Jeremiah 5-6
English Standard Version
Jerusalem Refused to Repent
5 (A)Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
look and take note!
Search her squares to see
(B)if you can find a man,
one who does justice
and seeks truth,
(C)that I may pardon her.
2 (D)Though they say, “As the Lord lives,”
(E)yet they swear falsely.
3 O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
(F)You have struck them down,
but they felt no anguish;
you have consumed them,
but they refused to take correction.
(G)They have made their faces harder than rock;
they have refused to repent.
4 Then I said, “These are only the poor;
they have no sense;
(H)for they do not know the way of the Lord,
the justice of their God.
5 I will go to the great
and will speak to them,
for they know the way of the Lord,
the justice of their God.”
(I)But they all alike had broken the yoke;
they had burst the bonds.
6 Therefore (J)a lion from the forest shall strike them down;
a (K)wolf from the desert shall devastate them.
(L)A leopard is watching their cities;
everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,
because their transgressions are many,
their (M)apostasies are great.
7 (N)“How can I pardon you?
Your children have forsaken me
(O)and have sworn by those who are no gods.
(P)When I fed them to the full,
(Q)they committed adultery
(R)and trooped to the houses of whores.
8 They were well-fed, lusty stallions,
(S)each neighing (T)for his neighbor's wife.
9 (U)Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord;
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?
10 (V)“Go up through her vine rows and destroy,
(W)but make not a full end;
strip away her branches,
for they are not the Lord's.
11 (X)For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
have been utterly treacherous to me,
declares the Lord.
12 They have spoken falsely of the Lord
and have said, ‘He will do nothing;
(Y)no disaster will come upon us,
(Z)nor shall we see sword or famine.
13 The prophets will become wind;
the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them!’”
The Lord Proclaims Judgment
14 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts:
“Because you have spoken this word,
behold, (AA)I am making my words in your mouth (AB)a fire,
and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.
15 (AC)Behold, I am bringing against you
a nation from afar, O house of Israel,
declares the Lord.
It is an enduring nation;
it is an ancient nation,
a nation whose language you do not know,
(AD)nor can you understand what they say.
16 (AE)Their quiver is like (AF)an open tomb;
they are all mighty warriors.
17 (AG)They shall eat up your harvest and your food;
they shall eat up your sons and your daughters;
they shall eat up your flocks and your herds;
they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees;
your (AH)fortified cities in which you trust
they shall beat down with the sword.”
18 “But even in those days, declares the Lord, (AI)I will not make a full end of you. 19 And when your people say, (AJ)‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, (AK)so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’”
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob;
proclaim it in Judah:
21 “Hear this, (AL)O foolish and senseless people,
(AM)who have eyes, but see not,
who have ears, but hear not.
22 (AN)Do you not fear me? declares the Lord.
Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand (AO)as the boundary for the sea,
a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass;
though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
though (AP)they roar, they cannot pass over it.
23 (AQ)But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
they have turned aside and gone away.
24 They do not say in their hearts,
‘Let us fear the Lord our God,
(AR)who gives the rain in its season,
the autumn rain and the spring rain,
and keeps for us
(AS)the weeks appointed for the harvest.’
25 (AT)Your iniquities have turned these away,
and your sins have kept good from you.
26 For wicked men are found among my people;
(AU)they lurk like fowlers lying in wait.[a]
(AV)They set a trap;
they catch men.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
therefore they have become great and rich;
28 (AW)they have grown fat and sleek.
They know no bounds in deeds of evil;
(AX)they judge not with justice
the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper,
and they do not defend the rights of the needy.
29 (AY)Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord,
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?”
30 An appalling and (AZ)horrible thing
has happened in the land:
31 (BA)the prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests rule at their direction;
(BB)my people love to have it so,
but what will you do when the end comes?
Impending Disaster for Jerusalem
6 Flee for safety, (BC)O people of Benjamin,
from the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in (BD)Tekoa,
and raise a signal on (BE)Beth-haccherem,
for disaster looms (BF)out of the north,
and great destruction.
2 The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy,
(BG)the daughter of Zion.[b]
3 (BH)Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her;
(BI)they shall pitch their tents around her;
they shall pasture, each in his place.
4 (BJ)“Prepare war against her;
arise, and let us attack (BK)at noon!
Woe to us, for the day declines,
for the shadows of evening lengthen!
5 Arise, and let us attack by night
and destroy her palaces!”
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts:
(BL)“Cut down her trees;
(BM)cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem.
This is the city that must be (BN)punished;
there is nothing but oppression within her.
7 (BO)As a well keeps its water fresh,
so she keeps fresh her evil;
(BP)violence and destruction are heard within her;
sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Be warned, O Jerusalem,
(BQ)lest I turn from you in disgust,
lest I make you (BR)a desolation,
an uninhabited land.”
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(BS)“They shall glean thoroughly as a vine
the remnant of Israel;
like a grape gatherer pass your hand again
over its branches.”
10 (BT)To whom shall I speak and give warning,
that they may hear?
(BU)Behold, their ears are uncircumcised,
(BV)they cannot listen;
behold, (BW)the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;
they take no pleasure in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord;
(BX)I am weary of holding it in.
(BY)“Pour it out upon the children in the street,
and upon the gatherings of young men, also;
(BZ)both husband and wife (CA)shall be taken,
the elderly and the very aged.
12 (CB)Their houses shall be turned over to others,
their fields and wives together,
for I will stretch out my hand
against the inhabitants of the land,”
declares the Lord.
13 (CC)“For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone (CD)is greedy for unjust gain;
and from (CE)prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
14 They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, (CF)‘Peace, peace,’
(CG)when there is no peace.
15 (CH)Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?
No, they were not at all ashamed;
they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
(CI)at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,”
says the Lord.
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for (CJ)the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
(CK)and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 (CL)I set watchmen over you, saying,
‘Pay attention to (CM)the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, (CN)‘We will not pay attention.’
18 Therefore hear, O nations,
and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,
(CO)the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
and as for my law, they have rejected it.
20 (CP)What use to me is (CQ)frankincense that comes from (CR)Sheba,
or sweet cane from a distant land?
(CS)Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.
21 Therefore thus says the Lord:
(CT)‘Behold, I will lay before this people
stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble;
fathers and sons together,
neighbor and friend shall perish.’”
22 Thus says the Lord:
(CU)“Behold, a people is coming (CV)from the north country,
a great nation is stirring from (CW)the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They lay hold on bow and javelin;
they are (CX)cruel and have no mercy;
(CY)the sound of them is like the roaring sea;
they ride on horses,
set in array as a man for battle,
against you, O daughter of Zion!”
24 We have heard the report of it;
(CZ)our hands fall helpless;
anguish has taken hold of us,
(DA)pain as of a woman in labor.
25 Go not out into the field,
nor walk on the road,
for the enemy has a sword;
(DB)terror is on every side.
26 O daughter of my people, (DC)put on sackcloth,
and (DD)roll in ashes;
(DE)make mourning as for an only son,
most bitter lamentation,
for suddenly the destroyer
will come upon us.
27 “I have made you (DF)a tester of metals among my people,
that you may know and (DG)test their ways.
28 (DH)They are all stubbornly rebellious,
(DI)going about with slanders;
they are (DJ)bronze and iron;
all of them act corruptly.
29 The (DK)bellows blow fiercely;
the lead is consumed by the fire;
(DL)in vain the refining goes on,
for the wicked are not removed.
30 (DM)Rejected silver they are called,
for the Lord has rejected them.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 5:26 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:2 Or I have likened the daughter of Zion to the loveliest pasture
John 12
English Standard Version
Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany
12 Six days before (A)the Passover, (B)Jesus therefore came to Bethany, (C)where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. (D)Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 (E)Mary therefore took a pound[a] of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii[b] and (F)given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and (G)having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it[c] for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
The Plot to Kill Lazarus
9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus[d] was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, (H)whom he had raised from the dead. 10 (I)So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because (J)on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
12 The next day (K)the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of (L)palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, (M)“Hosanna! Blessed is (N)he who comes in the name of the Lord, even (O)the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 (P)“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!”
16 (Q)His disciples did not understand these things at first, but (R)when Jesus was glorified, then (S)they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 (T)The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him (U)was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, (V)“You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, (W)the world has gone after him.”
Some Greeks Seek Jesus
20 Now (X)among those who went up to worship at the feast were some (Y)Greeks. 21 So these came to (Z)Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told (AA)Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, (AB)“The hour has come (AC)for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, (AD)unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 (AE)Whoever loves his life loses it, and (AF)whoever (AG)hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must (AH)follow me; and (AI)where I am, there will my servant be also. (AJ)If anyone serves me, (AK)the Father will honor him.
The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up
27 (AL)“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, (AM)save me from (AN)this hour’? But (AO)for this purpose I have come to (AP)this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then (AQ)a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, (AR)“An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, (AS)“This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 (AT)Now is the judgment of this world; now will (AU)the ruler of this world (AV)be cast out. 32 And I, (AW)when I am lifted up from the earth, (AX)will draw (AY)all people to myself.” 33 He said this (AZ)to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that (BA)the Christ remains forever. How can you say that (BB)the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, (BC)“The light is among you (BD)for a little while longer. (BE)Walk while you have the light, lest darkness (BF)overtake you. (BG)The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become (BH)sons of light.”
The Unbelief of the People
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 (BI)so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
(BJ)“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Therefore they (BK)could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40 (BL)“He has blinded their eyes
and (BM)hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things because (BN)he saw his glory and (BO)spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, (BP)many even of the authorities believed in him, but (BQ)for fear of the Pharisees they did not (BR)confess it, so that they would not be (BS)put out of the synagogue; 43 (BT)for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Jesus Came to Save the World
44 And Jesus cried out and said, (BU)“Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but (BV)in him who sent me. 45 And (BW)whoever (BX)sees me sees him who sent me. 46 (BY)I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone (BZ)hears my words and does not keep them, (CA)I do not judge him; for (CB)I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 (CC)The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; (CD)the word that I have spoken will judge him (CE)on the last day. 49 For (CF)I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father (CG)who sent me has himself given me (CH)a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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