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21 How the faithful city has become a prostitute!
    She was full of justice.
Righteousness lodged in her,
    but now there are murderers.
22 Your silver has become dross,
    your wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves.
    Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards.
    They don’t defend the fatherless,
    neither does the cause of the widow come to them.

24 Therefore the Lord,[a] Yahweh of Armies,
    the Mighty One of Israel, says:
“Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries,
    and avenge myself on my enemies.
25 I will turn my hand on you,
    thoroughly purge away your dross,
    and will take away all your tin.[b]
26 I will restore your judges as at the first,
    and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called ‘The city of righteousness,
    a faithful town.’

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Footnotes

  1. 1:24 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”
  2. 1:25 tin is a metal that is separated from silver during the refining and purification process.

21 The faithful town—
what an adulteress[a] she has become!
She was once full of justice.
Righteousness once dwelt in her,
but now, murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross to be discarded,
your beer[b] is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,
friends of thieves.(A)
They all love graft
and chase after bribes.(B)
They do not defend the rights of the fatherless,
and the widow’s case never comes before them.(C)

24 Therefore the Lord God of Armies,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah, I will get even with my foes;
I will take revenge against my enemies.(D)
25 I will turn my hand against you(E)
and will burn away your dross completely;[c]
I will remove all your impurities.(F)
26 I will restore your judges(G) to what they were at first,
and your advisers to what they were at the start.
Afterward you will be called the Righteous City,(H)
a Faithful Town.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1:21 Or prostitute
  2. 1:22 Or wine
  3. 1:25 Lit dross as with lye