1 "At that time," declares the LORD, "they will bring out from their graves the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
2 They will spread them out to the sun and the moon and all the host of the heavens, which they loved and served and went after, which they consulted and bowed down to. They will not be gathered up or buried; they will be dung on the surface of the ground.
3 Death will be preferred to life by all who are left of this evil clan, who remain in all the places to which I have driven them," declares the LORD of hosts.
4 "Say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: Do people fall and not get up? Does one turn away and not turn back?
5 Why then has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in an endless turning away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to turn back.
6 I paid attention and listened; what they speak is not right. No one relents of his evil, saying, "What have I done?" Every one turns to his own running, like a horse charging into battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons; the turtledove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their coming; but my people do not know the judgment of the LORD.
8 How can you say, "We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us"? Surely, look, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.
9 The wise are put to shame; they are shattered and caught. See, the word of the LORD they have rejected; so what wisdom do they have?
10 So I will give their wives to others and their fields to those who will take possession; for from the least to the greatest, every one is greedy for profit; from prophet to priest, every one practices deceit.
11 They heal the wound of the daughter of my people lightly, saying, "Peace, peace!" when there is no peace.
12 Were they ashamed when they did abomination? Not at all ashamed were they, and they did not know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; at the time of their punishment they will stumble, says the LORD.
13 I will surely sweep them away, declares the LORD. No grapes on the vine, no figs on the fig tree, and the leaf has withered; what I gave them will pass away from them.'"
14 Why are we sitting here? Gather together, and let us go into the fortified cities and be silenced there; for the LORD our God has silenced us and made us drink poisoned water, because we have sinned against the LORD.
15 We hoped for peace, but nothing good came; for a time of healing, and see, terror!
16 From Dan is heard the snorting of his horses; at the sound of the neighing of his mighty steeds the whole land trembles. They have come and devoured the land and all that is in it, the city and those who live in it.
17 "For see, I am sending among you snakes, vipers that no charm can stop, and they will bite you," declares the LORD.
18 O my comfort in sorrow! My heart is faint within me.
19 Listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a far-off land: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not in her?" "Why have they provoked me with their carved images, with foreign nothings?"
20 "Harvest has passed, summer is over, and we have not been saved."
21 Over the shattering of the daughter of my people I am shattered; I go about in mourning; horror has gripped me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead, no physician there? Why then has the healing of the daughter of my people not come up?