New American Standard Bible 1995

International Standard Version

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.

1"Wander through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and investigate; search through her squares and see whether you find anyone— even one person there—doing justice and seeking truth. Then I'll forgive them.

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

2Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely."

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.

3LORD, don't your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they didn't flinch. You brought them to an end, but they refused to receive discipline. They made their faces harder than stone, and they refused to repent.

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.

4Then I said, "These are only the poor, they're foolish, for they don't know the LORD's way, the requirement of their God.

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.

5Let me go to the leaders and speak to them. For they know the LORD's way, the requirement of their God." "But they, all together, have broken the yoke and torn off the restraints.

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.

6Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will devastate them. A leopard is watching their towns, and everyone who goes out of them will be torn to pieces. For their transgressions are many, and their apostasies numerous.

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.

7Why should I forgive you? Your sons have forsaken me, and you have sworn by those who aren't gods. When I gave them enough food to satisfy them, they committed adultery and marched to the prostitute's house.

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

8They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each one neighing after his neighbor's wife.

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

9"Should I not punish them for these things?" asks the LORD, "And on a nation like this, should I not seek retribution?"

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.

10"Go through her rows of vines and destroy them, but don't completely destroy them. Strip away her branches, because they aren't the LORD's.

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

11For both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD.

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

12"They have lied about the LORD by saying, 'He wouldn't do that! Disaster won't come on us. We won't see sword and famine.

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

13The prophets are nothing but wind, and the word is not in them. So may the disaster happen to them!'"

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.

14Therefore, this is what the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies says: "Because you people have said this, my words in your mouth will become a fire and these people the wood. The fire will destroy them.

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.

15People of Israel, I'm now bringing a nation from far away to attack you," declares the LORD. "It is an enduring nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don't know. And you won't understand what they say.

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

16Their quiver is like an open grave, and all of them are powerful warriors.

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.

17"They'll devour your harvest and your food. They'll devour your sons and your daughters. They'll devour your vines and your fig trees. With their swords they'll batter down your fortified cities in which you trust.

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

18"Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I won't destroy you completely.

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.'

19When the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you are to say to them, 'Just as you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'"

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

20"Declare this to the descendants of Jacob, and proclaim it in Judah:

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

21Hear this, you foolish and stupid people: They have eyes, but don't see; they have ears, but don't hear.

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.

22You don't fear me, do you?' declares the LORD. 'You don't tremble before me, do you? I'm the one who put the sand as a boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot cross. Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail against it, though they roar, they cannot cross it.'

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

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

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."

24They don't say to themselves, 'Let's fear the LORD our God, who gives rain in its season, both the autumn and the spring rain. He sets aside for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'

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

25Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have held back from you what is good.

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

26"Evil men are found among my people. They lie in wait like someone who traps birds. They set a trap, but they do so to catch people.

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

27Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are filled with treachery. This is how they have become prominent and rich,

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.

28and have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They don't argue the case of the orphan to secure justice. They don't defend the rights of the poor.

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

29Should I not punish them for this?' asks the LORD. 'Should I not avenge myself on a nation like this?'

30"An appalling and horrible 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 on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?

31The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?"

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

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.