¹ Run you to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places of it, if you can find a man, if there be any that executes judgment, that seeks the truth; and I will pardon it. ² And even though they say, The LORD lives; surely they swear falsely. ³ O LORD, are not your eyes on the truth? You have struck them, but they have not grieved; you have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. ⁴ Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God. ⁵ I will get me to the great men, and will speak to them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the chains. ⁶ why a lion out of the forest will kill them, and a wolf of the evenings will spoil them, a leopard will watch over their cities: every one that goes out from there will be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased. ⁷ How will I pardon you for this? Your children have abandoned me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots ' houses. ⁸ They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. ⁹ will I not visit for these things? says the LORD: and will not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? ¹⁰ Go you up on her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD'S. ¹¹ For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, says the LORD. ¹² They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither will evil come on us; neither will we see sword nor famine ¹³ And the prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them: so will it be done to them. ¹⁴ why so says the LORD God of hosts, Because you speak this word, see, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it will devour them. ¹⁵ Lo, I will bring a nation on you from far, O house of Israel, says the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you know not, neither understandest what they say. ¹⁶ Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men. ¹⁷ And they will eat up your harvest, and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat: they will eat up your flocks and your herds: they will eat up your vines and your fig trees: they will impoverish your fenced cities, in which you trusted982>, with the sword. ¹⁸ Nevertheless in those days, says the LORD, I will not make a full end with you. ¹⁹ And it will come to pass, when you will say, why does the LORD our God all these things to us? then will you answer them, Like as you have abandoned me, and served strange gods in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land [that is] not yours. ²⁰ Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, ²¹ Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not ²² Fear you not me? says the LORD: will you not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and even though the waves of it toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; even though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? ²³ But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart they are revolted and gone. ²⁴ Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that gives rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest. ²⁵ Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good [things] from you. ²⁶ For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that sets snares; they set a trap, they catch men. ²⁷ As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and growing rich. ²⁸ They are growing fat, they shine: yes, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. ²⁹ will I not visit for these things? says the LORD: will not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? ³⁰ A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land ³¹ The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will you do in the end of it?