Thereforea lionfrom the forestwill slaythem, A wolfof the desertswill destroythem, A leopardis watchingtheir cities.Everyonewho goesout of them will be tornin pieces,Becausetheir transgressionsare many,Their apostasiesare numerous.
Her princeswithinher are roaringlions,Her judgesare wolvesat evening;They leavenothingfor the morning.
"Their horsesare swifterthanleopardsAnd keenerthanwolvesin the evening.Their horsemencomegalloping,Their horsemencomefrom afar;They flylike an eagleswooping[down] to devour.
"A lionhas goneup from his thicket,And a destroyerof nationshas setout; He has goneout from his placeTo makeyour landa waste.Your citieswill be ruinsWithoutinhabitant.
"Her princeswithinher are like wolvestearingthe prey,by sheddingblood[and] destroyinglivesin orderto getdishonestgain.
And the beastwhichI sawwas likea leopard,and his feetwere like[those] of a bear,and his mouthlikethe mouthof a lion.And the dragongavehim his powerand his throneand greatauthority.
For I [will be] like a lionto EphraimAnd like a younglionto the houseof Judah.I, even I, will tearto pieces and goaway, I will carryaway, and therewill be noneto deliver.
"AfterthisI keptlooking,and behold,anotherone, like a leopard,whichhad on its backfourwingsof a bird;the beastalso had fourheads,and dominionwas givento it.
"The first[was] like a lionand had [the] wingsof an eagle.I keptlookinguntilits wingswere plucked,and it was liftedup from the groundand madeto standon two feetlike a man;a humanmindalso was givento it.
"Yet she multipliedher harlotries,rememberingthe daysof her youth,whenshe playedthe harlotin the landof Egypt.
"You builtyourself a highplaceat the topof everystreetand madeyour beautyabominable,and you spreadyour legsto everypasser-byto multiplyyour harlotry.
Her adversarieshave becomeher masters,Her enemiesprosper;For the LORDhas causedher griefBecauseof the multitudeof her transgressions;Her littleoneshave goneaway As captivesbeforethe adversary.
"Behold,one will comeup like a lionfrom the thicketsof the Jordanagainsta perenniallywatered pasture;for in an instantI will make him runaway from it, and whoeveris chosenI shall appointoverit. For whois likeMe, and whowill summonMe [into court]? And whothenis the shepherdwhocan standagainstMe?"
The fierceangerof the LORDwill not turnbackUntilHe has performedand untilHe has accomplishedThe intentof His heart;In the latterdaysyou will understandthis.
Allyour lovershave forgottenyou, They do not seekyou; For I have woundedyou with the woundof an enemy,With the punishmentof a cruelone,Becauseyour iniquityis great[And] your sinsare numerous.
"He has leftHis hidingplacelike the lion;For their landhas becomea horrorBecauseof the fiercenessof the oppressing[sword] And becauseof His fierceanger."
"Althoughour iniquitiestestifyagainst us, O LORD,actfor Your name'ssake!Trulyour apostasieshave beenmany,We have sinnedagainst You.
"Your own wickednesswill correctyou, And your apostasieswill reproveyou; Knowtherefore and seethat it is eviland bitterFor you to forsakethe LORDyour God,And the dreadof Me is not in you," declaresthe LordGODof hosts.
"Have you not donethisto yourself By your forsakingthe LORDyour GodWhenHe ledyou in the way?
"The younglionshave roaredat him, They have roaredloudly.And they have madehis landa waste;His citieshave been destroyed,withoutinhabitant.
For our transgressionsare multipliedbeforeYou, And our sinstestifyagainst us; For our transgressionsare with us, And we knowour iniquities:
You appointdarknessand it becomesnight,In which allthe beastsof the forestprowlabout.
Then Ezrathe prieststoodup and saidto them, "You have beenunfaithfuland have marriedforeignwivesaddingto the guiltof Israel.
and I said,"O my God,I am ashamedand embarrassedto liftup my faceto You, my God,for our iniquitieshave risenaboveour headsand our guilthas grownevento the heavens.
"Now behold,you have risenup in your fathers'place,a broodof sinfulmen,to addstillmoreto the burningangerof the LORDagainstIsrael.
A boarfrom the foresteatsit awayAnd whatevermovesin the fieldfeedson it.
"Whythen has thispeople,Jerusalem,Turnedawayin continualapostasy?They holdfastto deceit,They refuseto return.
Whydo you cryout overyour injury?Your painis incurable.Becauseyour iniquityis great[And] your sinsare numerous,I have donethesethingsto you.
Furthermore,allthe officialsof the priestsand the peoplewere veryunfaithful[following] allthe abominationsof the nations;and they defiledthe houseof the LORDwhichHe had sanctifiedin Jerusalem.
Should [my head] be liftedup, You would huntme like a lion;And againYou would showYour poweragainst me.
Your rulersare rebelsAnd companionsof thieves;Everyonelovesa bribeAnd chasesafter rewards.They do not defendthe orphan,Nordoes the widow'spleacomebeforethem.
"O generation,heedthe wordof the LORD.Have I beena wildernessto Israel,Ora landof thickdarkness?Whydo My peoplesay,We [are free to] roam;We will nolongercometo You'?
"Eventhe storkin the skyKnowsher seasons;And the turtledoveand the swiftand the thrushObservethe timeof their migration;But My peopledo not knowThe ordinanceof the LORD.
