CHAPTER 8
1 In that time, saith the Lord, they shall cast out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of princes thereof, and the bones of priests, and the bones of prophets, and the bones of them that dwelled in Jerusalem, from their sepulchres;
2 and they shall lay abroad those bones to the sun, and [the] moon, and to all the knighthood of heaven, which they loved, and which they served, and after which they went, and which they sought, and worshipped; they shall not be gathered, and shall not be buried; they shall be into a dunghill on the face of [the] earth.
3 And all men shall choose death more than life, which be residue, either left, of this worst kindred, in all places that be left, to which places I casted them out, saith the Lord of hosts.
4 And thou shalt say to them, The Lord saith these things, Whether he that shall fall, shall not rise again? and whether he that is turned away, shall not turn again?
5 Why therefore is this people in Jerusalem turned away by turning away full of strife? They have taken leasing, and would not turn again.
6 I perceived, and hearkened; no man speaketh that that is good, none there is that doeth penance for his sin, and saith, What have I done? All be turned together to their course, as an horse going by fierceness to battle.
7 A kite in the air knew his time; a turtle, and a swallow, and a ciconia, kept the time of their coming; but my people knew not the doom of the Lord,
8 How say ye, We be wise men, and the law of the Lord is with us? Verily the false stylus, either writing, of scribes wrought leasing.
9 [The] Wise men be shamed, they be made afeared and taken. For they cast away the word of the Lord, and no wisdom is in them.
10 Therefore I shall give the women of them to strangers, and the fields of them to alien heirs; for from the least unto the most all follow avarice, from a prophet unto the priest all make leasing;
11 and they healed the sorrow of the daughter of my people to shame, saying, Peace, peace, when no peace was.
12 They be shamed, for they did abomination; yea, rather they were not shamed by shame, and could not be ashamed. Therefore they shall fall among fallers, in the time of their visitation they shall fall, saith the Lord.
13 I gathering shall gather them, saith the Lord; no grape is in the vines, and figs be not in the fig tree; a leaf fell down, and I gave to them those things that be gone out over.
14 Why sit we? come ye together, enter we into a strong city, and be we still there; for our Lord hath made us to be still, and gave to us drink the water of gall; for we have sinned to the Lord.
15 We abided peace, and no good was; we abided time of medicine, and lo! dread is.
16 [The] Gnashing of horses thereof is heard from Dan; all the land is moved of the voice of neighings of his warriors; and they came, and devoured the land, and the plenty thereof, the city, and the dwellers thereof.
17 For lo! I shall send to you the worst serpents, to which is no charming; and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.
18 My sorrow is on sorrow, mine heart is mourning in me.
19 And lo! the voice of cry of the daughter of my people cometh from a far land. Whether the Lord is not in Zion, either the king thereof is not therein? Why therefore stirred they me to wrathfulness [or to wrath] by their graven images, and by alien vanities?
20 Harvest is passed, summer is ended; and we be not saved.
21 I am tormented, and sorry on the sorrow of the daughter of my people; astonishing held me.
22 Whether resin, that is, a gum of great odour and medicinal, is not in Gilead, either a leech is not there? Why therefore the wound of the daughter of my people is not healed perfectly?