Jeremiah 5-7
New American Standard Bible
Jerusalem’s Godlessness
5 “(A)Roam about through the streets of Jerusalem,
And look and take notice.
And seek in her public squares,
If you can (B)find a person,
(C)If there is one who does justice, who seeks honesty,
Then I will forgive [a]her.
2 And (D)although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’
Certainly they swear falsely.”
3 Lord, do (E)Your eyes not look for honesty?
You have (F)struck them,
But they did not [b]weaken;
You have consumed them,
But they (G)refused to accept discipline.
They have (H)made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to repent.
4 Then I said, “They are only the poor,
They are foolish;
For they (I)do not know the way of the Lord
Or the judgment of their God.
5 I will go to the great
And speak to them,
For (J)they know the way of the Lord
And the judgment of their God.”
But together they too have (K)broken the yoke
And burst the restraints.
6 Therefore (L)a lion from the forest will kill them,
A (M)wolf of the deserts will destroy them,
A (N)leopard is watching their cities.
Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces,
Because their (O)wrongdoings are many,
Their apostasies are numerous.
7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your sons have forsaken Me
And (P)sworn by those who are (Q)not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
They (R)committed adultery
And stayed at the prostitute’s house.
8 They were well-fed lusty horses,
Each one neighing at his (S)neighbor’s wife.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the Lord,
“And (T)shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?
10 “Go up through her vine rows and destroy,
But do not execute a complete destruction;
Strip away her branches,
For they are not the Lord’s.
11 For the (U)house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord.
12 They have (V)lied about the Lord
And said, “[c](W)Not He;
Misfortune will (X)not come upon us,
(Y)Nor will we see sword or famine.
13 The (Z)prophets are as wind,
And the word is not in them.
So it will be done to them!”
Judgment Proclaimed
14 Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of armies says:
“Because you have spoken this word,
Behold, I am (AA)making My words fire in your mouth,
And this people wood, and it will consume them.
15 Behold, I am (AB)bringing a nation against you from far away, you house of Israel,” declares the Lord.
“It is an enduring nation,
It is an ancient nation,
A nation whose (AC)language you do not know,
Nor can you understand what they say.
16 Their (AD)quiver is like an (AE)open grave,
All of them are warriors.
17 They will (AF)devour your harvest and your food;
They will devour your sons and your daughters;
They will devour your flocks and your herds;
They will devour your (AG)vines and your fig trees;
They will demolish your (AH)fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not make a complete destruction of you. 19 And it shall come about (AI)when [d]they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you have abandoned Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will (AJ)serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob
And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21 ‘Now hear this, you foolish and [e]senseless people,
Who have (AK)eyes but do not see,
Who have ears but do not hear.
22 Do you not (AL)fear Me?’ declares the Lord.
‘Do you not tremble in My presence?
For I have (AM)placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
An eternal limit, and it will not cross over it.
Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, they will not cross over it.
23 But this people has a (AN)stubborn and rebellious heart;
They have turned aside and departed.
24 They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear the Lord our God,
Who (AO)gives rain in its season,
Both (AP)the autumn rain and the spring rain,
Who keeps for us
The (AQ)appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25 Your (AR)wrongdoings have turned these away,
And your sins have kept good away from you.
26 For wicked people are found among My people,
They (AS)watch like fowlers [f]lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch people.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of (AT)deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.
28 They are (AU)fat, they are sleek,
They also [g]excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the [h](AV)orphan, so that they may be successful;
And they do not [i]defend the rights of the poor.
29 (AW)Shall I not punish them for these things?’ declares the Lord,
‘Or shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?’
30 “An appalling and (AX)horrible thing
Has happened in the land:
31 The (AY)prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule [j]on their own authority;
And My people (AZ)love it this way!
But what will you do [k]when the end comes?
The Coming Destruction of Jerusalem
6 “Flee to safety, you sons of (BA)Benjamin,
From the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow a trumpet in Tekoa
And raise a warning signal over [l](BB)Beth-haccerem;
For evil looks down from the (BC)north,
Along with a great destruction.
2 The beautiful and (BD)delicate one, (BE)the daughter of Zion, I will destroy.
3 (BF)Shepherds and their flocks will come to her,
They will (BG)pitch their tents [m]around her,
They will pasture, each in his [n]place.
4 ‘[o](BH)Prepare for war against her;
Arise, and let’s [p]attack at (BI)noon.
Woe to us, for the day declines,
For the shadows of the evening lengthen!
5 Arise, and let’s [q]attack by night
And (BJ)destroy her [r]palaces!’”
6 For this is what the Lord of armies says:
“(BK)Cut down her trees
And pile up an (BL)assault ramp against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished,
In whose midst there is only (BM)oppression.
7 (BN)As a well [s]keeps its waters fresh,
So she [t]keeps fresh her wickedness.
(BO)Violence and destruction are heard in her;
(BP)Sickness and wounds are constantly before Me.
8 (BQ)Be warned, Jerusalem,
Or [u](BR)I shall be alienated from you,
And make you a desolation,
An uninhabited land.”
9 This is what the Lord of armies says:
“They will (BS)thoroughly glean the (BT)remnant of Israel like the vine;
Pass your hand over the branches again
Like a grape gatherer.”
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,
That they may hear?
Behold, their (BU)ears are [v]closed
And they cannot listen.
Behold, (BV)the word of the Lord has become for them a rebuke;
They take no delight in it.
11 But I am (BW)full of the wrath of the Lord;
I am (BX)weary of holding it in.
“(BY)Pour it out on the children in the street
And on the [w]gathering of young men together;
For both husband and wife shall be taken,
The old [x]and the very old.
12 Their (BZ)houses shall be turned over to others,
Their fields and their wives together;
For I will (CA)stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord.
13 “For (CB)from the least of them to the greatest of them,
Everyone is (CC)greedy for gain,
And from the prophet to the priest
Everyone deals falsely.
14 They have (CD)healed the brokenness of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
But there is no peace.
15 Were they (CE)ashamed because of the abomination they had done?
They were not ashamed at all,
Nor did they know even how to be ashamed.
Therefore they will fall among those who fall;
At the time that I punish them,
They will collapse,” says the Lord.
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the (CF)ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
Then (CG)you will find a resting place for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 And I set (CH)watchmen over you, saying,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
18 Therefore hear, you nations,
And know, you congregation, what is among them.
19 (CI)Hear, earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people,
The (CJ)fruit of their [y]plans,
Because they have not listened to My words,
And as for My Law, they have (CK)rejected it also.
20 (CL)For what purpose does (CM)frankincense come to Me from Sheba,
And the [z](CN)sweet cane from a distant land?
(CO)Your burnt offerings are not acceptable
And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”
21 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, (CP)I am [aa]placing stumbling blocks before this people.
And they will stumble against them,
(CQ)Fathers and sons together;
Neighbor and [ab]friend will perish.”
The Enemy from the North
22 This is what the Lord says:
“Behold, there is (CR)a people coming from the north land,
And a great nation will be stirred up from the (CS)remote parts of the earth.
23 They seize (CT)bow and spear;
They are (CU)cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice (CV)roars like the sea,
And they ride on horses,
Lined up as a man for the battle
Against you, daughter of Zion!”
24 We have (CW)heard the report of it;
Our hands are limp.
(CX)Anguish has seized us,
Pain like that of a woman in childbirth.
25 (CY)Do not go out into the field,
And (CZ)do not walk on the road;
For the enemy has a sword,
(DA)Terror is on every side.
26 Daughter of my people, (DB)put on sackcloth
And (DC)roll in ashes;
[ac](DD)Mourn as for an only son,
A most bitter mourning.
For suddenly the destroyer
Will come against us.
27 “I have (DE)made you an assayer and an examiner among My people,
So that you may know and put their way to the test.”
28 All of them are stubbornly rebellious,
(DF)Going about as a slanderer;
They are (DG)bronze and iron.
They are, all of them, corrupt.
29 The bellows blow fiercely,
The lead is consumed by the fire;
In vain the refining goes on,
But the (DH)wicked are not [ad]separated.
30 (DI)They call them rejected silver,
Because the (DJ)Lord has rejected them.
Message at the Temple Gate
7 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “(DK)Stand at 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 by these gates to worship the Lord!’” 3 This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “(DL)Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you live in this place. 4 (DM)Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘[ae]This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ 5 For (DN)if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly (DO)practice justice between a person and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the [af](DP)orphan, or the widow, and do not shed (DQ)innocent blood in this place, nor (DR)follow other gods to your own ruin, 7 then I will let you (DS)live in this place, in the (DT)land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.
8 “Behold, you are trusting in (DU)deceptive words to no avail. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, [ag](DV)offer sacrifices to Baal, and follow (DW)other gods that you have not known, 10 then (DX)come and stand before Me in (DY)this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are saved!’—so that you may do all these abominations? 11 Has (DZ)this house, which is called by My name, become a (EA)den of robbers in your sight? Behold, (EB)I Myself have seen it,” declares the Lord.
12 “But go now to My place which was in (EC)Shiloh, where I (ED)made My name dwell at the beginning, and (EE)see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things,” declares the Lord, “and I spoke to you, (EF)speaking again and again, but you did not listen, and I (EG)called you but you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the (EH)house which is called by My name, (EI)in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your fathers, just as I (EJ)did to Shiloh. 15 I will (EK)hurl you out of My sight, just as I have hurled out all your brothers, all the [ah]descendants of (EL)Ephraim.
16 “As for you, (EM)do not pray for this people, and do not lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not plead with Me; for I am not listening to you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The [ai]children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make sacrificial cakes for the queen of heaven; and they (EN)pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to (EO)provoke Me to anger. 19 (EP)Are they provoking Me?” declares the Lord. “Is it not themselves instead, to their [aj]own (EQ)shame?” 20 Therefore this is what the Lord [ak]God says: “Behold, My (ER)anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on human and animal life, and on the (ES)trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched.”
21 This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Add your (ET)burnt offerings to your sacrifices and (EU)eat flesh. 22 For I did not (EV)speak to your fathers, or command them on the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 But this is [al]what I commanded them, saying, ‘(EW)Obey My voice, and (EX)I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you shall walk [am]entirely in the way which I command you, so that it may (EY)go well for you.’ 24 Yet they (EZ)did not obey or incline their ear, but walked by their own advice and in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and they [an](FA)went backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have (FB)sent you all My servants the prophets, sending them daily, again and again. 26 Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but (FC)stiffened their neck; they (FD)did more evil than their fathers.
27 “So you shall (FE)speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will (FF)not answer you. 28 And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that (FG)did not obey the voice of the Lord their God or accept discipline; [ao](FH)trustworthiness has perished and has been eliminated from their mouth.
29 (FI)Cut off [ap]your hair and throw it away,
And (FJ)take up a song of mourning on the bare heights;
For the Lord has (FK)rejected and forsaken
The generation of His wrath.’
30 For the sons of Judah have done that which is evil in My sight,” declares the Lord. “They have (FL)put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 31 They have (FM)built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, to (FN)burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I (FO)did not command, and it did not come into My [aq]mind.
32 “(FP)Therefore, behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be called Topheth, or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of the Slaughter; for they will (FQ)bury in Topheth [ar]because there is no other place. 33 The (FR)dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth; and no one will frighten them away. 34 Then I will (FS)eliminate from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride; for the (FT)land will become a site of ruins.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 5:1 I.e., Jerusalem
- Jeremiah 5:3 Or become sick
- Jeremiah 5:12 Lit He is not
- Jeremiah 5:19 Or you
- Jeremiah 5:21 Lit without heart
- Jeremiah 5:26 Perhaps, crouching down
- Jeremiah 5:28 Lit pass over; or overlook deeds
- Jeremiah 5:28 Or fatherless
- Jeremiah 5:28 Lit judge
- Jeremiah 5:31 Lit over their own hands
- Jeremiah 5:31 Lit at the end of it
- Jeremiah 6:1 I.e., house of the vineyard
- Jeremiah 6:3 Lit against her round about
- Jeremiah 6:3 Lit hand
- Jeremiah 6:4 Lit Sanctify war
- Jeremiah 6:4 Lit go up
- Jeremiah 6:5 Lit go up
- Jeremiah 6:5 Or fortified towers
- Jeremiah 6:7 Lit keeps cold
- Jeremiah 6:7 Lit keeps cold
- Jeremiah 6:8 Lit my soul
- Jeremiah 6:10 Lit uncircumcised
- Jeremiah 6:11 Lit council
- Jeremiah 6:11 Lit with fullness of days
- Jeremiah 6:19 Or devices
- Jeremiah 6:20 Lit good
- Jeremiah 6:21 Lit giving
- Jeremiah 6:21 Lit his friend
- Jeremiah 6:26 Lit Make for yourself mourning
- Jeremiah 6:29 Or drawn off
- Jeremiah 7:4 Lit They are
- Jeremiah 7:6 Or fatherless
- Jeremiah 7:9 Or burn incense
- Jeremiah 7:15 Lit seed
- Jeremiah 7:18 Lit sons
- Jeremiah 7:19 Lit their faces’
- Jeremiah 7:20 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 7:23 Lit the word
- Jeremiah 7:23 Lit in all the way
- Jeremiah 7:24 Lit were
- Jeremiah 7:28 Or faithfulness
- Jeremiah 7:29 Lit your crown
- Jeremiah 7:31 Lit heart
- Jeremiah 7:32 Or until there is no place left
Jeremiah 5-7
New King James Version
The Justice of God’s Judgment
5 “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
(A)If you can find a man,
(B)If there is anyone who executes [a]judgment,
Who seeks the truth,
(C)And I will pardon her.
2 (D)Though they say, ‘As (E)the Lord lives,’
Surely they (F)swear falsely.”
3 O Lord, are not (G)Your eyes on the truth?
You have (H)stricken them,
But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them,
But (I)they have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.
4 Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor.
They are foolish;
For (J)they do not know the way of the Lord,
The judgment of their God.
5 I will go to the great men and speak to them,
For (K)they have known the way of the Lord,
The judgment of their God.”
But these have altogether (L)broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.
6 Therefore (M)a lion from the forest shall slay them,
(N)A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them;
(O)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 (P)sworn by those (Q)that are not gods.
(R)When I had fed them to the full,
Then they committed adultery
And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
8 (S)They were like well-fed lusty stallions;
Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the Lord.
“And shall I not (T)avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10 “Go up on her walls and destroy,
But do not [b]make a (U)complete end.
Take away her branches,
For they are not the Lord’s.
11 For (V)the house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” says the Lord.
12 (W)They have lied about the Lord,
And said, (X)“It is not He.
(Y)Neither will [c]evil come upon us,
Nor shall we see sword or famine.
13 And the prophets become wind,
For the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them.”
14 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts:
“Because you speak this word,
(Z)Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire,
And this people wood,
And it shall devour them.
15 Behold, I will bring a (AA)nation against you (AB)from afar,
O house of Israel,” says the Lord.
“It is a mighty nation,
It is an ancient nation,
A nation whose language you do not know,
Nor can you understand what they say.
16 Their quiver is like an open tomb;
They are all mighty men.
17 And they shall eat up your (AC)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 (AD)will not [d]make a complete end of you. 19 And it will be when you say, (AE)‘Why does the Lord our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have (AF)forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so (AG)you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.’
20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob
And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21 ‘Hear this now, O (AH)foolish people,
Without [e]understanding,
Who have eyes and see not,
And who have ears and hear not:
22 (AI)Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord.
‘Will you not tremble at My presence,
Who have placed the sand as the (AJ)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.
23 But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart;
They have revolted and departed.
24 They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear the Lord our God,
(AK)Who gives rain, both the (AL)former and the latter, in its season.
(AM)He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25 (AN)Your iniquities have turned these things away,
And your sins have withheld good from you.
26 ‘For among My people are found wicked men;
They (AO)lie in wait as one who sets snares;
They set a trap;
They catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit.
Therefore they have become great and grown rich.
28 They have grown (AP)fat, they are sleek;
Yes, they [f]surpass the deeds of the wicked;
They do not plead (AQ)the cause,
The cause of the fatherless;
(AR)Yet they prosper,
And the right of the needy they do not defend.
29 (AS)Shall 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 (AT)horrible thing
Has been committed in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy (AU)falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people (AV)love to have it so.
But what will you do in the end?
Impending Destruction from the North
6 “O you children of Benjamin,
Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
And set up a signal-fire in (AW)Beth Haccerem;
(AX)For disaster appears out of the north,
And great destruction.
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion
To a lovely and delicate woman.
3 The (AY)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(AZ) war against her;
Arise, and let us go up (BA)at noon.
Woe to us, for the day goes away,
For the shadows of the evening are lengthening.
5 Arise, and let us go by night,
And let us destroy her palaces.”
6 For thus has the Lord of hosts said:
“Cut down trees,
And build a mound against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished.
She is full of oppression in her midst.
7 (BB)As a fountain [g]wells up with water,
So she wells up with her wickedness.
(BC)Violence and plundering are heard in her.
Before Me continually are [h]grief and wounds.
8 Be instructed, O Jerusalem,
Lest (BD)My soul depart from you;
Lest I make you desolate,
A land not inhabited.”
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel;
As a grape-gatherer, put your hand back into the branches.”
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,
That they may hear?
Indeed their (BE)ear is uncircumcised,
And they cannot give heed.
Behold, (BF)the word of the Lord is a reproach to them;
They have no delight in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord.
(BG)I am weary of holding it in.
“I will pour it out (BH)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.
12 And (BI)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 (BJ)covetousness;
And from the prophet even to the (BK)priest,
Everyone deals falsely.
14 They have also (BL)healed the [i]hurt of My people [j]slightly,
(BM)Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.
15 Were they (BN)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.
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the (BO)old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find (BP)rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 Also, I set (BQ)watchmen over you, saying,
(BR)‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
18 Therefore hear, you nations,
And know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 (BS)Hear, O earth!
Behold, I will certainly bring (BT)calamity on this people—
(BU)The fruit of their thoughts,
Because they have not heeded My words
Nor My law, but rejected it.
20 (BV)For what purpose to Me
Comes frankincense (BW)from Sheba,
And (BX)sweet cane from a far country?
(BY)Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
Nor your sacrifices sweet to Me.”
21 Therefore 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.”
22 Thus says the Lord:
“Behold, a people comes from the (BZ)north country,
And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They will lay hold on bow and spear;
They are cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice (CA)roars like the sea;
And they ride on horses,
As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”
24 We have heard the report of it;
Our hands grow feeble.
(CB)Anguish has taken hold of us,
Pain as of a woman in [k]labor.
25 Do not go out into the field,
Nor walk by the way.
Because of the sword of the enemy,
Fear is on every side.
26 O daughter of my people,
(CC)Dress in sackcloth
(CD)And roll about in ashes!
(CE)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 (CF)a fortress among My people,
That you may know and test their way.
28 (CG)They are all stubborn rebels, (CH)walking as slanderers.
They are (CI)bronze and iron,
They are all corrupters;
29 The bellows blow fiercely,
The lead is consumed by the fire;
The smelter refines in vain,
For the wicked are not drawn off.
30 People will call them (CJ)rejected silver,
Because the Lord has rejected them.”
Trusting in Lying Words(CK)
7 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 (CL)“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!’ ” 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (CM)“Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 (CN)Do 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 (CO)execute [l]judgment between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, (CP)or walk after other gods to your hurt, 7 (CQ)then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in (CR)the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.
8 “Behold, you trust in (CS)lying words that cannot profit. 9 (CT)Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and (CU)walk after other gods whom you do not know, 10 (CV)and then come and stand before Me in this house (CW)which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? 11 Has (CX)this house, which is called by My name, become a (CY)den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord.
12 “But go now to (CZ)My place which was in Shiloh, (DA)where I set My name at the first, and see (DB)what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these works,” says the Lord, “and I spoke to you, (DC)rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I (DD)called you, but you did not answer, 14 therefore 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 (DE)Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of My sight, (DF)as I have cast out all your brethren—(DG)the whole posterity of Ephraim.
16 “Therefore (DH)do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; (DI)for I will not hear you. 17 Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 (DJ)The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they (DK)pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. 19 (DL)Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the Lord. “Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?”
20 Therefore 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.”
21 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (DM)“Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. 22 (DN)For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. 23 But this is what I commanded them, saying, (DO)‘Obey My voice, and (DP)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.’ 24 (DQ)Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but (DR)followed[m] the counsels and the [n]dictates of their evil hearts, and (DS)went[o] backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even (DT)sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. 26 (DU)Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but (DV)stiffened their neck. (DW)They did worse than their fathers.
27 “Therefore (DX)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.
Judgment on Obscene Religion
28 “So you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God (DY)nor receive correction. (DZ)Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. 29 (EA)Cut 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.’ 30 For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight,” says the Lord. (EB)“They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to [p]pollute it. 31 And they have built the (EC)high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to (ED)burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, (EE)which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
32 “Therefore behold, (EF)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; (EG)for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room. 33 The (EH)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. 34 Then I will cause to (EI)cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. For (EJ)the land shall be desolate.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 5:1 justice
- Jeremiah 5:10 completely destroy
- Jeremiah 5:12 disaster
- Jeremiah 5:18 completely destroy
- Jeremiah 5:21 Lit. heart
- Jeremiah 5:28 Or pass over or overlook
- Jeremiah 6:7 gushes
- Jeremiah 6:7 sickness
- Jeremiah 6:14 Lit. crushing
- Jeremiah 6:14 Superficially
- Jeremiah 6:24 childbirth
- Jeremiah 7:5 justice
- Jeremiah 7:24 walked in
- Jeremiah 7:24 stubbornness or imagination
- Jeremiah 7:24 Lit. they were
- Jeremiah 7:30 defile
2 Corinthians 10
New American Standard Bible
Paul Confronts the Corinthians
10 Now (A)I, Paul, myself (B)urge you by the (C)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who (D)am [a]meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! 2 I ask that (E)when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be courageous against (F)some, who regard us as if we walked (G)according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle (H)according to the flesh, 4 for the (I)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but [b]divinely powerful (J)for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying arguments and all (K)arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the (L)obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever (M)your obedience is complete.
7 [c](N)You are looking at [d]things as they are outwardly. (O)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, (P)so too are we. 8 For if (Q)I boast somewhat [e]more about our (R)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, 9 [f]for I do not want to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his [g]personal presence is (S)unimpressive and (T)his speech contemptible.” 11 Have such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
12 For we do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with [h]some of those who (U)commend themselves; but when they [i]measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding. 13 But we will not boast (V)beyond our measure, but [j](W)within the measure of the [k]domain which God assigned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for (X)we were the first to come even as far as you in the (Y)gospel of Christ; 15 not boasting (Z)beyond our measure, that is, in (AA)other people’s labors, but with the hope that as (AB)your faith grows, we will be, [l]within our [m]domain, (AC)enlarged even more by you, 16 so as to (AD)preach the gospel even to (AE)the regions beyond you, and not to boast [n](AF)in what has been accomplished in the domain of another. 17 But (AG)the one who boasts is to boast in the Lord. 18 For it is not the one who (AH)commends himself that is approved, but the one (AI)whom the Lord commends.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 10:1 Lit lowly
- 2 Corinthians 10:4 Or mighty before God
- 2 Corinthians 10:7 Or Look at... or Do you look at...?
- 2 Corinthians 10:7 Lit what is before your face
- 2 Corinthians 10:8 Or more abundantly
- 2 Corinthians 10:9 Lit so that I may not seem
- 2 Corinthians 10:10 Lit bodily presence is weak
- 2 Corinthians 10:12 Or any
- 2 Corinthians 10:12 I.e., evaluate
- 2 Corinthians 10:13 Lit according to the measure
- 2 Corinthians 10:13 Or assignment; lit standard
- 2 Corinthians 10:15 Lit according to our
- 2 Corinthians 10:15 See note 2 v 13
- 2 Corinthians 10:16 Lit to the things prepared in the
2 Corinthians 10
New King James Version
The Spiritual War
10 Now (A)I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—(B)who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you (C)that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 (D)For the weapons (E)of our warfare are not [a]carnal but (F)mighty in God (G)for pulling down strongholds, 5 (H)casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 (I)and being ready to punish all disobedience when (J)your obedience is fulfilled.
Reality of Paul’s Authority
7 (K)Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? (L)If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even [b]so (M)we are Christ’s. 8 For even if I should boast somewhat more (N)about our authority, which the Lord gave [c]us for [d]edification and not for your destruction, (O)I shall not be ashamed— 9 lest I seem to terrify you by letters. 10 “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but (P)his bodily presence is weak, and his (Q)speech contemptible.” 11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.
Limits of Paul’s Authority
12 (R)For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 13 (S)We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), (T)for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; 15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, (U)in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, 16 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.
17 But (V)“he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 18 For (W)not he who commends himself is approved, but (X)whom the Lord commends.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 10:4 of the flesh
- 2 Corinthians 10:7 NU as we are.
- 2 Corinthians 10:8 NU omits us
- 2 Corinthians 10:8 building up
Psalm 75
New American Standard Bible
God Humbles the Proud, but Exalts the Righteous.
For the music director; set to [a]Al-tashheth. A Psalm of Asaph, a Song.
75 We (A)give thanks to You, God, we give thanks,
For Your name is (B)near;
People declare (C)Your wondrous works.
2 “When I select an (D)appointed time,
It is I who (E)judge fairly.
3 The (F)earth and all who inhabit it [b]are unsteady;
It is I who have firmly set its (G)pillars. Selah
4 I said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
And to the wicked, ‘(H)Do not lift up the horn;
5 Do not lift up your horn on high,
(I)Do not speak with insolent [c]pride.’”
6 For not from the east, nor from the west,
Nor from the [d](J)desert comes exaltation;
7 But (K)God is the Judge;
He (L)puts down one and exalts another.
8 For a (M)cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;
It is [e](N)well mixed, and He pours out of this;
Certainly all the wicked of the earth must drain and (O)drink its dregs.
9 But as for me, I will (P)declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 And [f]He will cut off all the (Q)horns of the wicked,
But (R)the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
Footnotes
- Psalm 75 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
- Psalm 75:3 Lit totter
- Psalm 75:5 Lit neck
- Psalm 75:6 Or mountainous desert
- Psalm 75:8 Lit full of mixture
- Psalm 75:10 Heb I
Psalm 75
New King James Version
Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment
To the Chief Musician. Set to (A)“Do[a] Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
75 We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
2 “When I choose the [b]proper time,
I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;
I set up its pillars firmly. Selah
4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’
And to the wicked, (B)‘Do not [c]lift up the horn.
5 Do not lift up your horn on high;
Do not speak with [d]a stiff neck.’ ”
6 For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
7 But (C)God is the Judge:
(D)He puts down one,
And exalts another.
8 For (E)in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth
Drain and drink down.
9 But I will declare forever,
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 “All(F) the [e]horns of the wicked I will also cut off,
But (G)the horns of the righteous shall be (H)exalted.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 75:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
- Psalm 75:2 appointed
- Psalm 75:4 Raise the head proudly like a horned animal
- Psalm 75:5 Insolent pride
- Psalm 75:10 Strength
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
