See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers.

可叹，忠信的城变为妓女！从前充满了公平，公义居在其中，现今却有凶手居住。

忠信的城竟然变为妓女！从前充满了公平，公义居在其中，现今却有凶手居住。

忠信的城竟然变为妓女！从前充满了公平，公义居在其中，现今却有凶手居住。

耶路撒冷啊，你这忠贞的妻子竟变成了妓女！你从前充满公平，是公义之家，现在却住着凶手。

那忠贞的城，怎么会变成妓女！她从前充满公平，有公义居在其中，现在却有凶手居住。

忠信的城竟然变为妓女！这城从前充满公正，有公义居于其中，现在却只有杀人凶手。

可歎，忠信的城變為妓女！從前充滿了公平，公義居在其中，現今卻有兇手居住。

忠信的城竟然變為妓女！從前充滿了公平，公義居在其中，現今卻有兇手居住。

忠信的城竟然變為妓女！從前充滿了公平，公義居在其中，現今卻有兇手居住。

耶路撒冷啊，你這忠貞的妻子竟變成了妓女！你從前充滿公平，是公義之家，現在卻住著兇手。

那忠貞的城，怎麼會變成妓女！她從前充滿公平，有公義居在其中，現在卻有兇手居住。

怎麼啦！她竟變為妓女啊！從前忠信可靠的都市，充滿了公平，有公義居於其中，如今竟為兇手所住了！

忠信的城竟然變為妓女！這城從前充滿公正，有公義居於其中，現在卻只有殺人凶手。

噫、忠信之邑、變為妓矣、昔盈公正、義處其中、今則殺人者居焉、

爾邑自古以來、風俗敦龐、以迄於今、漸流於淫靡矣。昔也行仁義者居之、茲也嗜殺人者處之。

可歎斯邑昔為忠信、今成如妓、昔公平充盈其中、善義託處其間、今則殺人者居之、

See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers!

See how the faithful city of Jerusalem has become like a prostitute! Once it was full of people who treated others fairly. Those who did what was right used to live in it. But now murderers live there!

How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

The faithful town— what an adulteress she has become! She was once full of justice. Righteousness once dwelt in her, but now, murderers!

How the faithful city has become a prostitute, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once dwelt in her, But now murderers.

How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers.

How is the faithful city become a harlot! she that was full of justice! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

The faithful city— what an adulteress she has become! She was once full of justice. Righteousness once dwelt in her— but now, murderers!

How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

How tragic that the once- faithful city has become a prostitute! She was once a center of justice, fairness resided in her, but now only murderers.

How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice. Righteousness lodged in her, but now there are murderers.

“ And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.

A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High.

These were his instructions to them:“ You must always act in the fear of the Lord, with faithfulness and an undivided heart.

but you are the very ones who hate good and love evil. You skin my people alive and tear the flesh from their bones.Yes, you eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin, and break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot.

The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence.

Jerusalem has sinned greatly, so she has been tossed away like a filthy rag. All who once honored her now despise her, for they have seen her stripped naked and humiliated. All she can do is groan and hide her face.She defiled herself with immorality and gave no thought to her future. Now she lies in the gutter with no one to lift her out.“ Lord, see my misery,” she cries.“ The enemy has triumphed.”

How great is the Lord, how deserving of praise, in the city of our God, which sits on his holy mountain!

No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.

So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people.

“ But you— come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars!You worship your idols with great passion beneath the oaks and under every green tree. You sacrifice your children down in the valleys, among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys. You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings. They, not I, are your inheritance. Do you think all this makes me happy?You have committed adultery on every high mountain. There you have worshiped idols and have been unfaithful to me.You have put pagan symbols on your doorposts and behind your doors. You have left me and climbed into bed with these detestable gods. You have committed yourselves to them. You love to look at their naked bodies.You have gone to Molech with olive oil and many perfumes, sending your agents far and wide, even to the world of the dead.

What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime!No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the Lord or draw near to its God.Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.

“ Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you said,‘ I will not serve you.’ On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols.But I was the one who planted you, choosing a vine of the purest stock— the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?

The leaders of the people were living in Jerusalem, the holy city. A tenth of the people from the other towns of Judah and Benjamin were chosen by sacred lots to live there, too, while the rest stayed where they were.

“ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.

We had heard of the city’s glory, but now we have seen it ourselves— the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. It is the city of our God; he will make it safe forever. Interlude

Then another message came to me from the Lord:“ Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable sins.Give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.On the day you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in cloth.No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day you were born, you were unwanted, dumped in a field and left to die.“ But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said,‘ Live!’And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your body hair grew, but you were still naked.And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.“ Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin.I gave you expensive clothing of fine linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine goatskin leather.I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces,a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head.And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and costly fabric and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods— choice flour, honey, and olive oil— and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were!Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign Lord.“ But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking.You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen?You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me!You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them.Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign Lord.“ Then you took your sons and daughters— the children you had borne to me— and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough?Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols?In all your years of adultery and detestable sin, you have not once remembered the days long ago when you lay naked in a field, kicking about in your own blood.“ What sorrow awaits you, says the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness,you built a pagan shrine and put altars to idols in every town square.On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution.Then you added lustful Egypt to your lovers, provoking my anger with your increasing promiscuity.That is why I struck you with my fist and reduced your boundaries. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, and even they were shocked by your lewd conduct.You have prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied.You added to your lovers by embracing Babylonia, the land of merchants, but you still weren’t satisfied.“ What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign Lord, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute.You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. In fact, you have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment.Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband.Prostitutes charge for their services— but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you.So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of their paying you!“ Therefore, you prostitute, listen to this message from the Lord!This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have poured out your lust and exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods,this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies— the lovers with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated— and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you.I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury.Then I will give you to these many nations who are your lovers, and they will destroy you. They will knock down your pagan shrines and the altars to your idols. They will strip you and take your beautiful jewels, leaving you stark naked.They will band together in a mob to stone you and cut you up with swords.They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers.“ Then at last my fury against you will be spent, and my jealous anger will subside. I will be calm and will not be angry with you anymore.But first, because you have not remembered your youth but have angered me by doing all these evil things, I will fully repay you for all of your sins, says the Sovereign Lord. For you have added lewd acts to all your detestable sins.Everyone who makes up proverbs will say of you,‘ Like mother, like daughter.’For your mother loathed her husband and her children, and so do you. And you are exactly like your sisters, for they despised their husbands and their children. Truly your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.“ Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters in the north. Your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters in the south.But you have not merely sinned as they did. You quickly surpassed them in corruption.As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters.Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen.“ Even Samaria did not commit half your sins. You have done far more detestable things than your sisters ever did. They seem righteous compared to you.Shame on you! Your sins are so terrible that you make your sisters seem righteous, even virtuous.“ But someday I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and Samaria, and I will restore you, too.Then you will be truly ashamed of everything you have done, for your sins make them feel good in comparison.Yes, your sisters, Sodom and Samaria, and all their people will be restored, and at that time you also will be restored.In your proud days you held Sodom in contempt.But now your greater wickedness has been exposed to all the world, and you are the one who is scorned— by Edom and all her neighbors and by Philistia.This is your punishment for all your lewdness and detestable sins, says the Lord.“ Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will give you what you deserve, for you have taken your solemn vows lightly by breaking your covenant.Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. I will make your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, to be your daughters, even though they are not part of our covenant.And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called“ Sodom” and“ Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified.

Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One— the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.

Israel surrounds me with lies and deceit, but Judah still obeys God and is faithful to the Holy One.

But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months.

even though you call yourself the holy city and talk about depending on the God of Israel, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Now this message came to me from the Lord:“ Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins,and give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: O city of murderers, doomed and damned— city of idols, filthy and foul—you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world.O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near.“ Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder.Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you.You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest.People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things.Men sleep with their fathers’ wives and force themselves on women who are menstruating.Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors’ wives, who defile their daughters in law, or who rape their own sisters.There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign Lord.“ But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed.How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said.I will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness.And when I have been dishonored among the nations because of you, you will know that I am the Lord.”Then this message came to me from the Lord:“ Son of man, the people of Israel are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over— a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead.So tell them,‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you are all worthless slag, I will bring you to my crucible in Jerusalem.Just as silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin are melted down in a furnace, I will melt you down in the heat of my fury.I will gather you together and blow the fire of my anger upon you,and you will melt like silver in fierce heat. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my fury on you.’”Again a message came to me from the Lord:

“ If a man divorces a woman and she goes and marries someone else, he will not take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, so why are you trying to come back to me?” says the Lord.