| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1“At that time,” says the LORD, “they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves. | 1"At that time"--this is the LORD's declaration--"the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of her officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the residents of Jerusalem will be brought out of their graves. |
| 2They shall spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served and after which they have walked, which they have sought and which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered nor buried; they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. | 2They will be exposed to the sun, the moon, and the whole heavenly host, which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be collected and buried but will become like manure on the surface of the soil. |
| 3Then death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of those who remain of this evil family, who remain in all the places where I have driven them,” says the LORD of hosts. | 3Death will be chosen over life by all the survivors of this evil family, those who remain wherever I have banished them." This is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts. |
| 4“Moreover you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Will they fall and not rise? Will one turn away and not return? | 4"You are to say to them: This is what the LORD says: Do people fall and not get up again? If they turn away, do they not return? |
| 5Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return. | 5Why have these people turned away? Why is Jerusalem always turning away? They take hold of deceit; they refuse to return. |
| 6I listened and heard, But they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turned to his own course, As the horse rushes into the battle. | 6I have paid careful attention. They do not speak what is right. No one regrets his evil, asking, 'What have I done?' Everyone has stayed his course like a horse rushing into battle. |
| 7“Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD. | 7Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons. The turtledove, swallow, and crane are aware of their migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD. |
| 8“How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. | 8"How can you claim, 'We are wise; the law of the LORD is with us? In fact, the lying pen of scribes has produced falsehood. |
| 9The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they have? | 9The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and snared. They have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom do they really have? |
| 10Therefore I will give their wives to others, And their fields to those who will inherit them; Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is given to covetousness; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely. | 10Therefore, I will give their wives to other men, their fields to new occupants, for from the least to the greatest, everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. |
| 11For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace. | 11They have treated superficially the brokenness of My dear people, claiming, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. |
| 12Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed, Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; In the time of their punishment They shall be cast down,” says the LORD. | 12Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently? They weren't at all ashamed. They can no longer feel humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen. When I punish them, they will collapse," says the LORD. |
| 13“I will surely consume them,” says the LORD. “No grapes shall be on the vine, Nor figs on the fig tree, And the leaf shall fade; And the things I have given them shall pass away from them.” ’ ” | 13I will gather them and bring them to an end. This is the LORD's declaration. There will be no grapes on the vine, no figs on the fig tree, and even the leaf will wither. Whatever I have given them will be lost to them. |
| 14“Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, And let us enter the fortified cities, And let us be silent there. For the LORD our God has put us to silence And given us water of gall to drink, Because we have sinned against the LORD. | 14Why are we just sitting here? Gather together; let us enter the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has destroyed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. |
| 15“We looked for peace, but no good came; And for a time of health, and there was trouble! | 15We hoped for peace, but there was nothing good; for a time of healing, but there was only terror. |
| 16The snorting of His horses was heard from Dan. The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of His strong ones; For they have come and devoured the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell in it.” | 16From Dan the snorting of horses is heard. At the sound of the neighing of mighty steeds, the whole land quakes. They come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all its residents. |
| 17“For behold, I will send serpents among you, Vipers which cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you,” says the LORD. | 17Indeed, I am about to send snakes among you, poisonous vipers that cannot be charmed. They will bite you. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 18I would comfort myself in sorrow; My heart is faint in me. | 18My joy has flown away; grief has settled on me. My heart is sick. |
| 19Listen! The voice, The cry of the daughter of my people From a far country: “Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her King in her?” “Why have they provoked Me to anger With their carved images— With foreign idols?” | 19Listen--the cry of my dear people from a far away land, "Is the LORD no longer in Zion, her King not within her?" Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols? |
| 20“The harvest is past, The summer is ended, And we are not saved!” | 20Harvest has passed, summer has ended, but we have not been saved. |
| 21For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning; Astonishment has taken hold of me. | 21I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me. |
| 22Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery For the health of the daughter of my people? | 22Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about? |
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