“1 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.” (Jeremiah 16:1-21 AV)