The Justice of God’s Judgment
1 “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
# If you can find a man,
# If there isanyonewho executes judgment,
Who seeks the truth,
# And I will pardon her.
2 Though they say, ‘AstheLordlives,’
# Surely theyswear falsely.”
3 OLord,arenotYour eyes on the truth?
# You havestricken them,
But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them,
# Butthey have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.
4 Therefore I said, “Surely thesearepoor.
They are foolish;
# Forthey do not know the way of theLord,
The judgment of their God.
5 I will go to the great men and speak to them,
# Forthey have known the way of theLord,
The judgment of their God.”
# But these have altogetherbroken the yoke
Andburst the bonds.
6 Thereforea lion from the forest shall slay them,
# A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them;
# A leopard will watch over their cities.
Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many;
Their backslidings have increased.
7 “How shall I pardon you for this?
Your children have forsaken Me
# Andsworn bythosethat are not gods.
# When I had fed them to the full,
Then they committed adultery
And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
8 They werelikewell-fed lusty stallions;
Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Shall I not punishthemfor thesethings?” says theLord.
# “And shall I notavenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10 “Go up on her walls and destroy,
# But do not make acomplete end.
Take away her branches,
For theyarenot theLord’s.
11 Forthe house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” says theLord.
12 They have lied about theLord,
# And said,“Itisnot He.
# Neither will evil come upon us,
Nor shall we see sword or famine.
13 And the prophets become wind,
For the wordisnot in them.
Thus shall it be done to them.”
14 Therefore thus says theLordGod of hosts:
“Because you speak this word,
# Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire,
And this people wood,
And it shall devour them.
15 Behold, I will bring anation against youfrom afar,
O house of Israel,” says theLord.
“Itisa mighty nation,
Itisan ancient nation,
A nation whose language you do not know,
Nor can you understand what they say.
16 Their quiverislike an open tomb;
Theyareall mighty men.
17 And they shall eat up yourharvest and your bread,
Whichyour sons and daughters should eat.
They shall eat up your flocks and your herds;
They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees;
They shall destroy your fortified cities,
In which you trust, with the sword.
18 “Nevertheless in those days,” says theLord, “Iwill not make a complete end of you.
19 And it will be when you say,‘Why does theLordour God do all thesethingsto us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you haveforsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, soyou shall serve aliens in a landthatisnot yours.’
20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob
And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21 ‘Hear this now, Ofoolish people,
Without understanding,
Who have eyes and see not,
And who have ears and hear not:
22 Do you not fear Me?’ says theLord.
‘Will you not tremble at My presence,
# Who have placed the sand as thebound of the sea,
By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it?
And though its waves toss to and fro,
Yet they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.
23 But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart;
They have revolted and departed.
24 They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear theLordour God,
# Who gives rain, both theformer and the latter, in its season.
# He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25 Your iniquities have turned thesethingsaway,
And your sins have withheld good from you.
26 ‘For among My people are found wickedmen;
# Theylie in wait as one who sets snares;
They set a trap;
They catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds,
So their housesarefull of deceit.
Therefore they have become great and grown rich.
28 They have grownfat, they are sleek;
Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked;
# They do not pleadthe cause,
The cause of the fatherless;
# Yet they prosper,
And the right of the needy they do not defend.
29 Shall I not punishthemfor thesethings?’ says theLord.
‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’
30 “An astonishing andhorrible thing
Has been committed in the land:
31 The prophets prophesyfalsely,
And the priests rule by theirownpower;
# And My peoplelovetohaveitso.
But what will you do in the end?