[1] At that time, says the Lord, they will take the bones of the kings of
Judah, and the bones of his rulers, and the bones of the priests, and the
bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem out of
their resting-places: [2] And they will put them out before the sun and the
moon and all the stars of heaven, whose lovers and servants they have been,
after whom they have gone, to whom they have made prayers, and to whom they
have given worship: they will not be put together or placed in the earth;
they will be waste on the face of the earth. [3] And death will be desired
more than life by the rest of this evil family who are still living in all
the places where I have sent them away, says the Lord of armies. [4]
Further, you are to say to them, This is what the Lord has said: Will those
who are falling not be lifted up again? will he who has gone away not come
back? [5] Why do these people of Jerusalem go back, for ever turning away?
they will not give up their deceit, they will not come back. [6] I took
note and gave ear, but no one said what is right: no man had regret for his
evil-doing, saying, What have I done? everyone goes off on his way like a
horse rushing to the fight. [7] Truly, the stork in the heavens is
conscious of her fixed times; the dove and the swallow and the crane keep
to the times of their coming; but my people have no knowledge of the law of
the Lord. [8] How is it that you say, We are wise and the law of the Lord
is with us? But see, the false pen of the scribes has made it false. [9]
The wise men are shamed, they are overcome with fear and taken: see, they
have given up the word of the Lord; and what use is their wisdom to them?
[10] So I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who
will take them for themselves: for everyone, from the least to the
greatest, is given up to getting money; from the priest even to the
prophet, everyone is false. [11] And they have made little of the wounds of
the daughter of Zion, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. [12]
Let them be put to shame because they have done disgusting things. They had
no shame, they were not able to become red with shame: so they will come
down with those who are falling: in the time of their punishment they will
be made low, says the Lord. [13] I will put an end to them completely, says
the Lord: there are no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig-tree, and
the leaf is dry. [14] Why are we seated doing nothing? come together, and
let us go to the walled towns, and let destruction overtake us there, for
the Lord our God has sent destruction on us, and given us bitter water for
our drink, because we have done evil against the Lord. [15] We were looking
for peace, but no good came; and for a time of well-being, but there is
only a great fear. [16] The loud breathing of the horses comes to our ears
from Dan: at the sound of the outcry of his war-horses, all the land is
shaking with fear; for they have come, and have made a meal of the land and
everything in it; the town and the people living in it. [17] See, I will
send snakes and poison-snakes among you, against which the wonder-worker
has no power; and they will give you wounds which may not be made well,
says the Lord. [18] Sorrow has come on me! my heart in me is feeble. [19]
The voice of the cry of the daughter of my people comes from a far land: Is
the Lord not in Zion? is not her King in her? Why have they made me angry
with their images and their strange gods which are no gods? [20] The
grain-cutting is past, the summer is ended, and no salvation has come to
us. [21] For the destruction of the daughter of my people I am broken: I am
dressed in the clothing of grief; fear has taken me in its grip. [22] Is
there no life-giving oil in Gilead? is there no expert in medical arts? why
then have my people not been made well?
