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God’s Just Judgment

Roam the streets of Jerusalem,
    look around and consider,
    search through her squares!
    If you can find a person,
    if there is one who does justice,
        who seeks truth,
    then I will pardon the city.
Though they say, “As Adonai lives!”
    surely they swear falsely.
Adonai, do Your eyes not look for faithfulness?
    You struck them, but they did not grieve.
    You disciplined them, but they refused correction.
    They made their faces harder than stone.
    They refused to return.
Then I said:
    These are only the poor.
    They are foolish.
    For they do not know the way of Adonai,
        the ordinance of their God.
I will go to the distinguished
        and speak to them.
    Surely they know the way of Adonai,
        the ordinance of their God.
    But they too had broken the yoke
        and torn off the bonds.

Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them.
    A desert wolf will ravage them.
    A leopard watches over their cities.
    Everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces,
    For their rebellion is great,
        their backslidings frequent.

“Why therefore should I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken Me
    and sworn by those who are not gods.
    Even though I fed them well,
        they committed adultery
        and thronged to the prostitute houses.
They are well-fed, lustful stallions,
        each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
For such, should I not punish them?”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
        “On such a nation as this
        should I not avenge Myself?
10 Go up into her vines and ravage them,
    but do not completely destroy them.
    Strip away her branches
        for they are not Adonai’s.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
    have been utterly unfaithful to Me.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

12 They have lied about Adonai saying:
        “Not He! No harm will come to us.
        Nor will we see sword or famine.
13 The prophets are but wind
        and the word is not in them.
    Let what they say be done to them!”

14 Therefore thus says Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot:
    “Because you speak this word, behold,
    I will make My words in your mouth fire
        and this people wood—
        and it will devour them.
15 See, I am bringing a nation against you
        from afar, O house of Israel.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
    “It is an enduring nation,
        an ancient nation,
    a nation whose language you neither know
        nor understand what they say.
16 Their quiver is an open grave.
    They are all mighty warriors.
17 They will devour your harvest and your food.
    They will devour your sons and your daughters.
    They will devour your flocks and your herds.
    They will devour your vines and your fig trees.
    They will demolish your fortified cities
    —the ones in which you trust—
        with the sword.

18 “Yet even in those days,” declares Adonai, “I will not completely destroy you. 19 So it will come to pass that when you ask, ‘Why has Adonai Eloheinu done all these things to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken Me and served foreign 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 proclaim it in Judah, saying:
21 ‘Hear this you foolish people
    who have no understanding,
    who have eyes but do not see,
    who have ears but do not hear.
22 Do you not fear Me?’ says Adonai.
    ‘Do you not tremble in My presence?’
    For I made the sand a boundary of the sea,
            an everlasting decree that cannot be broken.
    Though the waves roll, they cannot prevail.
    Though they roar, they cannot cross it.
23 But this people have a stubborn and rebellious heart.
    They have turned aside and gone away.
24 They do not say in their heart,
    ‘Let us now fear Adonai Eloheinu,
        who gives rain in its season
        —fall rain and spring rain—
        who reserves for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
25 Your iniquities have turned these away,
    your sins have deprived you of bounty.
26 For among My people are wicked men,
        watching like bait-layers lying in wait.
    They set a trap—they catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds,
    so are their houses full of deceit.
    That is why they grew great and rich.
28 They grew fat and sleek.
    They also overlooked evil deeds.
    They do not uphold a cause
    —the cause of an orphan to prosper—
    nor do they defend the right of the poor.
29 Should I not punish them?” says Adonai.
    “On such a nation
        should I not avenge Myself?
30 An appalling and horrible thing
        has happened in the land.
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,
    the kohanim rule by their own authority,
    and My people love it this way!
    But what will you do in the end?”

Not One Is Upright

“Go up and down(A) the streets of Jerusalem,
    look around and consider,(B)
    search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(C)
    who deals honestly(D) and seeks the truth,
    I will forgive(E) this city.
Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(F)
    still they are swearing falsely.(G)

Lord, do not your eyes(H) look for truth?
    You struck(I) them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.(J)
They made their faces harder than stone(K)
    and refused to repent.(L)
I thought, “These are only the poor;
    they are foolish,(M)
for they do not know(N) the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.
So I will go to the leaders(O)
    and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
    and torn off the bonds.(P)
Therefore a lion from the forest(Q) will attack them,
    a wolf from the desert will ravage(R) them,
a leopard(S) will lie in wait near their towns
    to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
    and their backslidings many.(T)

“Why should I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and sworn(U) by gods that are not gods.(V)
I supplied all their needs,
    yet they committed adultery(W)
    and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(X)
They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for another man’s wife.(Y)
Should I not punish them for this?”(Z)
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(AA) myself
    on such a nation as this?

10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
    but do not destroy them completely.(AB)
Strip off her branches,
    for these people do not belong to the Lord.
11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah
    have been utterly unfaithful(AC) to me,”
declares the Lord.

12 They have lied(AD) about the Lord;
    they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;(AE)
    we will never see sword or famine.(AF)
13 The prophets(AG) are but wind(AH)
    and the word is not in them;
    so let what they say be done to them.”

14 Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:

“Because the people have spoken these words,
    I will make my words in your mouth(AI) a fire(AJ)
    and these people the wood it consumes.(AK)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
    “I am bringing a distant nation(AL) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
    a people whose language(AM) you do not know,
    whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers(AN) are like an open grave;
    all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour(AO) your harvests and food,
    devour(AP) your sons and daughters;
they will devour(AQ) your flocks and herds,
    devour your vines and fig trees.(AR)
With the sword(AS) they will destroy
    the fortified cities(AT) in which you trust.(AU)

18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy(AV) you completely. 19 And when the people ask,(AW) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods(AX) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners(AY) in a land not your own.’

20 “Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
    and proclaim(AZ) it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(BA)
    who have eyes(BB) but do not see,
    who have ears but do not hear:(BC)
22 Should you not fear(BD) me?” declares the Lord.
    “Should you not tremble(BE) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(BF)
    an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
    they may roar,(BG) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(BH) hearts;
    they have turned aside(BI) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
    ‘Let us fear(BJ) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(BK) in season,
    who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(BL)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
    your sins have deprived you of good.(BM)

26 “Among my people are the wicked(BN)
    who lie in wait(BO) like men who snare birds
    and like those who set traps(BP) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
    their houses are full of deceit;(BQ)
they have become rich(BR) and powerful
28     and have grown fat(BS) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
    they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(BT)
    they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(BU)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(BV) myself
    on such a nation as this?

30 “A horrible(BW) and shocking thing
    has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies,(BX)
    the priests(BY) rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
    But what will you do in the end?(BZ)