² If only I had in the waste land a night's resting-place for travellers, so that I might go away, far from my people! for they are all untrue, a band of false men.

¹⁰ For the land is full of men who are untrue to their wives; because of the curse the land is full of grief; the green fields of the waste land have become dry; and they are quick to do evil, their strength is for what is not right.

⁷ How is it possible for you to have my forgiveness for this? your children have given me up, taking their oaths by those who are no gods: when I had given them food in full measure, they were false to their wives, taking their pleasure in the houses of loose women.

⁸ They were full of desire, like horses after a meal of grain: everyone went after his neighbour's wife.

² There is cursing and broken faith, violent death and attacks on property, men are untrue in married life, houses are broken into, and there is blood touching blood.

⁴ They are all untrue; they are like a burning oven; the bread-maker does not make up the fire from the time when the paste is mixed till it is leavened.

⁶ For even your brothers, your father's family, even they have been untrue to you, crying loudly after you: have no faith in them, though they say fair words to you.

¹ You are in the right, O Lord, when I put my cause before you: still let me take up with you the question of your decisions: why does the evil-doer do well? why are the workers of deceit living in comfort?

⁴ O you who are false to God, do you not see that the friends of this world are not God's friends? Every man desiring to be a friend of this world makes himself a hater of God.

¹¹ Judah has been acting falsely, and a disgusting thing has been done in Jerusalem; for Judah has made unclean the holy place of the Lord which is dear to him, and has taken as his wife the daughter of a strange god.

⁴ Her prophets are good-for-nothing persons, full of deceit: her priests have made the holy place unclean and have gone violently against the law.

¹ Sorrow is mine! for I am as when they have got in the summer fruits, like the last of the grapes: there is nothing for food, not even an early fig for my desire.

² The good man is gone from the earth, there is no one upright among men: they are all waiting secretly for blood, every man is going after his brother with a net.

³ Their hands are made ready to do evil; the ruler makes requests for money, and the judge is looking for a reward; and the great man gives decisions at his pleasure, and the right is twisted.

⁴ The best of them is like a waste plant, and their upright ones are like a wall of thorns. Sorrow! the day of their fate has come; now will trouble come on them.

⁵ Put no faith in a friend, do not let your hope be placed in a relation: keep watch on the doors of your mouth against her who is resting on your breast.

⁶ For the son puts shame on his father, the daughter goes against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's haters are those of his family.

⁷ But as for me, I am looking to the Lord; I am waiting for the God of my salvation: the ears of my God will be open to me.

⁷ But like a man, they have gone against the agreement; there they were false to me.

⁷ They have been false to the Lord; they have given birth to strange children; now the new moon will make them waste with their fields.

¹⁰ In you they have let the shame of their fathers be seen; in you they have done wrong to a woman at the time when she was unclean.

¹¹ And in you one man has done what was disgusting with his neighbour's wife; and another has made his daughter-in-law unclean; and another has done wrong to his sister, his father's daughter.

⁵ Sorrow is mine because I am strange in Meshech, and living in the tents of Kedar.

⁶ My soul has long been living with the haters of peace.

⁷ I am for peace: but when I say so, they are for war.

⁶ And I said, If only I had wings like a dove! for then I would go in flight from here and be at rest.

⁷ I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah.)

⁸ I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind.