No One is Just
1Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
2And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.
3O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
4Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.
5I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto 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 bonds.
6Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
7How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken 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.
8They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.
9Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD'S.
11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.
12They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
13And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
Judgment Proclaimed
14Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
16Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.
17And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.
18Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you. 19And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
20Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
22Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye 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 though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
23But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
24Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
26For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
27As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
28They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, 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.
29Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
No One Is Just
1 “Run back and forth 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 are any who does justly, who seeks truth; and I will pardon her.
2 Though they say, ‘As Yahweh lives;’ surely they swear falsely.”
3 O Yahweh, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were 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 Then I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know the way of Yahweh, nor the law of their God.
5 I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they know the way of Yahweh, and the law of their God.” But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
6 Therefore a lion out of the forest shall kill them, a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch against their cities; everyone who goes out there shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backsliding is increased.
7 “How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes’ houses.
8 They were as fed horses roaming at large: everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?” says Yahweh; “and shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10 “Go up on her walls, and destroy; but don’t make a full end. Take away her branches; for they are not Yahweh’s.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me,” says Yahweh.
12 They have denied Yahweh, and said, “It is not he; neither shall evil come on us; neither shall we see sword nor famine.
13 The prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.”
Judgment Proclaimed
14 Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Armies, “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 a nation on you from far, house of Israel,” says Yahweh. “It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don’t know, neither understand what they say.
16 Their quiver is an open tomb, they are all mighty men.
17 They shall eat up your harvest, and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds. They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees. They shall beat down your fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.
18 “But even in those days,” says Yahweh, “I will not make a full end with you. 19 It will happen, when you say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Just like you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall 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, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and don’t see; who have ears, and don’t hear:
22 Don’t you fear me?’ says Yahweh ‘Won’t you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? and though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail; though they roar, yet they can’t pass over it.’
23 “But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart; they have revolted and gone.
24 Neither do they say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’
25 “Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you.
26 For among my people are found wicked men. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich.
28 They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excell in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t judge the right of the needy.
29 “Shall I not punish for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 “An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.
31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?
No One Is Just
1 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem.
Look now and take note; search her squares.
If you can find a single person,
anyone who acts justly,
anyone who seeks the truth,
then I will forgive the city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’
they are swearing falsely.”
3 O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth?
You struck them, but they felt no pain.
You finished them off,
but they refused to accept discipline.
They have made their faces harder than stone
and refused to repent.
4 Then I said, “They are only the poor;
they have played the fool,
for they do not know the way of the LORD,
the justice of their God.
5 I will go to the powerful
and speak to them.
Surely they know the way of the LORD,
the justice of their God.”
But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke
and torn off the chains.
6 Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down,
a wolf from the desert will ravage them.
A leopard will lie in wait near their cities,
and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces.
For their rebellious acts are many,
and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.
7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken Me
and sworn by gods that are not gods.
I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery
and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Should I not punish them for these things?”
declares the LORD.
“Should I not avenge Myself
on such a nation as this?
10 Go up through her vineyards and ravage them,
but do not finish them off.
Strip off her branches,
for they do not belong to the LORD.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
have been utterly unfaithful to Me,”
declares the LORD.
12 They have lied about the LORD and said:
“He will not do anything; harm will not come to us;
we will not see sword or famine.
13 The prophets are but wind,
for the word is not in them.
So let their own predictions befall them. a”
Judgment Proclaimed
14 Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says:
“Because you have spoken this word,
I will make My words a fire in your mouth
and this people the wood it consumes.
15 Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you,
O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.
“It is an established nation,
an ancient nation,
a nation whose language you do not know
and whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers are like open graves;
they are all mighty men.
17 They will devour your harvest and food;
they will consume your sons and daughters;
they will eat up your flocks and herds;
they will feed on your vines and fig trees.
With the sword they will destroy
the fortified cities in which you trust.”
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you. 19 And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’ ”
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:
21 “Hear this,
O foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear.
22 Do you not fear Me?”
declares the LORD.
“Do you not tremble before Me,
the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea,
an enduring barrier it cannot cross?
The waves surge, but they cannot prevail.
They roar but cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.
They have turned aside and gone away.
24 They have not said in their hearts,
‘Let us fear the LORD our God,
who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season,
who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
25 Your iniquities have diverted these from you;
your sins have deprived you of My bounty.
26 For among My people are wicked men;
they watch like fowlers lying in wait;
they set a trap to catch men.
27 Like cages full of birds,
so their houses are full of deceit.
Therefore they have become powerful and rich.
28 They have grown fat and sleek,
and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked.
They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless,
that they might prosper;
nor have they defended
the rights of the needy.
29 Should I not punish them for these things?”
declares the LORD.
“Should I not avenge Myself
on such a nation as this?
30 A horrible and shocking thing
has happened in the land.
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests rule by their own authority.
My people love it so,
but what will you do in the end?
Footnotes:
13 a Literally let this befall them.
No One is Just
1Go to and fro in streets of Jerusalem, And see, I pray you, and know, And seek in her broad places, if ye find a man, If there be one doing judgment, seeking stedfastness -- Then am I propitious to her.
2And if they say, 'Jehovah liveth,' Surely to a falsehood they swear.
3Jehovah, Thine eyes, are they not on stedfastness? Thou hast smitten them, and they have not grieved, Thou hast consumed them, They have refused to receive instruction, They made their faces harder than a rock, They have refused to turn back.
4And I -- I said, 'Surely these are poor, They have been foolish, For they have not known the way of Jehovah, The judgment of their God.
5I get me to the great, and I speak with them, For they have known the way of Jehovah, The judgment of their God.' Surely they together have broken the yoke, They have drawn away the bands.
6Therefore smitten them hath a lion out of the forest, A wolf of the deserts doth spoil them, A leopard is watching over their cities, Every one who is going out of them is torn, For many have been their transgressions, Mighty have been their backslidings.
7For this I am not propitious to thee, Thy sons have forsaken Me, And are satisfied by that which is not god, I satisfy them, and they commit adultery, And at the house of a harlot They gather themselves together.
8Fed horses -- they have been early risers, Each to the wife of his neighbour they neigh.
9For these do I not lay a charge? An affirmation of Jehovah, And on a nation such as this, Doth not My soul avenge itself?
10Go ye up on her walls, and destroy, And a completion make not, Turn aside her branches, for they are not Jehovah's,
11For dealt treacherously against Me have the house of Israel, And the house of Judah, an affirmation of Jehovah.
12They have lied against Jehovah, And they say, 'It is not He, Nor come in against us doth evil, Yea, sword and famine we do not see.
13And the prophets become wind, And the word is not in them,' -- thus it is done by them.
Judgment Proclaimed
14Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Hosts, Because of your speaking this word, Lo, I am making My words in thy mouth become fire, And this people wood, and it hath devoured them.
15Lo, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, an affirmation of Jehovah, A nation -- strong it is, a nation -- from of old it is, A nation -- thou knowest not its tongue, Nor understandest what it speaketh.
16Its quiver is as an open sepulchre, All of them -- mighty ones.
17And it hath consumed thy harvest and thy bread, They consume thy sons, and thy daughters, It consumeth thy flock, and thy herd, It consumeth thy vine, and thy fig-tree, It maketh poor thy fenced cities, In which thou art trusting -- by the sword.
18And even in those days, an affirmation of Jehovah, I do not make you a completion. 19And it hath come to pass, when ye say, 'For what hath Jehovah our God done to us all these?' That thou hast said unto them, 'As ye have forsaken Me, And serve the gods of a foreigner in your land, So do ye serve strangers in a land not yours.
20Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, And sound ye it in Judah, saying,
21Hear ye, I pray you, this, O people, foolish and without heart, Eyes they have, and they see not, Ears they have, and they hear not.
22Me do ye not fear, an affirmation of Jehovah? From My presence are ye not pained? Who hath made sand the border of the sea, A limit age-during, and it passeth not over it, They shake themselves, and they are not able, Yea, sounded have its billows, and they pass not over.
23And this people hath an apostate and rebellious heart, They have turned aside, and they go on.
24And they have not said in their heart, 'Let us fear, we pray you, Jehovah our God, who is giving rain, The sprinkling and the gathered, in its season, The appointed weeks of harvest He keepeth for us.'
25Your iniquities have turned these away, And your sins have kept the good from you.
26For the wicked have been found among My people. It looketh about the covering of snares, They have set up a trap -- men they capture.
27As a cage full of fowls, So their houses are full of deceit, Therefore they have been great, and are rich.
28They have been fat, they have shone, Yea, they have overpassed the acts of the evil, Judgment they have not judged, The judgment of the fatherless -- and they prosper, And the judgment of the needy they have not judged.
29For these do not I inspect, an affirmation of Jehovah, On a nation such as this, Doth not My soul avenge itself?
30An astonishing and horrible thing hath been in the land.
31The prophets have prophesied falsely, And the priests bear rule by their means, And My people have loved it so, And what do they at its latter end?
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