1. The Lord says, "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look around. Think about what you see. Search through the market places. See if you can find one honest person who tries to be truthful. If you can, I will forgive this city.
2. They take all of their oaths in my name. They say, 'You can be sure that the Lord is alive.' But their oaths can't be trusted."
3. Lord, don't your eyes look for truth? You struck your people down. But they didn't feel any pain. You crushed them. But they refused to be corrected. They made their faces harder than stone. They refused to turn away from their sins.
4. I thought, "The people of Jerusalem are foolish. They don't know how the Lord wants them to live. They don't know what their God requires of them.
5. So I will go to the leaders. I'll speak to them. They should know how the Lord wants them to live. They must know what their God requires of them." But all of them had broken off the yoke the Lord had put on them. They had torn off the ropes he had tied them up with.
6. So a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the desert will destroy them. A leopard will hide and wait near their towns. It will tear to pieces anyone who dares to go out. Again and again they have refused to obey the Lord. They have turned away from him many times.
7. The Lord says, "Jerusalem, why should I forgive you? Your people have deserted me. They have taken their oaths in the names of gods that are not really gods at all. I supplied everything they needed. But they committed adultery. Large crowds went to the houses of prostitutes.