16 The
word of the LORD came also unto me, saying, 2 Thou
shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters
in this place. 3 For
thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that
are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and
concerning their fathers that begat them in this land; 4 They
shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall
they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth:
and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases
shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. 5 For
thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go
to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people,
saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies. 6 Both
the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried,
neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves
bald for them: 7 Neither
shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the
dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for
their father or for their mother. 8 Thou
shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat
and to drink. 9 For
thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause
to cease 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. 10 And
it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words,
and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath 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 shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith
the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have
worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; 12 And ye have done worse than your fathers;
for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart,
that they may not hearken unto me: 13 Therefore will I cast you out of this
land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there
shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour. 14 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith
the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up
the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 15 But, The LORD liveth, that brought up
the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands
whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land
that I gave unto their fathers. 16 Behold, I will send for many fishers,
saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many
hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill,
and out of the holes of the rocks. 17 For mine eyes are upon all their ways:
they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. 18 And first I will recompense their iniquity
and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled
mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things. 19 O LORD, my strength, and my fortress,
and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee
from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited
lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. 20 Shall a man make gods unto himself,
and they are no gods? 21 Therefore, behold, I will this once
cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and
they shall know that my name is The LORD.