Chapter 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 worshipped 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 favour .’
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 ."