The judgments of God upon the Jews, for their perverseness,

1 ¶ Run ye to and froºª through the streetsº of Jerusalem,º and seeºª now,² and know,ºª and seekºª in the broad placesº thereof, if² ye can findºª a man,º if² there beº [any] that executethºª judgment,º that seekethºª the truth;º and I will pardonºª it. 2 And though² they say,ºª The LORDº liveth;º surely² they swearºª falsely.º 3 O LORD,º [are] not² thine eyesº upon the truth?º thou hast strickenºª them, but they have not² grieved;ºª thou hast consumedºª them, [but] they have refusedºª to receiveºª correction:º they have made their facesº harderºª than a rock;º² they have refusedºª to return.ºª 4 Therefore I² said,ºª Surely² these² [are] poor;º they are foolish:ºª for² they knowºª not² the wayº of the LORD,º [nor] the judgmentº of their God.º 5 I will get¹ª² me unto² the great men,º and will speak¹ª unto² them; for² they² have knownºª the wayº of the LORD,º [and] the judgmentº of their God:º but² these² have altogetherº brokenºª the yoke,º [and] burstºª the bonds.º 6 Wherefore²² a lionº out of the forestº² shall slayºª them, [and] a wolfº of the eveningsº shall spoilºª them, a leopardº shall watchºª over² their cities:º every one² that goeth outºª thence²² shall¹ be torn in pieces:ºª because² their transgressionsº are many,ºª [and] their backslidingsº are increased.ºª

for their adultery,

7 ¶ Howº shall I pardonºª thee for this?º thy childrenº have forsakenºª me, and swornºª by [them that are] noº gods:º when I had fed them to the full,¹ª²² they then committed adultery,ºª and assembled themselves² by troops¹ª in the harlots'ºª houses.º 8 They were² [as] fedºª horsesº in the morning:ºª every oneº neighedºª after² his neighbour'sº wife.º 9 Shall I not² visitºª for² these² [things]? saithºª the LORD:º and² shall not² my soulº be avengedºª on such² a nationº as this?²

for their impiety,

10 ¶ Go ye upºª upon her walls,º and destroy;ºª but makeºª not² a full end:º take awayºª her battlements;º for² they² [are] not² the LORD'S.º 11 For² the houseº of Israelº and the houseº of Judahº have dealt very¹ª treacherouslyºª against me, saithºª the LORD.º 12 They have beliedºª the LORD,º and said,ºª [It is] not² he;² neither² shall evilº comeºª upon² us; neither² shall we seeºª swordº nor famine:º 13 And the prophetsº shall become² wind,º and the word¹ª² [is] not² in them: thus² shall it be doneºª unto them. 14 Wherefore² thus² saithºª the LORDº Godº of hosts,º Because² ye speakºª² this² word,º behold,² I will makeºª my wordsº in thy mouthº fire,º and this² peopleº wood,º and it shall devourºª them. 15 Lo,² I will bringºª a nationº upon² you from far,º² O houseº of Israel,º saithºª the LORD:º it² [is] a mightyº nation,º it² [is] an ancientº² nation,º a nationº whose languageº thou knowestºª not,² neither² understandestºª what² they say.ºª 16 Their quiverº [is] as an openºª sepulchre,º they [are] all² mighty men.º 17 And they shall eat upºª thine harvest,º and thy bread,º [which] thy sonsº and thy daughtersº should eat:ºª they shall eat upºª thy flocksº and thine herds:º they shall eat upºª thy vinesº and thy fig trees:º they shall impoverishºª thy fencedº cities,º wherein² thou¹² trustedst,ºª with the sword.º 18 Nevertheless² in those² days,º saithºª the LORD,º I will not² makeºª a full endº with² you.

for their contempt of God,

19 ¶ And it shall come to pass,² when² ye shall say,ºª Whereforeºº doethºª the LORDº our Godº² all² these² [things] unto us? then shalt thou answerºª² them, Like² as ye have forsakenºª me, and servedºª strangeº godsº in your land,º so² shall ye serveºª strangersºª in a landº [that is] not² yours. 20 Declareºª this² in the houseº of Jacob,º and publishºª it in Judah,º saying,ºª 21 Hearºª now² this,² O foolishº people,º and without² understanding;º which have eyes,º and seeºª not;² which have ears,º and hearºª not:² 22 Fearºª ye not² me? saithºª the LORD:º will ye not² trembleºª at my presence,º² which² have placedºª the sandº [for] the boundº of the seaº by a perpetualº decree,º that it cannot² passºª it: and though the wavesº thereof toss¹ª themselves,² yet can they not² prevail;ºª though they roar,ºª yet can they not² pass overºª it? 23 But this² peopleº hath² a revoltingºª and a rebelliousºª heart;º they are revoltedºª and gone.¹ª² 24 Neither² sayºª they in their heart,º Let us now² fearºª² the LORDº our God,º that givethºª rain,º both the formerº and the latter,º in his season:º he reservethºª unto us the appointedº weeksº of the harvest.º

and for their great corruption in the civil state,

25 ¶ Your iniquitiesº have turned awayºª these² [things], and your sinsº have withholdenºª goodº [things] from² you. 26 For² among my peopleº are foundºª wickedº [men]: they lay wait,ºª as he that settethºª snares;º they setºª a trap,º they catchºª men.¹² 27 As a cageº is fullº of birds,º so² [are] their housesº fullº of deceit:º therefore²² they are become great,ºª and waxen rich.ºª 28 They are waxen fat,ºª they shine:ºª yea,² they overpassºª the deedsº of the wicked:º they judgeºª not² the cause,º the cause² of the fatherless,º yet they prosper;ºª and the rightº of the needyº do they not² judge.ºª 29 Shall I not² visitºª for² these² [things]? saithºª the LORD:º shall not² my soulº be avengedºª on such² a nationº as this?²

and ecclesiastical.

30 ¶ A wonderfulº and horrible thingº is committedºª in the land;º 31 The prophetsº prophesyºª falsely,º and the priestsº bear ruleºª by² their means;º and my peopleº loveºª [to have it] so:² and what² will ye doºª in the endº thereof?