Read the Bible

¹ At 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;² and they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all 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 be for dung upon the face of the earth.³ And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

⁴ Moreover thou shalt say unto them: Thus saith the LORD: do men fall, and not rise up again? Doth one turn away, and not return?⁵ Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.⁶ I attended and listened, but they spoke not aright; no man repenteth him of his wickedness, saying: 'What have I done?' Every one turneth away in his course, as a horse that rusheth headlong in the battle.⁷ Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the ordinance of the LORD.⁸ How do ye say: 'We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us'? Lo, certainly in vain hath wrought the vain pen of the scribes.⁹ The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken; lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?¹⁰ Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall possess them; for from the least even unto the greatest every one is greedy for gain, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.¹¹ And they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people lightly, saying: 'Peace, peace', when there is no peace.¹² They shall be put to shame because they have committed abomination; yea, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they how to blush; therefore shall they fall among them that fall, in the time of their visitation they shall stumble, saith the LORD.

¹³ I will utterly consume them, saith the LORD; there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf is faded; and I gave them that which they transgress.¹⁴ 'Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be cut off there; for the LORD our God hath cut us off, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.¹⁵ We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold terror!'¹⁶ The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan; at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembleth; for they are come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it, the city and those that dwell therein. ¹⁷ For, behold, I will send serpents, basilisks, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith the LORD. ¹⁸ Though I would take comfort against sorrow, my heart is faint within me.¹⁹ Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far off: 'Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her King in her?'--'Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, and with strange vanities?'--²⁰ 'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.'²¹ For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I seized with anguish; I am black, appalment hath taken hold on me.²² Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

²³ Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!