¶¹At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his 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:

And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all² the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be³ for dung upon the face of the earth.

And death⁴ shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all⁵ the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

¶ Moreover⁶ thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they⁷ fall, and not arise? shall he turn⁸ away, and not return?

Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden⁹ back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold¹⁰ fast deceit, they refuse¹¹ to return.

I hearkened¹² and heard, but they spake not aright: no¹³ man repented him of his wickedness, saying¹⁴, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as¹⁵ the horse rusheth into the battle.

Yea, the stork¹⁷ in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle¹⁸ and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people¹⁹ know²⁰ not the judgment of the LORD.

How do ye say, We²¹ are wise, and the law²² of the LORD is with us? Lo,²³ certainly in vain²⁴ made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.

The wise men are²⁵ ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo,²⁶ they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom²⁷ is in them?

¶ Therefore will I²⁸ give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for²⁹ every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet³⁰ even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

For they³¹ have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Were they ashamed when³² they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore³³ shall they fall among them that fall: in the³⁴ time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

¶ I will surely consume³⁵ them, saith the LORD: there³⁶ shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf³⁷ shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

Why do³⁸ we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter³⁹ into the defenced cities, and let us be silent⁴⁰ there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water⁴¹ of gall⁴² to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

⁴³We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!

The snorting⁴⁴ of his horses was heard⁴⁵ from Dan: the whole⁴⁶ land trembled at the⁴⁷ sound of the neighing of his strong ones⁴⁸; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it;⁴⁹ the city, and those that dwell therein.

For, behold, I will⁵⁰ send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which⁵¹ will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.

When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my⁵² heart is faint in⁵³ me.

Behold the voice⁵⁴ of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them⁵⁵ that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king⁵⁶ in her? Why⁵⁷ have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?

¶⁵⁸The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

For the hurt⁵⁹ of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am⁶⁰ black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.

Is there no balm⁶¹ in Gilead; is there no physician⁶² there? why⁶³ then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered⁶⁴?