo when he is caught,

so the people of Israel are disgraced—

they, their kings and their officials,

their priestsp and their prophets.q

27They say to wood,r ‘You are my father,’

and to stone,s ‘You gave me birth.’

They have turned their backst to me

and not their faces;u

yet when they are in trouble,v they say,

‘Come and savew us!’

28Where then are the godsx you made for yourselves?

Let them come if they can save you

when you are in trouble!y

For you, Judah, have as many gods

as you have towns.z

29“Why do you bring charges against me?

You have alla rebelled against me,”

declares the LORD.

30“In vain I punished your people;

they did not respond to correction.b

Your sword has devoured your prophetsc

like a ravenous lion.

“Have I been a desert to Israel

or a land of great darkness?d

Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;

we will come to you no more’?e

32Does a young woman forget her jewelry,

a bride her wedding ornaments?

Yet my people have forgottenf me,

days without number.

33How skilled you are at pursuingg love!

Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.

34On your clothes is found

the lifebloodh of the innocent poor,

though you did not catch them breaking in.i

Yet in spite of all this

35you say, ‘I am innocent;j

he is not angry with me.’

But I will pass judgmentk on you

because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’l

36Why do you go about so much,

changingm your ways?

You will be disappointed by Egyptn

as you were by Assyria.

37You will also leave that place

with your hands on your head,o

for the LORD has rejected those you trust;

you will not be helpedp by them.

1“If a man divorcesa his wife

and she leaves him and marries another man,

should he return to her again?

Would not the land be completely defiled?b

But you have lived as a prostitute with many loversc—

would you now return to me?”d

declares the LORD.

2“Look up to the barren heightse and see.

Is there any place where you have not been ravished?

By the roadsidef you sat waiting for lovers,

sat like a nomad in the desert.

You have defiled the landg

with your prostitutionh and wickedness.

3Therefore the showers have been withheld,i

and no spring rainsj have fallen.

Yet you have the brazenk look of a prostitute;

you refuse to blush with shame.l

4Have you not just called to me:

‘My Father,m my friend from my youth,n

5will you always be angry?o

Will your wrath continue forever?’

This is how you talk,

but you do all the evil you can.”

“ ‘Return,j faithlessk Israel,’ declares the LORD,

‘I will frown on you no longer,

for I am faithful,’l declares the LORD,

‘I will not be angrym forever.

13Only acknowledgen your guilt—

you have rebelled against the LORD your God,

you have scattered your favors to foreign godso

under every spreading tree,p

and have not obeyedq me,’ ”

declares the LORD.

“ ‘How gladly would I treat you like my children

and give you a pleasant land,f

the most beautiful inheritanceg of any nation.’

I thought you would call me ‘Father’h

and not turn away from following me.

20But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,

so you, Israel, have been unfaithfuli to me,”

declares the LORD.

21A cry is heard on the barren heights,j

the weepingk and pleading of the people of Israel,

because they have perverted their ways

and have forgottenl the LORD their God.

22“Return,m faithless people;

I will curen you of backsliding.”o

“Yes, we will come to you,

for you are the LORD our God.

23Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hillsp

and mountains is a deception;

surely in the LORD our God

is the salvationq of Israel.

24From our youth shamefulr gods have consumed

the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—

their flocks and herds,

their sons and daughters.

25Let us lie down in our shame,s

and let our disgrace cover us.

We have sinnedt against the LORD our God,

both we and our ancestors;u

from our youthv till this day

we have not obeyedw the LORD our God.”

1“If you, Israel, will return,a

then return to me,”

declares the LORD.

“If you put your detestable idolsb out of my sight

and no longer go astray,

2and if in a truthful, just and righteous way

you swear,c ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’d

then the nations will invoke blessingse by him

and in him they will boast.f”

“Break up your unplowed groundg

and do not sow among thorns.h

4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,

circumcise your hearts,i

you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,

or my wrathj will flare up and burn like firek

because of the evill you have done—

burn with no one to quenchm it.

5“Announce in Judah and proclaimn in Jerusalem and say:

‘Sound the trumpeto throughout the land!’

Cry aloud and say:

‘Gather together!

Let us flee to the fortified cities!’p

6Raise the signalq to go to Zion!

Flee for safety without delay!

For I am bringing disasterr from the north,s

even terrible destruction.”

7A liont has come out of his lair;u

a destroyerv of nations has set out.

He has left his place

to lay wastew your land.

Your towns will lie in ruinsx

without inhabitant.

8So put on sackcloth,y

lamentz and wail,

for the fierce angera of the LORD

has not turned away from us.

9“In that day,” declares the LORD,

“the king and the officials will lose heart,b

the priests will be horrified,

and the prophets will be appalled.”c

13Look! He advances like the clouds,i

his chariotsj come like a whirlwind,k

his horsesl are swifter than eagles.m

Woe to us! We are ruined!n

14Jerusalem, washo the evil from your heart and be saved.p

How longq will you harbor wicked thoughts?

15A voice is announcing from Dan,r

proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.s

16“Tell this to the nations,

proclaim concerning Jerusalem:

‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,t

raising a war cryu against the cities of Judah.v

17They surroundw her like men guarding a field,

because she has rebelledx against me,’ ”

declares the LORD.

18“Your own conduct and actionsy

have brought this on you.z

This is your punishment.

How bittera it is!

How it pierces to the heart!”

19Oh, my anguish, my anguish!b

I writhe in pain.c

Oh, the agony of my heart!

My heart poundsd within me,

I cannot keep silent.e

For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;f

I have heard the battle cry.g

20Disaster follows disaster;h

the whole land lies in ruins.i

In an instant my tentsj are destroyed,

my shelter in a moment.

21How long must I see the battle standardk

and hear the sound of the trumpet?l

22“My people are fools;m

they do not know me.n

They are senseless children;

they have no understanding.o

They are skilled in doing evil;p

they know not how to do good.”q

23I looked at the earth,

and it was formless and empty;r

and at the heavens,

and their lights was gone.

24I looked at the mountains,

and they were quaking;t

all the hills were swaying.

25I looked, and there were no people;

every bird in the sky had flown away.u

26I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;v

all its towns lay in ruinsw

before the LORD, before his fierce anger.x

“The whole land will be ruined,y

though I will not destroyz it completely.

28Therefore the earth will mourna

and the heavens above grow dark,b

because I have spoken and will not relent,c

I have decided and will not turn back.d”

29At the sound of horsemen and archerse

every town takes to flight.f

Some go into the thickets;

some climb up among the rocks.g

All the towns are deserted;h

no one lives in them.

30What are you doing,i you devastated one?

Why dress yourself in scarlet

and put on jewelsj of gold?

Why highlight your eyes with makeup?k

You adorn yourself in vain.

Your loversl despise you;

they want to kill you.m

31I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,n

a groan as of one bearing her first child—

the cry of Daughter Ziono gasping for breath,p

stretching out her handsq and saying,

“Alas! I am fainting;

my life is given over to murderers.”r

1“Go up and downa the streets of Jerusalem,

look around and consider,b

search through her squares.

If you can find but one personc

who deals honestlyd and seeks the truth,

I will forgivee this city.

2Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’f

still they are swearing falsely.g”

3LORD, do not your eyesh look for truth?

You strucki them, but they felt no pain;

you crushed them, but they refused correction.j

They made their faces harder than stonek

and refused to repent.l

4I thought, “These are only the poor;

they are foolish,m

for they do not known the way of the LORD,

the requirements of their God.

5So I will go to the leaderso

and speak to them;

surely they know the way of the LORD,

the requirements of their God.”

But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke

and torn off the bonds.p

6Therefore a lion from the forestq will attack them,

a wolf from the desert will ravager them,

a leopards will lie in wait near their towns

to tear to pieces any who venture out,

for their rebellion is great

and their backslidings many.t

7“Why should I forgive you?

Your children have forsaken me

and swornu by gods that are not gods.v

I supplied all their needs,

yet they committed adulteryw

and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.x

8They are well-fed, lusty stallions,

each neighing for another man’s wife.y

9Should I not punish them for this?”z

declares the LORD.

“Should I not avengea myself

on such a nation as this?

10“Go through her vineyards and ravage them,

but do not destroy them completely.b

Strip off her branches,

for these people do not belong to the LORD.

11The people of Israel and the people of Judah

have been utterly unfaithfulc to me,”

declares the LORD.

12They have liedd about the LORD;

they said, “He will do nothing!

No harm will come to us;e

we will never see sword or famine.f

13The prophetsg are but windh

and the word is not in them;

so let what they say be done to them.”

“Because the people have spoken these words,

I will make my words in your mouthi a firej

and these people the wood it consumes.k

15People of Israel,” declares the LORD,

“I am bringing a distant nationl against you—

an ancient and enduring nation,

a people whose languagem you do not know,

whose speech you do not understand.

16Their quiversn are like an open grave;

all of them are mighty warriors.

17They will devouro your harvests and food,

devourp your sons and daughters;

they will devourq your flocks and herds,

devour your vines and fig trees.r

With the swords they will destroy

the fortified citiest in which you trust.u

20“Announce this to the descendants of Jacob

and proclaimz it in Judah:

21Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,a

who have eyesb but do not see,

who have ears but do not hear:c

22Should you not feard me?” declares the LORD.

“Should you not tremblee in my presence?

I made the sand a boundary for the sea,f

an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.

The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;

they may roar,g but they cannot cross it.

23But these people have stubborn and rebellioush hearts;

they have turned asidei and gone away.

24They do not say to themselves,

‘Let us fearj the LORD our God,

who gives autumn and spring rainsk in season,

who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’l

25Your wrongdoings have kept these away;

your sins have deprived you of good.m

26“Among my people are the wickedn

who lie in waito like men who snare birds

and like those who set trapsp to catch people.

27Like cages full of birds,

their houses are full of deceit;q

they have become richr and powerful

28and have grown fats and sleek.

Their evil deeds have no limit;

they do not seek justice.

They do not promote the case of the fatherless;t

they do not defend the just cause of the poor.u

29Should I not punish them for this?”

declares the LORD.

“Should I not avengev myself

on such a nation as this?

30“A horriblew and shocking thing

has happened in the land:

31The prophets prophesy lies,x

the priestsy rule by their own authority,

and my people love it this way.

But what will you do in the end?z

1“Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!

Flee from Jerusalem!

Sound the trumpeta in Tekoa!b

Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!c

For disaster looms out of the north,d

even terrible destruction.

2I will destroy Daughter Zion,e

so beautiful and delicate.f

3Shepherdsg with their flocks will come against her;

they will pitch their tents aroundh her,

each tending his own portion.”

4“Prepare for battle against her!

Arise, let us attack at noon!i

But, alas, the daylight is fading,

and the shadows of evening grow long.

5So arise, let us attack at night

and destroy her fortresses!”

“Cut down the treesj

and build siege rampsk against Jerusalem.

This city must be punished;

it is filled with oppression.l

7As a well pours out its water,

so she pours out her wickedness.

Violencem and destructionn resound in her;

her sickness and wounds are ever before me.

8Take warning, Jerusalem,

or I will turn awayo from you

and make your land desolate

so no one can live in it.”

“Let them glean the remnantp of Israel

as thoroughly as a vine;

pass your hand over the branches again,

like one gathering grapes.”

10To whom can I speak and give warning?

Who will listenq to me?

Their ears are closed1^,r

so they cannot hear.s

The wordt of the LORD is offensive to them;

they find no pleasure in it.

11But I am full of the wrathu of the LORD,

and I cannot hold it in.v

“Pour it out on the children in the street

and on the young menw gathered together;

both husband and wife will be caught in it,

and the old, those weighed down with years.x

12Their houses will be turned over to others,y

together with their fields and their wives,z

when I stretch out my handa

against those who live in the land,”

declares the LORD.

13“From the least to the greatest,

allb are greedy for gain;c

prophets and priests alike,

all practice deceit.d

14They dress the wound of my people

as though it were not serious.

‘Peace, peace,’ they say,

when there is no peace.e

15Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?

No, they have no shame at all;

they do not even know how to blush.f

So they will fall among the fallen;

they will be brought down when I punishg them,”

says the LORD.

“Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,h

ask where the good wayi is, and walk in it,

and you will find restj for your souls.

But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

17I appointed watchmenk over you and said,

‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’l

But you said, ‘We will not listen.’m

18Therefore hear, you nations;

you who are witnesses,

observe what will happen to them.

19Hear, you earth:n

I am bringing disastero on this people,

the fruit of their schemes,p

because they have not listened to my wordsq

and have rejected my law.r

20What do I care about incense from Shebas

or sweet calamust from a distant land?

Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;u

your sacrificesv do not please me.”w

“I will put obstacles before this people.

Parents and children alike will stumblex over them;

neighbors and friends will perish.”

“Look, an army is coming

from the land of the north;y

a great nation is being stirred up

from the ends of the earth.z

23They are armed with bow and spear;

they are cruel and show no mercy.a

They sound like the roaring seab

as they ride on their horses;c

they come like men in battle formation

to attack you, Daughter Zion.d”

24We have heard reports about them,

and our hands hang limp.e

Anguishf has gripped us,

pain like that of a woman in labor.g

25Do not go out to the fields

or walk on the roads,

for the enemy has a sword,

and there is terror on every side.h

26Put on sackcloth,i my people,

and roll in ashes;j

mourn with bitter wailingk

as for an only son,l

for suddenly the destroyerm

will come upon us.

27“I have made you a testern of metals

and my people the ore,

that you may observe

and test their ways.

28They are all hardened rebels,o

going about to slander.p

They are bronze and iron;q

they all act corruptly.

29The bellows blow fiercely

to burn away the lead with fire,

but the refiningr goes on in vain;

the wicked are not purged out.

30They are called rejected silver,s

because the LORD has rejected them.”t

“ ‘When people fall down, do they not get up?i

When someone turns away,j do they not return?

5Why then have these people turned away?

Why does Jerusalem always turn away?

They cling to deceit;k

they refuse to return.l

6I have listenedm attentively,

but they do not say what is right.

None of them repentn of their wickedness,

saying, “What have I done?”

Each pursues their own courseo

like a horse charging into battle.

7Even the stork in the sky

knows her appointed seasons,

and the dove, the swift and the thrush

observe the time of their migration.

But my people do not knowp

the requirements of the LORD.

8“ ‘How can you say, “We are wise,

for we have the lawq of the LORD,”

when actually the lying pen of the scribes

has handled it falsely?

9The wiser will be put to shame;

they will be dismayeds and trapped.t

Since they have rejected the wordu of the LORD,

what kind of wisdomv do they have?

10Therefore I will give their wives to other men

and their fields to new owners.w

From the least to the greatest,

all are greedy for gain;x

prophetsy and priests alike,

all practice deceit.z

11They dress the wound of my people

as though it were not serious.

“Peace, peace,” they say,

when there is no peace.a

12Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?

No, they have no shameb at all;

they do not even know how to blush.

So they will fall among the fallen;

they will be brought down when they are punished,c

says the LORD.d

13“ ‘I will take away their harvest,

declares the LORD.

There will be no grapes on the vine.e

There will be no figsf on the tree,

and their leaves will wither.g

What I have given them

will be takenh from them.1’ ”

14Why are we sitting here?

Gather together!

Let us flee to the fortified citiesi

and perish there!

For the LORD our God has doomed us to perish

and given us poisoned waterj to drink,

because we have sinnedk against him.

15We hoped for peacel

but no good has come,

for a time of healing

but there is only terror.m

16The snorting of the enemy’s horsesn

is heard from Dan;o

at the neighing of their stallions

the whole land trembles.p

They have come to devourq

the land and everything in it,

the city and all who live there.

17“See, I will send venomous snakesr among you,

vipers that cannot be charmed,s

and they will bite you,”

declares the LORD.

18You who are my Comforter2 in sorrow,

my heart is faintt within me.

19Listen to the cry of my people

from a land far away:u

“Is the LORD not in Zion?

Is her Kingv no longer there?”

“Why have they arousedw my anger with their images,

with their worthlessx foreign idols?”y

20“The harvest is past,

the summer has ended,

and we are not saved.”

21Since my people are crushed,z I am crushed;

I mourn,a and horror grips me.

22Is there no balm in Gilead?b

Is there no physicianc there?

Why then is there no healingd

for the wound of my people?

1Oh, that my head were a spring of water

and my eyes a fountain of tears!a

I would weepb day and night

for the slain of my people.c

2Oh, that I had in the desertd

a lodging place for travelers,

so that I might leave my people

and go away from them;

for they are all adulterers,e

a crowd of unfaithfulf people.

3“They make ready their tongue

like a bow, to shoot lies;g

it is not by truth

that they triumph2 in the land.

They go from one sin to another;

they do not acknowledgeh me,”

declares the LORD.

4“Beware of your friends;i

do not trust anyone in your clan.j

For every one of them is a deceiver,3^,k

and every friend a slanderer.l

5Friend deceives friend,m

and no one speaks the truth.n

They have taught their tongues to lie;o

they weary themselves with sinning.

6You4 live in the midst of deception;p

in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”

declares the LORD.

“See, I will refineq and testr them,

for what else can I do

because of the sin of my people?

8Their tongues is a deadly arrow;

it speaks deceitfully.

With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,t

but in their hearts they set trapsu for them.v

9Should I not punish them for this?”

declares the LORD.

“Should I not avengew myself

on such a nation as this?”

10I will weep and wail for the mountains

and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands.x

They are desolate and untraveled,

and the lowing of cattle is not heard.

The birdsy have all fled

and the animals are gone.

11“I will make Jerusalem a heapz of ruins,

a haunt of jackals;a

and I will lay waste the towns of Judahb

so no one can live there.”c

“Consider now! Call for the wailing womenn to come;

send for the most skillful of them.

18Let them come quickly

and wail over us

till our eyes overflow with tears

and water streams from our eyelids.o

19The sound of wailing is heard from Zion:

‘How ruinedp we are!

How great is our shame!

We must leave our land

because our houses are in ruins.’ ”

20Now, you women, hear the word of the LORD;

open your ears to the words of his mouth.q

Teach your daughters how to wail;

teach one another a lament.r

21Death has climbed in through our windowss

and has entered our fortresses;

it has removed the children from the streets

and the young ment from the public squares.

“ ‘Dead bodies will lie

like dungu on the open field,

like cut grain behind the reaper,

with no one to gather them.’ ”

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdomv

or the strong boast of their strengthw

or the rich boast of their riches,x

24but let the one who boasts boasty about this:

that they have the understanding to knowz me,

that I am the LORD,a who exercises kindness,b

justice and righteousnessc on earth,

for in these I delight,”

declares the LORD.

“Do not learn the ways of the nationsa

or be terrified by signsb in the heavens,

though the nations are terrified by them.

3For the practices of the peoples are worthless;

they cut a tree out of the forest,

and a craftsmanc shapes it with his chisel.d Photo

4They adorn it with silvere and gold;

they fasten it with hammer and nails

so it will not totter.f

5Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,

their idols cannot speak;g

they must be carried

because they cannot walk.h

Do not fear them;

they can do no harmi

nor can they do any good.”j

6No one is like you,k LORD;

you are great,l

and your name is mighty in power.

7Who should not fearm you,

King of the nations?n

This is your due.

Among all the wise leaders of the nations

and in all their kingdoms,

there is no one like you.

8They are all senselesso and foolish;p

they are taught by worthless wooden idols.q

9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshishr

and gold from Uphaz.

What the craftsman and goldsmith have mades

is then dressed in blue and purple—

all made by skilled workers.

10But the LORD is the true God;

he is the living God,t the eternal King.u

When he is angry,v the earth trembles;w

the nations cannot endure his wrath.x

12But God madez the eartha by his power;

he founded the world by his wisdomb

and stretched out the heavensc by his understanding.

13When he thunders,d the waters in the heavens roar;

he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.

He sends lightninge with the rainf

and brings out the wind from his storehouses.g

14Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;

every goldsmith is shamedh by his idols.

The images he makes are a fraud;i

they have no breath in them.

15They are worthless,j the objects of mockery;

when their judgment comes, they will perish.

16He who is the Portionk of Jacob is not like these,

for he is the Maker of all things,l

including Israel, the people of his inheritancem—

the LORD Almighty is his name.n

17Gather up your belongingso to leave the land,

you who live under siege.

18For this is what the LORD says:

“At this time I will hurlp out

those who live in this land;

I will bring distressq on them

so that they may be captured.”

19Woe to me because of my injury!

My woundr is incurable!

Yet I said to myself,

“This is my sickness, and I must endures it.”

20My tentt is destroyed;

all its ropes are snapped.

My children are gone from me and are no more;u

no one is left now to pitch my tent

or to set up my shelter.

21The shepherdsv are senselessw

and do not inquire of the LORD;x

so they do not prospery

and all their flock is scattered.z

22Listen! The report is coming—

a great commotion from the land of the north!a

It will make the towns of Judah desolate,b

a haunt of jackals.c

23LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own;

it is not for them to direct their steps.d

24Discipline me, LORD, but only in due measure—

not in your anger,e

or you will reduce me to nothing.f

25Pour out your wrath on the nationsg

that do not acknowledge you,

on the peoples who do not call on your name.h

For they have devouredi Jacob;

they have devoured him completely

and destroyed his homeland.j

15“What is my beloved doing in my temple

as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes?

Can consecrated meati avert your punishment?j

When you engage in your wickedness,

then you rejoice.1”

16The LORD called you a thriving olive treek

with fruit beautiful in form.

But with the roar of a mighty storm

he will set it on fire,l

and its branches will be broken.m

“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;

let us cut him off from the land of the living,t

that his name be rememberedu no more.”

20But you, LORD Almighty, who judge righteouslyv

and test the heartw and mind,x

let me see your vengeancey on them,

for to you I have committed my cause.

1You are always righteous,a LORD,

when I bring a caseb before you.

Yet I would speak with you about your justice:c

Why does the way of the wicked prosper?d

Why do all the faithless live at ease?

2You have plantede them, and they have taken root;

they grow and bear fruit.f

You are always on their lips

but far from their hearts.g

3Yet you know me, LORD;

you see me and testh my thoughts about you.

Drag them off like sheepi to be butchered!

Set them apart for the day of slaughter!j

4How long will the land lie parchedk

and the grass in every field be withered?l

Because those who live in it are wicked,

the animals and birds have perished.m

Moreover, the people are saying,

“He will not see what happens to us.”

5“If you have raced with men on foot

and they have worn you out,

how can you compete with horses?

If you stumble1 in safe country,

how will you manage in the thicketsn by2 the Jordan?

6Your relatives, members of your own family—

even they have betrayed you;

they have raised a loud cry against you.o

Do not trust them,

though they speak well of you.p

7“I will forsakeq my house,

abandonr my inheritance;

I will give the one I loves

into the hands of her enemies.t

8My inheritance has become to me

like a lionu in the forest.

She roars at me;

therefore I hate her.v

9Has not my inheritance become to me

like a speckled bird of prey

that other birds of prey surround and attack?

Go and gather all the wild beasts;

bring them to devour.w

10Many shepherdsx will ruin my vineyard

and trample down my field;

they will turn my pleasant field

into a desolate wasteland.y

11It will be made a wasteland,z

parched and desolate before me;a

the whole land will be laid waste

because there is no one who cares.

12Over all the barren heights in the desert

destroyers will swarm,

for the swordb of the LORDc will devourd

from one end of the land to the other;e

no one will be safe.f

13They will sow wheat but reap thorns;

they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.g

They will bear the shame of their harvest

because of the LORD’s fierce anger.”h

15Hear and pay attention,

do not be arrogant,

for the LORD has spoken.q

16Give gloryr to the LORD your God

before he brings the darkness,

before your feet stumbles

on the darkening hills.

You hope for light,

but he will turn it to utter darkness

and change it to deep gloom.t

17If you do not listen,u

I will weep in secret

because of your pride;

my eyes will weep bitterly,

overflowing with tears,v

because the LORD’s flockw will be taken captive.x

18Say to the kingy and to the queen mother,z

“Come down from your thrones,

for your glorious crownsa

will fall from your heads.”

19The cities in the Negev will be shut up,

and there will be no one to open them.

All Judahb will be carried into exile,

carried completely away.

20Look up and see

those who are coming from the north.c

Where is the flockd that was entrusted to you,

the sheep of which you boasted?

21What will you say when the LORD sets over you

those you cultivated as your special allies?e

Will not pain grip you

like that of a woman in labor?f

22And if you ask yourself,

“Why has this happened to me?”g—

it is because of your many sinsh

that your skirts have been torn offi

and your body mistreated.j

23Can an Ethiopian2 change his skin

or a leopard its spots?

Neither can you do good

who are accustomed to doing evil.k

24“I will scatter you like chaffl

driven by the desert wind.m

25This is your lot,

the portionn I have decreed for you,”

declares the LORD,

“because you have forgotteno me

and trusted in false gods.p

26I will pull up your skirts over your face

that your shame may be seenq—

27your adulteries and lustful neighings,

your shameless prostitution!r

I have seen your detestable acts

on the hills and in the fields.s

Woe to you, Jerusalem!

How long will you be unclean?”t

2“Judah mourns,b

her cities languish;

they wail for the land,

and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.

3The nobles send their servants for water;

they go to the cisterns

but find no water.c

They return with their jars unfilled;

dismayed and despairing,

they cover their heads.d

4The ground is cracked

because there is no rain in the land;e

the farmers are dismayed

and cover their heads.

5Even the doe in the field

deserts her newborn fawn

because there is no grass.f

6Wild donkeys stand on the barren heightsg

and pant like jackals;

their eyes fail

for lack of food.”h

7Although our sins testifyi against us,

do something, LORD, for the sake of your name.j

For we have often rebelled;k

we have sinnedl against you.

8You who are the hopem of Israel,

its Saviorn in times of distress,o

why are you like a stranger in the land,

like a traveler who stays only a night?

9Why are you like a man taken by surprise,

like a warrior powerless to save?p

You are amongq us, LORD,

and we bear your name;r

do not forsakes us!

“They greatly love to wander;

they do not restrain their feet.t

So the LORD does not acceptu them;

he will now rememberv their wickedness

and punish them for their sins.”w

“ ‘Let my eyes overflow with tearsr

night and day without ceasing;

for the Virgins Daughter, my people,

has suffered a grievous wound,

a crushing blow.t

18If I go into the country,

I see those slain by the sword;

if I go into the city,

I see the ravages of famine.u

Both prophet and priest

have gone to a land they know not.v’ ”

19Have you rejected Judah completely?w

Do you despise Zion?

Why have you afflicted us

so that we cannot be healed?x

We hoped for peace

but no good has come,

for a time of healing

but there is only terror.y

20We acknowledgez our wickedness, LORD,

and the guilt of our ancestors;a

we have indeed sinnedb against you.

21For the sake of your namec do not despise us;

do not dishonor your glorious throne.d

Remember your covenante with us

and do not break it.

22Do any of the worthless idolsf of the nations bring rain?g

Do the skies themselves send down showers?

No, it is you, LORD our God.

Therefore our hope is in you,

for you are the one who does all this.h

“ ‘Those destined for death, to death;

those for the sword, to the sword;e

those for starvation, to starvation;f

those for captivity, to captivity.’g

5“Who will have pityp on you, Jerusalem?

Who will mourn for you?

Who will stop to ask how you are?

6You have rejectedq me,” declares the LORD.

“You keep on backsliding.

So I will reach outr and destroy you;

I am tired of holding back.s

7I will winnowt them with a winnowing fork

at the city gates of the land.

I will bring bereavementu and destruction on my people,v

for they have not changed their ways.w

8I will make their widowsx more numerous

than the sand of the sea.

At midday I will bring a destroyery

against the mothers of their young men;

suddenly I will bring down on them

anguish and terror.z

9The mother of seven will grow fainta

and breathe her last.b

Her sun will set while it is still day;

she will be disgracedc and humiliated.

I will put the survivors to the swordd

before their enemies,”e

declares the LORD.

10Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,f

a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!g

I have neither lenth nor borrowed,

yet everyone cursesi me.

“Surely I will deliver youj for a good purpose;

surely I will make your enemies pleadk with you

in times of disaster and times of distress.

12“Can a man break iron—

iron from the northl—or bronze?

13“Your wealthm and your treasures

I will give as plunder,n without charge,o

because of all your sins

throughout your country.p

14I will enslave you to your enemies

in1 a land you do not know,q

for my anger will kindle a firer

that will burn against you.”

15LORD, you understand;

remember me and care for me.

Avenge me on my persecutors.s

You are long-sufferingt—do not take me away;

think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.u

16When your words came, I atev them;

they were my joy and my heart’s delight,w

for I bear your name,x

LORD God Almighty.

17I never saty in the company of revelers,

never made merry with them;

I sat alone because your handz was on me

and you had filled me with indignation.

18Why is my pain unending

and my wound grievous and incurable?a

You are to me like a deceptive brook,

like a spring that fails.b

“If you repent, I will restore you

that you may servec me;

if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,

you will be my spokesman.d

Let this people turn to you,

but you must not turn to them.

20I will make you a walle to this people,

a fortified wall of bronze;

they will fight against you

but will not overcomef you,

for I am with you

to rescue and save you,”g

declares the LORD.

21“I will saveh you from the hands of the wickedi

and deliverj you from the grasp of the cruel.”k

19LORD, my strength and my fortress,

my refuges in time of distress,

to you the nations will comet

from the ends of the earth and say,

“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,u

worthless idolsv that did them no good.w

20Do people make their own gods?

Yes, but they are not gods!”x

21“Therefore I will teach them—

this time I will teach them

my power and might.

Then they will know

that my namey is the LORD.

1“Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool,a

inscribed with a flint point,

on the tablets of their heartsb

and on the hornsc of their altars.

2Even their children remember

their altars and Asherah poles1^,d

beside the spreading trees

and on the high hills.e

3My mountain in the land

and your2 wealth and all your treasures

I will give away as plunder,f

together with your high places,g

because of sin throughout your country.h

4Through your own fault you will lose

the inheritancei I gave you.

I will enslave you to your enemiesj

in a landk you do not know,

for you have kindled my anger,

and it will burnl forever.”

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,m

who draws strength from mere flesh

and whose heart turns away from the LORD.n

6That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;

they will not see prosperity when it comes.

They will dwell in the parched placeso of the desert,

in a saltp land where no one lives.

7“But blessedq is the one who trustsr in the LORD,

whose confidence is in him.

8They will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.s

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of droughtt

and never fails to bear fruit.”u

9The heartv is deceitful above all things

and beyond cure.

Who can understand it?

10“I the LORD search the heartw

and examine the mind,x

to rewardy each person according to their conduct,

according to what their deeds deserve.”z

11Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay

are those who gain riches by unjust means.

When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,

and in the end they will prove to be fools.a

12A glorious throne,b exalted from the beginning,

is the place of our sanctuary.

13LORD, you are the hopec of Israel;

all who forsaked you will be put to shame.

Those who turn away from you will be written in the duste

because they have forsaken the LORD,

the spring of living water.f

14Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed;g

saveh me and I will be saved,

for you are the one I praise.i

15They keep saying to me,

“Where is the word of the LORD?

Let it now be fulfilled!”j

16I have not run away from being your shepherd;

you know I have not desired the day of despair.

What passes my lipsk is open before you.

17Do not be a terrorl to me;

you are my refugem in the day of disaster.n

18Let my persecutors be put to shame,

but keep me from shame;

let them be terrified,

but keep me from terror.

Bring on them the day of disaster;

destroy them with double destruction.o

“Inquire among the nations:

Who has ever heard anything like this?q

A most horribler thing has been done

by Virgins Israel.

14Does the snow of Lebanon

ever vanish from its rocky slopes?

Do its cool waters from distant sources

ever stop flowing?1

15Yet my people have forgottent me;

they burn incenseu to worthless idols,v

which made them stumblew in their ways,

in the ancient paths.x

They made them walk in byways,

on roads not built up.y

16Their land will be an object of horrorz

and of lasting scorn;a

all who pass by will be appalledb

and will shake their heads.c

17Like a windd from the east,

I will scatter them before their enemies;

I will show them my back and not my facee

in the day of their disaster.”

19Listen to me, LORD;

hear what my accusersk are saying!

20Should good be repaid with evil?l

Yet they have dug a pitm for me.

Remember that I stoodn before you

and spoke in their behalfo

to turn your wrath away from them.

21So give their children over to famine;p

hand them over to the power of the sword.q

Let their wives be made childless and widows;r

let their men be put to death,

their young mens slain by the sword in battle.

22Let a cryt be heard from their houses

when you suddenly bring invaders against them,

for they have dug a pitu to capture me

and have hidden snaresv for my feet.

23But you, LORD, know

all their plots to killw me.

Do not forgivex their crimes

or blot out their sins from your sight.

Let them be overthrown before you;

deal with them in the time of your anger.y

7You deceived1^,n me, LORD, and I was deceived2;

you overpoweredo me and prevailed.

I am ridiculedp all day long;

everyone mocksq me. Article: Does the Lord Really Deceive?

8Whenever I speak, I cry out

proclaiming violence and destruction.r

So the word of the LORD has brought me

insult and reproachs all day long.

9But if I say, “I will not mention his word

or speak anymore in his name,”t

his word is in my heart like a fire,u

a fire shut up in my bones.

I am weary of holding it in;v

indeed, I cannot.

10I hear many whispering,

“Terrorw on every side!

Denouncex him! Let’s denounce him!”

All my friendsy

are waiting for me to slip,z saying,

“Perhaps he will be deceived;

then we will prevaila over him

and take our revengeb on him.”

11But the LORDc is with me like a mighty warrior;

so my persecutorsd will stumble and not prevail.e

They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;f

their dishonor will never be forgotten.

12LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous

and probe the heart and mind,g

let me see your vengeanceh on them,

for to you I have committedi my cause.

13Singj to the LORD!

Give praise to the LORD!

He rescuesk the life of the needy

from the hands of the wicked.l

14Cursed be the day I was born!m

May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!

15Cursed be the man who brought my father the news,

who made him very glad, saying,

“A child is born to you—a son!”

16May that man be like the townsn

the LORD overthrew without pity.

May he hear wailingo in the morning,

a battle cry at noon.

17For he did not kill me in the womb,p

with my mother as my grave,

her womb enlarged forever.

18Why did I ever come out of the wombq

to see troubler and sorrow

and to end my days in shame?s

“ ‘Administer justiced every morning;

rescue from the hand of the oppressore

the one who has been robbed,

or my wrath will break out and burn like firef

because of the evilg you have done—

burn with no one to quenchh it.

13I am againsti you, Jerusalem,

you who live above this valleyj

on the rocky plateau, declares the LORD—

you who say, “Who can come against us?

Who can enter our refuge?”k

14I will punish you as your deedsl deserve,

declares the LORD.

I will kindle a firem in your forestsn

that will consume everything around you.’ ”