Chapter 16

The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying,²

Thou shalt not take⁴ thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.

For thus saith¹ the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare⁶ them, and concerning their fathers that begat⁵⁶ them in this land;

They shall die⁴ of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented;¹¹ neither shall they be buried;¹¹ [but] they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed⁴ by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

For thus saith¹ the LORD, Enter⁴ not into the house of mourning, neither go⁴ to lament² nor bemoan⁴ them: for I have taken away¹ my peace from this people, saith⁷ the LORD, [even] lovingkindness and mercies.

Both the great and the small shall die¹ in this land: they shall not be buried,¹¹ neither shall [men] lament⁴ for them, nor cut¹⁰⁸ themselves, nor make themselves bald¹¹ for them:

Neither shall [men] tear⁴ [themselves] for them in mourning, to comfort¹⁵ them for the dead;⁵ neither shall [men] give them the cup of consolation to drink⁵⁵ for their father or for their mother.

Thou shalt not also go⁴ into the house of feasting, to sit² with them to eat² and to drink.²

For thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease⁵⁶ out of this place in 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.

And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew⁵⁵ this people all these words, and they shall say¹ unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced¹⁴ all this great evil against us? or what [is] our iniquity? or what [is] our sin that we have committed¹ against the LORD our God?

Then shalt thou say¹ unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken¹ me, saith⁷ the LORD, and have walked⁴ after other gods, and have served⁴ them, and have worshipped¹⁰¹ them, and have forsaken¹ me, and have not kept¹ my law;

And ye have done² worse⁵² than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk⁶ every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken² unto me:

Therefore will I cast⁵² you out of this land into a land that ye know¹ not, [neither] ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve¹ other gods day and night; where I will not shew⁴ you favour.

Therefore, behold, the days come,⁶ saith⁷ the LORD, that it shall no more be said,¹¹ The LORD liveth, that brought up⁵² the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

But, The LORD liveth, that brought up⁵² the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven⁵² them: and I will bring them again⁵² into their land that I gave¹ unto their fathers.

Behold, I will send⁶ for many fishers, ¹⁷²⁸ saith⁷ the LORD, and they shall fish¹ them; and after will I send⁴ for many hunters, and they shall hunt¹ them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

For mine eyes [are] upon all their ways: they are not hid⁸ from my face, neither is their iniquity hid⁸ from mine eyes.

And first I will recompense¹⁴ their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled¹⁵ my land, they have filled¹ mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.

O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come⁴ unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say,⁴ Surely our fathers have inherited¹ lies, vanity, and [things] wherein [there is] no profit.⁵⁶

Shall a man make⁴ gods unto himself, and they [are] no gods?

Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know,⁵⁶ I will cause them to know⁵⁵ mine hand and my might; and they shall know¹ that my name [is] The LORD.