Jeremiah
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of
Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the
2to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of
Josiah the son of Amon, king of
3It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of
Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son
of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the
fifth month.
4Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the
nations."
6Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot
speak, for I am a youth."
7But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, "I am
a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command
you, you shall speak.
8Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to
deliver you," says the LORD.
9Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my
mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your
mouth.
10See, I have this day set you over the nations and
over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant."
11Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
"Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a branch of an
almond tree."
12Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well,
for I am ready to perform My word."
13And the word of the LORD came to me the second time,
saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, and
it is facing away from the north."
14Then the LORD said to me: "Out of the north
calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land.
15For behold, I am calling All the families of the
kingdoms of the north," says the LORD; "They shall come and each one
set his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls
all around, And against all the cities of Judah.
16I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all
their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods,
And worshiped the works of their own hands.
17"Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak
to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I
dismay you before them.
18For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city
and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land-- Against the kings
of
19They will fight against you, But they shall not
prevail against you. For I am with you," says the LORD, "to deliver
you."
2Moreover the word of the LORD came
to me, saying,
2"Go and cry in the hearing of
3Israel was holiness to the LORD, The firstfruits of
His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon
them," says the LORD."'
4Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all
the families of the house of
5Thus says the LORD: "What injustice have your
fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And
have become idolaters?
6Neither did they say, "Where is the LORD, Who
brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of
death, Through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?'
7I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its
fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My
heritage an abomination.
8The priests did not say, "Where is the LORD?'
And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed
against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do
not profit.
9"Therefore I will yet bring charges against
you," says the LORD, "And against your children's children I will
bring charges.
10For pass beyond the coasts of
11Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods?
But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.
12Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly
afraid; Be very desolate," says the LORD.
13"For My people have committed two evils: They
have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves
cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water.
14"Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave?
Why is he plundered?
15The young lions roared at him, and growled; They made
his land waste; His cities are burned, without inhabitant.
16Also the people of Noph and Tahpanhes Have broken the
crown of your head.
17Have you not brought this on yourself, In that you
have forsaken the LORD your God When He led you in the way?
18And now why take the road to
19Your own wickedness will correct you, And your
backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and
bitter thing That you have forsaken the LORD your God, And the fear of Me is
not in you," Says the Lord GOD of hosts.
20"For of old I have broken your yoke and burst
your bonds; And you said, "I will not transgress,' When on every high hill
and under every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot.
21Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest
quality. How then have you turned before Me Into the degenerate plant of an
alien vine?
22For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much
soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me," says the Lord GOD.
23"How can you say, "I am not polluted, I
have not gone after the Baals'? See your way in the valley; Know what you have
done: You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways,
24A wild donkey used to the wilderness, That sniffs at
the wind in her desire; In her time of mating, who can turn her away? All those
who seek her will not weary themselves; In her month they will find her.
25Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat
from thirst. But you said, "There is no hope. No! For I have loved aliens,
and after them I will go.'
26"As the thief is ashamed when he is found out,
So is the house of
27Saying to a tree, "You are my father,' And to a
stone, "You gave birth to me.' For they have turned their back to Me, and
not their face. But in the time of their trouble They will say, "Arise and
save us.'
28But where are your gods that you have made for
yourselves? Let them arise, If they can save you in the time of your trouble;
For according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah.
29"Why will you plead with Me? You all have
transgressed against Me," says the LORD.
30"In vain I have chastened your children; They
received no correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying
lion.
31"O generation, see the word of the LORD! Have I
been a wilderness to
32Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her
attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.
33"Why do you beautify your way to seek love? Therefore
you have also taught The wicked women your ways.
34Also on your skirts is found The blood of the lives
of the poor innocents. I have not found it by secret search, But plainly on all
these things.
35Yet you say, "Because I am innocent, Surely His
anger shall turn from me.' Behold, I will plead My case against you, Because
you say, "I have not sinned.'
36Why do you gad about so much to change your way? Also
you shall be ashamed of
37Indeed you will go forth from him With your hands on
your head; For the LORD has rejected your trusted allies, And you will not
prosper by them.
3"They say, "If a man
divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man's, May he
return to her again?' Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have
played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me," says the LORD.
2"Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and
see: Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them Like
an Arabian in the wilderness; And you have polluted the land With your
harlotries and your wickedness.
3Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there
has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot's forehead; You refuse to be
ashamed.
4Will you not from this time cry to Me, "My
Father, You are the guide of my youth?
5Will He remain angry forever? Will He keep it to the
end?' Behold, you have spoken and done evil things, As you were able."
6The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the
king: "Have you seen what backsliding
7And I said, after she had done all these things,
"Return to
8Then I saw that for all the causes for which
backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a
certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went
and played the harlot also.
9So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that
she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.
10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has
not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense," says the LORD.
11Then the LORD said to me, "Backsliding Israel
has shown herself more righteous than treacherous
12Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and
say: "Return, backsliding
13Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have
transgressed against the LORD your God, And have scattered your charms To alien
deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,' says the
LORD.
14"Return, O backsliding children," says the
LORD; "for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two
from a family, and I will bring you to
15And I will give you shepherds according to My heart,
who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16"Then it shall come to pass, when you are
multiplied and increased in the land in those days," says the LORD,
"that they will say no more, "The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It
shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it,
nor shall it be made anymore.
17"At that time
18"In those days the house of
19"But I said: "How can I put you among the
children And give you a pleasant land, A beautiful heritage of the hosts of
nations?' "And I said: "You shall call Me, "My Father," And
not turn away from Me.'
20Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her
husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of
21A voice was heard on the desolate heights, Weeping
and supplications of the children of
22"Return, you backsliding children, And I will
heal your backslidings." "Indeed we do come to You, For You are the
LORD our God.
23Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills,
And from the multitude of mountains; Truly, in the LORD our God Is the
salvation of
24For shame has devoured The labor of our fathers from
our youth-- Their flocks and their herds, Their sons and their daughters.
25We lie down in our shame, And our reproach covers us.
For we have sinned against the LORD our God, We and our fathers, From our youth
even to this day, And have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God."
4"If you will return, O
Israel," says the LORD, "Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations
out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved.
2And you shall swear, "The LORD lives,' In truth,
in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him,
And in Him they shall glory."
3For thus says the LORD to the men of
4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the
foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest
My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of
the evil of your doings."
5Declare in
6Set up the standard toward
7The lion has come up from his thicket, And the
destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make
your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant.
8For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, Lament and
wail. For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us.
9"And it shall come to pass in that day,"
says the LORD, "That the heart of the king shall perish, And the heart of
the princes; The priests shall be astonished, And the prophets shall
wonder."
10Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have
greatly deceived this people and
11At that time it will be said To this people and to
12A wind too strong for these will come for Me; Now I
will also speak judgment against them."
13"Behold, he shall come up like clouds, And his
chariots like a whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for
we are plundered!"
14O
15For a voice declares from Dan And proclaims
affliction from
16"Make mention to the nations, Yes, proclaim
against
17Like keepers of a field they are against her all
around, Because she has been rebellious against Me," says the LORD.
18"Your ways and your doings Have procured these
things for you. This is your wickedness, Because it is bitter, Because it
reaches to your heart."
19O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My
heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my
soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.
20Destruction upon destruction is cried, For the whole
land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered, And my curtains in a
moment.
21How long will I see the standard, And hear the sound
of the trumpet?
22"For My people are foolish, They have not known
Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to
do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge."
23I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form,
and void; And the heavens, they had no light.
24I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And
all the hills moved back and forth.
25I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the
birds of the heavens had fled.
26I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a
wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By
His fierce anger.
27For thus says the LORD: "The whole land shall be
desolate; Yet I will not make a full end.
28For this shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above
be black, Because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, Nor will
I turn back from it.
29The whole city shall flee from the noise of the
horsemen and bowmen. They shall go into thickets and climb up on the rocks.
Every city shall be forsaken, And not a man shall dwell in it.
30"And when you are plundered, What will you do?
Though you clothe yourself with crimson, Though you adorn yourself with
ornaments of gold, Though you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you will
make yourself fair; Your lovers will despise you; They will seek your life.
31"For I have heard a voice as of a woman in
labor, The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, The voice of the
daughter of Zion bewailing herself; She spreads her hands, saying, "Woe is
me now, for my soul is weary Because of murderers!'
5"Run to and fro through the
streets of
2Though they say, "As the LORD lives,' Surely
they swear falsely."
3O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have
stricken them, But they have not grieved; You have consumed them, But they have
refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.
4Therefore I said, "Surely these are poor. They
are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD, The judgment of their
God.
5I will go to the great men and speak to them, For
they have known the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God." But these
have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds.
6Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, A
wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; A leopard will watch over their cities.
Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, Because their
transgressions are many; Their backslidings have increased.
7"How shall I pardon you for this? Your children
have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to
the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in
the harlots' houses.
8They were like well-fed lusty stallions; Every one
neighed after his neighbor's wife.
9Shall I not punish them for these things?" says
the LORD. "And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10"Go up on her walls and destroy, But do not make
a complete end. Take away her branches, For they are not the LORD's.
11For the house of
12They have lied about the LORD, And said, "It is
not He. Neither will evil come upon us, Nor shall we see sword or famine.
13And the prophets become wind, For the word is not in
them. Thus shall it be done to them."
14Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts:
"Because you speak this word, Behold, I will make My words in your mouth
fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour them.
15Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar,
O house of
16Their quiver is like an open tomb; They are all
mighty men.
17And they shall eat up your harvest and your bread,
Which your sons and daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and
your herds; They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; They shall destroy
your fortified cities, In which you trust, with the sword.
18"Nevertheless in those days," says the
LORD, "I will not make a complete end of you.
19And it will be when you say, "Why does the LORD
our God do all these things to us?' then you shall answer them, "Just as
you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve
aliens in a land that is not yours.'
20"Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim
it in
21"Hear this now, O foolish people, Without
understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not:
22Do you not fear Me?' says the LORD. "Will you
not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea,
By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss
to and fro, Yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot pass
over it.
23But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart;
They have revolted and departed.
24They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear
the LORD our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season.
He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest."
25Your iniquities have turned these things away, And
your sins have withheld good from you.
26"For among My people are found wicked men; They
lie in wait as one who sets snares; They set a trap; They catch men.
27As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full
of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich.
28They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they
surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the
fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend.
29Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the
LORD. "Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?'
30"An astonishing and horrible thing Has been
committed in the land:
31The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule
by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in
the end?
6"O you children of Benjamin,
Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of
2I have likened the daughter of
3The shepherds with their flocks shall come to her.
They shall pitch their tents against her all around. Each one shall pasture in
his own place."
4"Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us go
up at noon. Woe to us, for the day goes away, For the shadows of the evening
are lengthening.
5Arise, and let us go by night, And let us destroy her
palaces."
6For thus has the LORD of hosts said: "Cut down
trees, And build a mound against
7As a fountain wells up with water, So she wells up with
her wickedness. Violence and plundering are heard in her. Before Me continually
are grief and wounds.
8Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul depart from
you; Lest I make you desolate, A land not inhabited."
9Thus says the LORD of hosts: "They shall
thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of
10To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may
hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, And they cannot give heed. Behold, the
word of the LORD is a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.
11Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD. I am
weary of holding it in. "I will pour it out on the children outside, And
on the assembly of young men together; For even the husband shall be taken with
the wife, The aged with him who is full of days.
12And their houses shall be turned over to others,
Fields and wives together; For I will stretch out My hand Against the
inhabitants of the land," says the LORD.
13"Because from the least of them even to the
greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even
to the priest, Everyone deals falsely.
14They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly,
Saying, "Peace, peace!' When there is no peace.
15Were they ashamed when they had committed
abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They
shall be cast down," says the LORD.
16Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will
find rest for your souls. But they said, "We will not walk in it.'
17Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, "Listen
to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, "We will not listen.'
18Therefore hear, you nations, And know, O
congregation, what is among them.
19Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring
calamity on this people-- The fruit of their thoughts, Because they have not
heeded My words Nor My law, but rejected it.
20For what purpose to Me Comes frankincense from
21Therefore thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will lay
stumbling blocks before this people, And the fathers and the sons together
shall fall on them. The neighbor and his friend shall perish."
22Thus says the LORD: "Behold, a people comes from
the north country, And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of
the earth.
23They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel
and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As
men of war set in array against you, O daughter of
24We have heard the report of it; Our hands grow
feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in labor.
25Do not go out into the field, Nor walk by the way.
Because of the sword of the enemy, Fear is on every side.
26O daughter of my people, Dress in sackcloth And roll
about in ashes! Make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; For
the plunderer will suddenly come upon us.
27"I have set you as an assayer and a fortress
among My people, That you may know and test their way.
28They are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers.
They are bronze and iron, They are all corrupters;
29The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by
the fire; The smelter refines in vain, For the wicked are not drawn off.
30People will call them rejected silver, Because the
LORD has rejected them."
7The word that came to Jeremiah from
the LORD, saying,
2"Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and
proclaim there this word, and say, "Hear the word of the LORD, all you of
Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!"'
3Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
"Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this
place.
4Do not trust in these lying words, saying, "The
temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.'
5"For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your
doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,
6if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless,
and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other
gods to your hurt,
7then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the
land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.
8"Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot
profit.
9Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear
falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know,
10and then come and stand before Me in this house which
is called by My name, and say, "We are delivered to do all these
abominations'?
11Has this house, which is called by My name, become a
den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the
LORD.
12"But go now to My place which was in Shiloh,
where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the
wickedness of My people
13And now, because you have done all these works,"
says the LORD, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you
did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer,
14therefore I will do to the house which is called by
My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your
fathers, as I have done to
15And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast
out all your brethren--the whole posterity of Ephraim.
16"Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift
up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear
you.
17Do you not see what they do in the cities of
18The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire,
and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour
out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.
19Do they provoke Me to anger?" says the LORD.
"Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?"
20Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, My
anger and My fury will be poured out on this place--on man and on beast, on the
trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be
quenched."
21Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
"Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat.
22For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them
in the day that I brought them out of the
23But this is what I commanded them, saying, "Obey
My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all
the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'
24Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but
followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward
and not forward.
25Since the day that your fathers came out of the
26Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but
stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
27"Therefore you shall speak all these words to
them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will
not answer you.
28"So you shall say to them, "This is a
nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive
correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.
29Cut off your hair and cast it away, and take up a
lamentation on the desolate heights; for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the
generation of His wrath.'
30For the children of
31And they have built the high places of Tophet, which
is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters
in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
32"Therefore behold, the days are coming,"
says the LORD, "when it will no more be called Tophet, or the Valley of
the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Tophet
until there is no room.
33The corpses of this people will be food for the birds
of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth. And no one will frighten them
away.
34Then I will cause to cease from the cities of
8"At that time," says the
LORD, "they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones
of its princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets,
and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves.
2They shall spread them before the sun and the moon
and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served
and after which they have walked, which they have sought and which they have
worshiped. They shall not be gathered nor buried; they shall be like refuse on
the face of the earth.
3Then death shall be chosen rather than life by all
the residue of those who remain of this evil family, who remain in all the
places where I have driven them," says the LORD of hosts.
4"Moreover you shall say to them, "Thus says
the LORD: "Will they fall and not rise? Will one turn away and not return?
5Why has this people slidden back,
6I listened and heard, But they do not speak aright.
No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, "What have I done?' Everyone
turned to his own course, As the horse rushes into the battle.
7"Even the stork in the heavens Knows her
appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the
time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD.
8"How can you say, "We are wise, And the law
of the LORD is with us'? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works
falsehood.
9The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and
taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they
have?
10Therefore I will give their wives to others, And
their fields to those who will inherit them; Because from the least even to the
greatest Everyone is given to covetousness; From the prophet even to the priest
Everyone deals falsely.
11For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My
people slightly, Saying, "Peace, peace!' When there is no peace.
12Were they ashamed when they had committed
abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed, Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; In the time of their punishment
They shall be cast down," says the LORD.
13"I will surely consume them," says the LORD.
"No grapes shall be on the vine, Nor figs on the fig tree, And the leaf
shall fade; And the things I have given them shall pass away from
them.""'
14"Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, And
let us enter the fortified cities, And let us be silent there. For the LORD our
God has put us to silence And given us water of gall to drink, Because we have
sinned against the LORD.
15"We looked for peace, but no good came; And for
a time of health, and there was trouble!
16The snorting of His horses was heard from Dan. The
whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of His strong ones; For they
have come and devoured the land and all that is in it, The city and those who
dwell in it."
17"For behold, I will send serpents among you,
Vipers which cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you," says the LORD.
18I would comfort myself in sorrow; My heart is faint
in me.
19Listen! The voice, The cry of the daughter of my
people From a far country: "Is not the LORD in
20"The harvest is past, The summer is ended, And
we are not saved!"
21For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt.
I am mourning; Astonishment has taken hold of me.
22Is there no balm in
9Oh, that my head were waters, And my
eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the
daughter of my people!
2Oh, that I had in the wilderness A lodging place for
travelers; That I might leave my people, And go from them! For they are all
adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men.
3"And like their bow they have bent their tongues
for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed
from evil to evil, And they do not know Me," says the LORD.
4"Everyone take heed to his neighbor, And do not
trust any brother; For every brother will utterly supplant, And every neighbor
will walk with slanderers.
5Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not
speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary
themselves to commit iniquity.
6Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they refuse to know Me," says the LORD.
7Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold,
I will refine them and try them; For how shall I deal with the daughter of My
people?
8Their tongue is an arrow shot out; It speaks deceit;
One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, But in his heart he lies
in wait.
9Shall I not punish them for these things?" says
the LORD. "Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?"
10I will take up a weeping and wailing for the
mountains, And for the dwelling places of the wilderness a lamentation, Because
they are burned up, So that no one can pass through; Nor can men hear the voice
of the cattle. Both the birds of the heavens and the beasts have fled; They are
gone.
11"I will make
12Who is the wise man who may understand this? And who
is he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it? Why
does the land perish and burn up like a wilderness, so that no one can pass
through?
13And the LORD said, "Because they have forsaken
My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked
according to it,
14but they have walked according to the dictates of
their own hearts and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them,"
15therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel: "Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give
them water of gall to drink.
16I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither
they nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after them until I
have consumed them."
17Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider and call
for the mourning women, That they may come; And send for skillful wailing women,
That they may come.
18Let them make haste And take up a wailing for us,
That our eyes may run with tears, And our eyelids gush with water.
19For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion: "How
we are plundered! We are greatly ashamed, Because we have forsaken the land,
Because we have been cast out of our dwellings."'
20Yet hear the word of the LORD, O women, And let your
ear receive the word of His mouth; Teach your daughters wailing, And everyone
her neighbor a lamentation.
21For death has come through our windows, Has entered
our palaces, To kill off the children--no longer to be outside! And the young
men--no longer on the streets!
22Speak, "Thus says the LORD: "Even the
carcasses of men shall fall as refuse on the open field, Like cuttings after
the harvester, And no one shall gather them."'
23Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory
in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man
glory in his riches;
24But let him who glories glory in this, That he
understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says
the LORD.
25"Behold, the days are coming," says the
LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised--
26Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and
all who are in the farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these
nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the
heart."
10Hear the word which the LORD speaks
to you, O house of Israel.
2Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the way of the
Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are
dismayed at them.
3For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one
cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it
with nails and hammers So that it will not topple.
5They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot
speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be
afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good."
6Inasmuch as there is none like You, O LORD (You are
great, and Your name is great in might),
7Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For
this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in
all their kingdoms, There is none like You.
8But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A
wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.
9Silver is beaten into plates; It is brought from
Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of the craftsman And of the hands of
the metalsmith; Blue and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of
skillful men.
10But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God
and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations
will not be able to endure His indignation.
11Thus you shall say to them: "The gods that have
not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under
these heavens."
12He has made the earth by His power, He has
established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His
discretion.
13When He utters His voice, There is a multitude of
waters in the heavens: "And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends
of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His
treasuries."
14Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every
metalsmith is put to shame by an image; For his molded image is falsehood, And
there is no breath in them.
15They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of
their punishment they shall perish.
16The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the
Maker of all things, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of
hosts is His name.
17Gather up your wares from the land, O inhabitant of
the fortress!
18For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will throw
out at this time The inhabitants of the land, And will distress them, That they
may find it so."
19Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is severe. But I say,
"Truly this is an infirmity, And I must bear it."
20My tent is plundered, And all my cords are broken; My
children have gone from me, And they are no more. There is no one to pitch my
tent anymore, Or set up my curtains.
21For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, And have
not sought the LORD; Therefore they shall not prosper, And all their flocks
shall be scattered.
22Behold, the noise of the report has come, And a great
commotion out of the north country, To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den
of jackals.
23O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It
is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
24O LORD, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your
anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
25Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know
You, And on the families who do not call on Your name; For they have eaten up
Jacob, Devoured him and consumed him, And made his dwelling place desolate.
11The word that came to Jeremiah from
the LORD, saying,
2"Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to
the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
3and say to them, "Thus says the LORD God of
Israel: "Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant
4which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought
them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, "Obey My
voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people,
and I will be your God,'
5that I may establish the oath which I have sworn to
your fathers, to give them "a land flowing with milk and honey,' as it is
this day.""' And I answered and said, "So be it, LORD."
6Then the LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these
words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying:
"Hear the words of this covenant and do them.
7For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I
brought them up out of the land of Egypt, until this day, rising early and
exhorting, saying, "Obey My voice."
8Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but
everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart; therefore I will bring upon
them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which
they have not done."'
9And the LORD said to me, "A conspiracy has been
found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10They have turned back to the iniquities of their
forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods
to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My
covenant which I made with their fathers."
11Therefore thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will
surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though
they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them.
12Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they
will not save them at all in the time of their trouble.
13For according to the number of your cities were your
gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have
set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.
14"So do not pray for this people, or lift up a
cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out
to Me because of their trouble.
15"What has My beloved to do in My house, Having
done lewd deeds with many? And the holy flesh has passed from you. When you do
evil, then you rejoice.
16The LORD called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely
and of Good Fruit. With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it,
And its branches are broken.
17"For the LORD of hosts, who planted you, has
pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the
house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger
in offering incense to Baal."