| English Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1“At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs. | 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 be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped. And they shall not be gathered or buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. | 2They will be exposed to the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the sky, which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be collected and buried but will become like manure on the soil's surface. |
| 3Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, declares 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 Armies. |
| 4“You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he 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 has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to 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 have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong 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 heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people know not the rules of the LORD. | 7Even storks in the sky know their seasons. Turtledoves, swallows, and cranes are aware of their migration, but my people do not know the requirements of the LORD. |
| 8“How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. | 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 shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so 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 I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors, because from the least to the greatest everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals 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. |
| 11They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. | 11They have treated the brokenness of my dear people superficially, claiming, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. |
| 12Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the LORD. | 12Were they ashamed when they acted so detestably? 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. |
| 13When I would gather them, declares the LORD, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed 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? Gather together; let us go into the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and has given us poisoned water 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; for a time of healing, but behold, 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 sound of the neighing of their stallions the whole land quakes. They come and devour the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell 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. |
| 17For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders that cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you,” declares 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. |
| 18My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me. | 18My joy has flown away; grief has settled on me. My heart is sick. |
| 19Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people from the length and breadth of the land: “Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not in her?” “Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images and with their foreign idols?” | 19Listen--the cry of my dear people from a faraway land, "Is the LORD no longer in Zion, her King not within her?" Why have they angered me with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols? |
| 20“The 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 wound of the daughter of my people is my heart wounded; I mourn, and dismay has 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 has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored? | 22Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about? |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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