1 Go round about the ways of Jerusalem, and look, and consider, & seek in the streets thereof, whether you can find a man that doth judgements, and seeketh fidelity: and I will be propitious unto him.
1 Go about through the streets of Jerusalem, and see, and consider, and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man that executeth judgment, and seeketh faith: and I will be merciful unto it.
2 Yea if they say: Our Lord liveth this also they will swear falsely.
2 And though they say: The Lord liveth; this also they will swear falsely.
3 O Lord thine eyes regard fidelity: thou hast strucken them, and they were not sorry: thou hast broken them, and they have refused to receive discipline: they have hardened their faces more than the rock, and they would not return.
3 O Lord, thy eyes are upon truth: thou hast struck them, and they have not grieved: thou hast bruised them, and they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than the rock, and they have refused to return.
4 But I said: Perhaps they are poor and foolish, not knowing the way of the Lord, the judgement of their God.
4 But I said: Perhaps these are poor and foolish, that know not the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God.
5 I will go therefore to the great men, and will speak to them: for they have known the way of their Lord: and behold these altogether have more broken the yoke, have burst the bonds.
5 I will go therefore to the great men, and will speak to them: for they have known the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God: and behold these have altogether broken the yoke more, and have burst the bonds.
6 Therefore hath the lion out of the wood strucken them, the wolf in the evening hath wasted them, the leopard watching upon their cities: every one of them that shall come forth, shall be taken, because their prevarications, are multiplied, their revoltings are strengthened.
6 Wherefore a lion out of the wood hath slain them, a wolf in the evening hath spoiled them, a leopard watcheth for their cities: everyone that shall go out thence shall be taken, because their transgressions are multiplied, their rebellions are strengthened.
7 Whereupon can I be propitious to thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and swear by them, that are not gods: I filled them, and they committed adultery, and did riotously in the harlot's house.
7 How can I be merciful to thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and swear by them that are not gods: I fed them to the full, and they committed adultery, and rioted in the harlot’s house.
8 They are become as amorous horses, and stallions: every one neighed at his neighbour's wife:
8 They are become as amorous horses and stallions: ¹everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Why, shall I not visit upon these things, saith our Lord? And on such a nation shall not my soul take revenge?
9 Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? And shall not my soul take revenge on such a nation?
10 Scale the walls thereof, and dissipate them, but make not a consummation: take away the branches thereof, because they are not the Lord's.
10 Scale the walls thereof, and throw them down, but do not utterly destroy: take away the branches thereof, because they are not the Lord’s.
11 For by prevarication hath the house of Israel prevaricated against me, and the house of Juda, saith our Lord.
11 For the house of Israel, and the house of Juda have greatly transgressed against me, saith the Lord.
12 They have denied our Lord, and said: It is not he: neither shall the evil come upon us: we shall not see sword and famine.
12 They have denied the Lord, and said, It is not he: and the evil shall not come upon us: we shall not see the sword and famine.
13 The Prophets have spoken into the wind, and there was no answer in them: these things therefore shall happen to them.
13 The prophets have spoken in the wind, and there was no word of God in them: these things therefore shall befall them.
14 Thus saith our Lord the God of hosts: Because you have spoken this word: behold, I give my words in thy mouth as fire, & this people as sticks, & it shall devour them.
14 Thus saith the Lord the God of hosts: because you have spoken this word, behold I will make my words in thy mouth as fire, and this people as wood, and it shall devour them.
15 Behold I will bring upon you a nation from a far, o house of Israel, saith our Lord: a strong nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not know, nor understand what it speaketh.
15 Behold I will bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: a strong nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou shalt not know, nor understand what they say.
16 The quiver thereof is as an open sepulchre, they are all strong.
16 Their quiver is as an open sepulcher, they are all valiant.
17 And it shall eat thy corn, and thy bread: it shall devour thy sons, and thy daughters: it shall eat thy flock, and thy herds: it shall eat thy vineyard, and thy fig: and it shall destroy thy fenced cities, wherein thou hast confidence, with the sword.
17 And they shall eat up thy corn, and thy bread: they shall devour thy sons, and thy daughters: they shall eat up thy flocks, and thy herds: they shall eat thy vineyards, and thy figs: and with the sword they shall destroy thy strong cities, wherein thou trustest.
18 But yet in those days, saith our Lord, I will not bring you into consummation.
18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the Lord, I will not bring you to utter destruction.
19 And if you shall say: Why hath the Lord our God done all these things to us? Thou shalt say to them: As you have forsaken me, and served a strange god in your own land, so shall you serve strange ones in a land not your own.
19 ²And if you shall say: Why hath the Lord our God done all these things to us? Thou shalt say to them: As you have forsaken me, and served a strange god in your own land, so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not your own.
20 Declare ye this to the house of Jacob, and make it heard in Juda, saying:
20 Declare ye this to the house of Jacob, and publish it in Juda, saying:
21 Hear thou foolish people, that hast no heart, which having eyes, seest not: and ears, and hearest not.
21 Hear, O foolish people, and without understanding: who have eyes, and see not: and ears, and hear not.
22 Me then will you not fear, saith our Lord: and at my presence will ye not be sorry? Who have set the sand a limit for the sea, an everlasting precept, that shall not pass, and they shall be moved, and shall not prevail: and the waves thereof shall swell, and shall not pass over it.
22 Will not you then fear me, saith the Lord: and will you not repent at my presence? I have set the sand a bound for the sea, an everlasting ordinance, which it shall not pass over: and the waves thereof shall toss themselves, and shall not prevail: they shall swell, and shall not pass over it.
23 But to this people their heart is become incredulous and exasperating, they are revolted and departed.
23 But the heart of this people is become hard of belief and provoking, they are revolted and gone away.
24 And they have not said in their heart: Let us fear the Lord our God, who giveth us the timely and lateward rain in due season: who preserveth the fullness of the yearly harvest unto us.
24 And they have not said in their heart: Let us fear the Lord our God, who giveth us the early and the latter rain in due season: who preserveth for us the fullness of the yearly harvest.
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have stayed good from you.
25 Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
26 Because there are found impious men in my people, that lie in wait as fowlers setting snares & traps to take men.
26 For among my people are found wicked men, that lie in wait as fowlers, setting snares and traps to catch men.
27 As a net full of birds, so their houses are full of guile: therefore are they magnified, and enriched.
27 As a net is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit: therefore are they become great and enriched.
28 They are made gross and fat: and have transgressed my words most wickedly. The cause of the widow they have not judged, the cause of the pupil they have not directed, and the judgement of the poor they have not judged.
28 They are grown gross and fat: and have most wickedly transgressed my words. ³They have not judged the cause of the widow, they have not managed the cause of the fatherless, and they have not judged the judgment of the poor.
29 Shall I not visit upon these things, Saith our Lord? Or upon such a nation shall not my soul take revenge?
29 Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? Or shall not my soul take revenge on such a nation?
30 Astonishment and marvelous things are done in the land.
30 Astonishing and wonderful things have been done in the land.
31 The Prophets prophesied a lie, and the Priests clapped with their hands: and my people hath loved such things: what shall be done therefore in the later end thereof?
31 The prophets prophesied falsehood, and the priests clapped their hands: and my people loved such things: what then shall be done in the end thereof?