8:1 “‘At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves.
8:2 They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground.
8:3 Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the LORD Almighty.’
8:4 “Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: “‘When men fall down, do they not get up? When a man turns away, does he not return?
8:5 Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.
8:6 I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle.
8:7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD.
8:8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?
8:9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?
8:10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
8:11 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace.
8:12 Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the LORD.
8:13 “‘I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them.’”
8:14 “Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him.
8:15 We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror.
8:16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses is heard from Dan; at the neighing of their stallions the whole land trembles. They have come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there.”
8:17 “See, I will send venomous snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you,” declares the LORD.
8:18 O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me.
8:19 Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away: “Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King no longer there?” “Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their worthless foreign idols?”
8:20 “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.”
8:21 Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me.
8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?
8:1 At that time, declares Jehovah, they will 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 from their graves.
8:2 And they will spread them out to the sun and to the moon and to all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served and which they have gone after and which they have sought and which they have worshipped; and they will not be gathered up or buried; they will be like dung on the surface of the ground.
8:3 And death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family, that remains in all the places where I have driven them, declares Jehovah of hosts.
8:4 And you shall say to them, Thus says Jehovah, Do men fall and not rise again? / If one turns away, does he not return?
8:5 Why has this people Jerusalem / Turned away in perpetual apostasy? / They hold fast to deceit; / They refuse to turn back.
8:6 I have listened carefully and heard; / They have not spoken rightly; / There is no one who repents of his wickedness, / Saying, What have I done? / Everyone turns to his own course, / Like a horse rushing headlong into battle.
8:7 Even the stork in the sky / Knows its appointed times, / And the turtledove and the swallow and the crane / Keep the time of their coming; / But My people do not know / The ordinance of Jehovah.
8:8 How can you say, We are wise, / And the law of Jehovah is with us? / But look, the false pen of the scribes / Has turned it into falsehood.
8:9 The wise men are put to shame; / They are dismayed and are taken; See, they have rejected the word of Jehovah; / And what wisdom do they have?
8:10 Therefore I will give their wives to others, / Their fields to those who will possess them; / For from the small unto the great, / Everyone is wresting unjust gain; / From the prophet even to the priest, / Everyone is dealing falsely.
8:11 And they have healed / The brokenness of the daughter of My people slightly, / Saying, Peace, peace, / Although there is no peace.
8:12 Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? / They were not at all ashamed; / They did not even know to blush. / Therefore they will fall with those who fall; / At the time of their punishment they will stumble, / Says Jehovah.
8:13 I will utterly take them away, / Declares Jehovah; / There are no grapes on the vine, / And there are no figs on the fig tree; / Even the leaves are withered; / And what I gave them has passed away from them.
8:14 Why do we sit? Gather yourselves, / And let us go up to the fortified cities / And be silent there, / Because Jehovah our God has silenced us / And made us drink poisonous water, / Because we have sinned against Jehovah.
8:15 We hoped for peace, but no good came; / For a time of healing, but there was terror.
8:16 The snorting of their horses / Is heard from Dan; / At the sound of the neighing of their stallions / The whole land quakes. / And they come and devour the land and its fullness, / The city and those who dwell in it.
8:17 For I will send among you serpents, / Adders, for which there is no enchantment; / And they will bite you, / Declares Jehovah.
8:18 Oh that there were comforting to me in sorrow! / My heart within me is faint.
8:19 It is the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people / From a land very far away: / Is Jehovah not in Zion? / Is her King not in her? / Why have they provoked Me to anger / With their graven images and with strange idols?
8:20 The harvest has passed, the summer has ended, / And we are not saved.
8:21 For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken. / I mourn; horror has taken hold of me.
8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead? / Is there no physician there? / Why then has the recovery of the daughter of my people / Not occurred?