16
1 Then
the LORD’s word
came to me,
saying,
2 “You
shall not take
a wife, neither
shall you have
sons or daughters,
in this place.”
3 For
the LORD says
concerning the
sons and
concerning the
daughters who are
born in this
place, and
concerning their mothers
who bore them,
and concerning
their fathers who
became their
father in this
land:
4 “They
will die grievous
deaths. They will
not be lamented,
neither will they
be buried. They
will be as
dung on the
surface of the
ground. They will
be consumed by
the sword and
by famine. Their
dead bodies will
be food for
the birds of
the sky and
for the animals
of the earth.”
5 For
the LORD says,
“Don’t enter into the
house of mourning.
Don’t go to lament.
Don’t bemoan them,
for I have taken
away my peace
from this people,”
says the LORD, “even
loving kindness and tender
mercies.
6 Both
great and small
will die in
this land. They
will not be
buried. Men won’t
lament for them,
cut themselves, or
make themselves
bald for them.
7 Men won’t
break bread for
them in mourning,
to comfort them
for the dead. Men
won’t give them
the cup of
consolation to
drink for
their father or
for their mother.
8 “You
shall not go into
the house of
feasting to sit
with them, to eat
and to drink.”
9 For
the LORD of
Armies, the God
of Israel says: “Behold, I will cause to
cease out of
this place, before
your eyes and
in your days,
the voice of
mirth and the
voice of gladness,
the voice of
the bridegroom and
the voice of
the bride.
10 It
will happen, when
you tell this
people all these
words, and they ask
you, ‘Why has
the LORD
pronounced all
this great evil
against us?’ or ‘What
is our iniquity?’
or ‘What is
our sin that
we have committed
against the LORD
our God?’
11 then
you shall tell
them, ‘Because
your fathers have
forsaken me,’ says
the LORD, ‘and
have walked
after other gods, have
served them, have
worshiped them,
have forsaken me,
and have not
kept my law.
12 You
have done evil
more than
your fathers, for
behold, you each
walk after the
stubbornness of
his evil heart,
so that you don’t
listen to me.
13 Therefore
I will cast
you out of
this land into
the land that you
have not known,
neither you nor
your fathers. There
you will serve
other gods day and
night, for I
will show you
no favor.’
14 “Therefore
behold, the days
come,” says the
LORD, “that it
will no more
be said, ‘As
the LORD lives,
who brought up
the children of
Israel out of
the land of Egypt;’
15 but, ‘As
the LORD lives,
who brought up
the children of
Israel from
the land of the
north, and from
all the countries
where he had
driven them.’ I
will bring them
again into
their land that I
gave to
their fathers.
16 “Behold,
I will send
for many
fishermen,” says
the LORD, “and
they will fish
them up. Afterward
I will send
for many hunters,
and they will
hunt them from
every mountain,
from every hill,
and out of
the clefts of
the rocks.
17 For
my eyes are
on all their
ways. They are
not hidden from
my face. Their
iniquity isn’t concealed
from my eyes.
18 First
I will recompense
their iniquity and
their sin double,
because they have
polluted my land
with the carcasses
of their
detestable things,
and have filled
my inheritance
with their
abominations.”
19 LORD,
my strength, my
stronghold,
and my refuge
in the day
of affliction,
the nations
will come to you
from the ends of
the earth,
and will say,
“Our fathers have
inherited nothing
but lies,
vanity and things
in which there
is no profit.
20 Should
a man make to
himself gods
which yet are
no gods?”
21 “Therefore
behold, I will
cause them to
know,
this once I
will cause them
to know my
hand and my
might.
Then they will
know that my
name is the
LORD.”