Chapter 8

At that time, saith⁷ the LORD, they shall bring out⁵⁵ 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 inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem, out of their graves:

And they shall spread¹ them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved,¹ and whom they have served,¹ and after whom they have walked,¹ and whom they have sought,¹ and whom they have worshipped:⁹⁸ they shall not be gathered,¹¹ nor be buried;¹¹ they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

And death shall be chosen⁸ rather than life by all the residue of them that remain¹² of this evil family, which remain¹² in all the places whither I have driven⁵² them, saith⁷ the LORD of hosts.

Moreover thou shalt say¹ unto them, Thus saith¹ the LORD; Shall they fall,⁴ and not arise?⁴ shall he turn away,⁴ and not return?⁴

Why [then] is this people of Jerusalem slidden back³¹ by a perpetual¹² backsliding? they hold⁵² fast deceit, they refuse¹⁴ to return.²

I hearkened⁵² and heard,⁴ [but] they spake¹⁷ not aright: no man repented¹² him of his wickedness, saying,² What have I done?¹ every one turned¹ to his course, as the horse rusheth⁶ into the battle.

Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth¹ her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe¹ the time of their coming;² but my people know¹ not the judgment of the LORD.

How do ye say,⁴ We [are] wise, and the law of the LORD [is] with us? Lo, certainly in vain made¹ he [it]; the pen of the scribes⁶ [is] in vain.

The wise [men] are ashamed,⁵² they are dismayed¹ and taken:¹¹ lo, they have rejected¹ the word of the LORD; and what wisdom [is] in them?

Therefore will I give⁴ their wives unto others, [and] their fields to them that shall inherit⁶ [them]: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given⁶ to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth⁶ falsely.

For they have healed¹⁷ the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly,⁸ saying,² Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace.

Were they ashamed⁵² when they had committed¹ abomination? nay, they were not at all² ashamed,⁴ neither could¹ they blush:⁹ therefore shall they fall⁴ among them that fall:⁶ in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down,¹¹ saith¹ the LORD.

I will surely² consume⁵⁵ them, saith⁷ the LORD: [there shall be] no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade;¹ and [the things that] I have given⁴ them shall pass away⁴ from them.

Why do we sit still?⁶ assemble¹⁰ yourselves, and let us enter⁴ into the defenced cities, and let us be silent¹¹ there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence,⁵² and given us water of gall to drink,⁵⁵ because we have sinned¹ against the LORD.

We looked¹⁵ for peace, but no good [came; and] for a time of health, and behold trouble!

The snorting of his horses was heard⁸ from Dan: the whole land trembled¹ at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come,⁴ and have devoured⁴ the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell⁶ therein.

For, behold, I will send¹⁸ serpents, cockatrices, among you, which [will] not [be] charmed, and they shall bite¹⁴ you, saith⁷ the LORD.

[When] I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart [is] faint in me.

Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: [Is] not the LORD in Zion? [is] not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger⁵² with their graven images, [and] with strange vanities?

The harvest is past,¹ the summer is ended,¹ and we are not saved.⁸

For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt;⁹⁰ I am black;¹ astonishment hath taken hold⁵² on me.

[Is there] no balm in Gilead; [is there] no physician⁶ there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?¹