Jeremiah’s Call and Commission

The words of (A)Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in (B)Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of (C)Josiah the son of (D)Amon, king of Judah, in the (E)thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of (F)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of (G)Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

“Before I (H)formed you in the womb I knew you,
And (I)before you were born I consecrated you;
I have (J)appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Then (K)I said, “Oh, Lord [a]God!
Behold, I do not know how to speak,
Because (L)I am a youth.”
But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
(M)Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And (N)all that I command you, you shall speak.
(O)Do not be afraid of them,
For (P)I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.

Then the Lord stretched out His hand and (Q)touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have (R)put My words in your mouth.
10 See, (S)I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
(T)To root out and to tear down,
To destroy and to overthrow,
(U)To build and to plant.”

The Almond Branch and Boiling Pot

11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “What do you see, (V)Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a branch of an [b]almond tree.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for (W)I am [c]watching over My word to perform it.”

13 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “(X)What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling (Y)pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “(Z)Out of the north the evil [d]will be unleashed on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, behold, I am calling (AA)all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the Lord; “and they will come and (AB)place, each one of them, his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls around, and against all the (AC)cities of Judah. 16 And I will [e]pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, since they have (AD)abandoned Me and have [f](AE)offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the (AF)works of their own hands. 17 Now, (AG)belt your garment around your waist and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. (AH)Do not be dismayed before them, or I will make you dismayed before them. 18 Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like a pillar of iron and walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, to its priests, and to the people of the land. 19 And they will fight against you but they will not overcome you, for (AI)I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.

Judah’s Apostasy

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and (AJ)proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“I remember regarding you the [g](AK)devotion of your youth,
Your love when you were a bride,
(AL)Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
Israel was (AM)holy to the Lord,
The (AN)first of His harvest.
(AO)All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares the Lord.’”

Hear the word of the Lord, house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. This is what the Lord says:

(AP)What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me,
And walked after (AQ)emptiness and became empty?
They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
Who (AR)brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who (AS)led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of [h]deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no person lived?’
I brought you into the (AT)fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and (AU)defiled My land,
And you made My inheritance an abomination.
The (AV)priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the Law (AW)did not know Me;
The [i]rulers also revolted against Me,
And the (AX)prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after (AY)things that were of no benefit.

“Therefore I will still (AZ)contend with you,” declares the Lord,
“And I will contend with your sons’ sons.
10 For (BA)cross to the coastlands of [j]Kittim and see,
And send to (BB)Kedar and observe closely,
And see if there has been anything like this!
11 Has a nation changed gods,
When (BC)they were not gods?
But My people have (BD)exchanged their glory
For that which is of no benefit.
12 Be appalled at this, (BE)you heavens,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have abandoned Me,
The (BF)fountain of living waters,
To carve out for themselves (BG)cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That do not hold water.

14 “Is Israel (BH)a slave? Or is he a servant born in the home?
Why has he become plunder?
15 The young (BI)lions have roared at him,
They have [k]roared loudly.
And they have (BJ)made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
16 Also the [l]men of (BK)Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have [m]shaved (BL)your head.
17 Have you not (BM)done this to yourself
By your abandoning the Lord your God
When He (BN)led you in the way?
18 But now what are you doing (BO)on the road to Egypt,
Except to drink the waters of the [n](BP)Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
Except to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
19 (BQ)Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your (BR)apostasies will punish you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and (BS)bitter
For you to abandon the Lord your God,
And (BT)the fear of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord [o]God of armies.

20 “For long ago [p](BU)I broke your yoke
And tore off your restraints;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every (BV)high hill
And under every leafy tree
You have lain down as a prostitute.
21 Yet I (BW)planted you as a choice vine,
A completely faithful seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the (BX)degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
22 Although you (BY)wash yourself with lye
And [q]use much soap,
The (BZ)stain of your guilt is before Me,” declares the Lord [r]God.
23 (CA)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the (CB)Baals’?
Look at your way in the (CC)valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel (CD)running about senselessly on her ways,
24 A (CE)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
Who can turn her away in her mating season?
None who seek her will grow weary;
In her month they will find her.
25 Keep your feet from being bare,
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘(CF)It is [s]hopeless!
No! For I have (CG)loved strangers,
And I will walk after them.’

26 “Like the shame of a (CH)thief when he is discovered,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their leaders,
Their priests, and their prophets,
27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their (CI)backs to Me,
And not their faces;
But in the (CJ)time of their [t]trouble they will say,
‘Arise and save us!’
28 But where are your (CK)gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can (CL)save you
In the time of your [u]trouble!
For (CM)as many as the number of your cities
Are your gods, Judah.

29 “Why do you contend with Me?
You have (CN)all revolted against Me,” declares the Lord.
30 (CO)In vain I have struck your sons;
They did not accept discipline.
Your (CP)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31 You generation, look to the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a (CQ)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘(CR)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
32 Can a virgin forget her jewelry,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have (CS)forgotten Me
For days without number.
33 How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even to the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
The (CT)lifeblood of the innocent poor;
You did not find them (CU)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
35 You said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will (CV)enter into judgment with you
Because you (CW)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 Why do you (CX)go around so much
Changing your way?
Also, (CY)you will be put to shame by Egypt,
Just as you were put to shame by (CZ)Assyria.
37 From this place as well you will go out
With (DA)your hands on your head;
For the Lord has rejected (DB)those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper with them.”

The Defiled Land

God [v]says, “(DC)If a husband divorces his wife
And she leaves him
And becomes another man’s wife,
Will he return to her again?
Would that land not be completely defiled?
But you (DD)are a prostitute with many [w]lovers;
Yet you (DE)turn to Me,” declares the Lord.
“Raise your eyes to the (DF)bare heights and see;
Where have you not been violated?
You have (DG)sat for them by the roads
Like an Arab in the desert,
And you have (DH)defiled a land
With your prostitution and your wickedness.
Therefore the (DI)showers have been withheld,
And there has been no spring rain.
Yet you had a (DJ)prostitute’s [x]forehead;
You refused to be ashamed.
Have you not just now called to Me,
(DK)My Father, You are the (DL)friend of my (DM)youth?
(DN)Will He be angry forever,
Or keep His anger to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken
And have done evil things,
And you have [y]had your own way.”

Faithless Israel

Then the Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She (DO)went up on every high hill and under every leafy tree, and she prostituted herself there. Yet (DP)I [z]thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her (DQ)treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw that for all the [aa]adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and (DR)given her a certificate of divorce, yet her (DS)treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and prostituted herself also. And because of the thoughtlessness of her prostitution, she (DT)defiled the land and committed [ab]adultery with (DU)stones and trees. 10 Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in (DV)deception,” declares the Lord.

God Invites Repentance

11 And the Lord said to me, “(DW)Faithless Israel has proved herself to be more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say,

(DX)Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord;
(DY)I will not [ac]look at you in anger.
For I am (DZ)gracious,’ declares the Lord;
‘I will not be angry forever.
13 Only [ad](EA)acknowledge your wrongdoing,
That you have revolted against the Lord your God,
And have (EB)scattered your [ae]favors to the strangers (EC)under every leafy tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the Lord.
14 ‘Return, you faithless sons,’ declares the Lord;
‘For I am a (ED)master to you,
And I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
And (EE)bring you to Zion.’

15 “Then I will give you (EF)shepherds [af]after My own heart, who will (EG)feed you knowledge and understanding. 16 And it shall be in those days when you become numerous and are fruitful in the land,” declares the Lord, “they will (EH)no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor miss it, nor will it be made again. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The (EI)Throne of the Lord,’ and (EJ)all the nations will assemble at it, at Jerusalem, for the (EK)name of the Lord; and they will no longer (EL)follow the stubbornness of their evil heart. 18 (EM)In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together (EN)from the land of the north to the (EO)land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.

19 “Then I said,

‘How I would set you among [ag]My sons
And give you a pleasant land,
The most (EP)beautiful inheritance of the nations!’
And I said, ‘You shall call Me, (EQ)My Father,
And not turn away from following Me.’
20 However, as a woman treacherously leaves her lover,
So you have (ER)dealt treacherously with Me,
House of Israel,” declares the Lord.

21 A voice is heard on the (ES)bare heights,
The weeping, the pleading of the sons of Israel.
Because they have perverted their way,
They have (ET)forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, you faithless sons,
(EU)I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to You;
For You are the Lord our God.
23 Certainly (EV)the hills are a deception,
[ah]Commotion on the mountains.
Certainly in the (EW)Lord our God
Is the salvation of Israel.

24 “But (EX)the shame has consumed the product of our fathers’ labor since our youth—their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our (EY)shame, and let our humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, (EZ)from our youth even to this day. And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”

Judah Threatened with Invasion

“If you will (FA)return, Israel,” declares the Lord,
Then you should return to Me.
And (FB)if you will put away your detestable things from My presence,
And will not waver,
And if you will (FC)swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’
(FD)In truth, in justice, and in righteousness;
Then the (FE)nations will bless themselves in Him,
And (FF)in Him they will boast.”

For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem:

[ai](FG)Break up your uncultivated ground,
And (FH)do not sow among thorns.
(FI)Circumcise yourselves to the Lord
And remove the foreskins of your hearts,
Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Or else My (FJ)wrath will spread like fire
And burn with (FK)no one to quench it,
Because of the evil of your deeds.”

Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,
(FL)Blow the trumpet in the land;
Cry aloud and say,
(FM)Assemble, and let’s go
Into the fortified cities.’
Raise a (FN)flag toward Zion!
Take refuge, do not stand still,
For I am bringing (FO)evil from the north,
And great destruction.
A (FP)lion has gone up from his thicket,
And a (FQ)destroyer of nations has set out;
He has gone out from his place
To (FR)make your land a waste.
Your cities will be ruins,
Without an inhabitant.
For this, (FS)put on sackcloth,
Mourn and wail;
For the (FT)fierce anger of the Lord
Has not turned away from us.”

“And it shall come about on that day,” declares the Lord, “that the (FU)heart of the king and the hearts of the leaders will fail; and the priests will tremble, and the (FV)prophets will be astonished.”

10 Then I said, “Oh, Lord [aj]God! Surely You have utterly (FW)deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘(FX)You will have peace’; yet a sword touches the [ak]throat.”

11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A (FY)scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness, in the direction of the daughter of My people—not to winnow and not to cleanse, 12 a wind too [al]strong for [am]this—will come [an]at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.”

13 “Behold, he (FZ)goes up like clouds,
And his (GA)chariots like the whirlwind;
His horses are (GB)swifter than eagles.
Woe to us, for (GC)we are ruined!”

14 Wash your heart from evil, Jerusalem,
So that you may be saved.
How long will your (GD)wicked thoughts
Lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares from (GE)Dan,
And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.
16 “Report it to the nations, now!
Proclaim to Jerusalem,
[ao]Enemies are coming from a (GF)remote country,
And (GG)they raise their voices against the cities of Judah.
17 Like watchmen of a field they are (GH)against her all around,
Because she has (GI)rebelled against Me,’ declares the Lord.
18 Your (GJ)ways and your deeds
Have [ap]brought these things upon you.
This is your evil. How (GK)bitter!
How it has touched your heart!”

Grief over Judah’s Devastation

19 (GL)My [aq]soul, my [ar]soul! I am in anguish! [as]Oh, my heart!
My (GM)heart is pounding in me;
I cannot keep silent,
Because, [at]my soul, you have heard
The (GN)sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 (GO)Disaster upon disaster is proclaimed,
For the (GP)whole land is devastated;
Suddenly my (GQ)tents are devastated,
And my curtains in an instant.
21 How long must I see the flag
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 (GR)For My people are foolish,
They do not know Me;
They are foolish children
And have no understanding.
They are skillful at (GS)doing evil,
But they do not know how to do good.”

23 I looked at the earth, and behold, it was a [au](GT)formless and desolate emptiness;
And to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were (GU)quaking,
And all the hills jolted back and forth.
25 I looked, and behold, there was no human,
And all the (GV)birds of the sky had fled.
26 I looked, and behold, [av]the (GW)fruitful land was a wilderness,
And all its cities were pulled down
Before the Lord, before His fierce anger.

27 For this is what the Lord says:
“The (GX)whole land shall be a desolation,
Yet I will (GY)not execute a complete destruction.
28 For this the (GZ)earth will mourn,
And the (HA)heavens above will become dark,
Because I have (HB)spoken, I have purposed,
And I have not [aw]changed My mind, nor will I turn from it.”
29 At the sound of the horseman and archer (HC)every city flees;
They (HD)go into the thickets and climb among the rocks;
(HE)Every city is abandoned,
And no one lives in them.
30 And you, desolate one, (HF)what will you do?
Although you dress in scarlet,
Although you adorn yourself with jewelry of gold,
Although you (HG)enlarge your eyes with makeup,
In vain you make yourself beautiful.
Your [ax](HH)lovers despise you;
They seek your life.
31 For I heard a voice cry as of a woman in labor,
The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child.
The voice of the daughter of Zion (HI)gasping for breath,
(HJ)Stretching out her [ay]hands, saying,
“Ah, woe to me, for [az]I faint before murderers.”

Jerusalem’s Godlessness

(HK)Roam about through the streets of Jerusalem,
And look and take notice.
And seek in her public squares,
If you can (HL)find a person,
(HM)If there is one who does justice, who seeks honesty,
Then I will forgive [ba]her.
And (HN)although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’
Certainly they swear falsely.”
Lord, do (HO)Your eyes not look for honesty?
You have (HP)struck them,
But they did not [bb]weaken;
You have consumed them,
But they (HQ)refused to accept discipline.
They have (HR)made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to repent.

Then I said, “They are only the poor,
They are foolish;
For they (HS)do not know the way of the Lord
Or the judgment of their God.
I will go to the great
And speak to them,
For (HT)they know the way of the Lord
And the judgment of their God.”
But together they too have (HU)broken the yoke
And burst the restraints.
Therefore (HV)a lion from the forest will kill them,
A (HW)wolf of the deserts will destroy them,
A (HX)leopard is watching their cities.
Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces,
Because their (HY)wrongdoings are many,
Their apostasies are numerous.

“Why should I forgive you?
Your sons have forsaken Me
And (HZ)sworn by those who are (IA)not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
They (IB)committed adultery
And stayed at the prostitute’s house.
They were well-fed lusty horses,
Each one neighing at his (IC)neighbor’s wife.
Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the Lord,
“And (ID)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 Lords.
11 For the (IE)house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord.
12 They have (IF)lied about the Lord
And said, “[bc](IG)Not He;
Misfortune will (IH)not come upon us,
(II)Nor will we see sword or famine.
13 The (IJ)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 (IK)making My words fire in your mouth,
And this people wood, and it will consume them.
15 Behold, I am (IL)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 (IM)language you do not know,
Nor can you understand what they say.
16 Their (IN)quiver is like an (IO)open grave,
All of them are warriors.
17 They will (IP)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 (IQ)vines and your fig trees;
They will demolish your (IR)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 (IS)when [bd]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 (IT)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 [be]senseless people,
Who have (IU)eyes but do not see,
Who have ears but do not hear.
22 Do you not (IV)fear Me?’ declares the Lord.
‘Do you not tremble in My presence?
For I have (IW)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 (IX)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 (IY)gives rain in its season,
Both (IZ)the autumn rain and the spring rain,
Who keeps for us
The (JA)appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25 Your (JB)wrongdoings have turned these away,
And your sins have kept good away from you.
26 For wicked people are found among My people,
They (JC)watch like fowlers [bf]lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch people.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of (JD)deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.
28 They are (JE)fat, they are sleek,
They also [bg]excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the [bh](JF)orphan, so that they may be successful;
And they do not [bi]defend the rights of the poor.
29 (JG)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 (JH)horrible thing
Has happened in the land:
31 The (JI)prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule [bj]on their own authority;
And My people (JJ)love it this way!
But what will you do [bk]when the end comes?

The Coming Destruction of Jerusalem

“Flee to safety, you sons of (JK)Benjamin,
From the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow a trumpet in Tekoa
And raise a warning signal over [bl](JL)Beth-haccerem;
For evil looks down from the (JM)north,
Along with a great destruction.
The beautiful and (JN)delicate one, (JO)the daughter of Zion, I will destroy.
(JP)Shepherds and their flocks will come to her,
They will (JQ)pitch their tents [bm]around her,
They will pasture, each in his [bn]place.
[bo](JR)Prepare for war against her;
Arise, and let’s [bp]attack at (JS)noon.
Woe to us, for the day declines,
For the shadows of the evening lengthen!
Arise, and let’s [bq]attack by night
And (JT)destroy her [br]palaces!’”
For this is what the Lord of armies says:
(JU)Cut down her trees
And pile up an (JV)assault ramp against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished,
In whose midst there is only (JW)oppression.
(JX)As a well [bs]keeps its waters fresh,
So she [bt]keeps fresh her wickedness.
(JY)Violence and destruction are heard in her;
(JZ)Sickness and wounds are constantly before Me.
(KA)Be warned, Jerusalem,
Or [bu](KB)I shall be alienated from you,
And make you a desolation,
An uninhabited land.”

This is what the Lord of armies says:
“They will (KC)thoroughly glean the (KD)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 (KE)ears are [bv]closed
And they cannot listen.
Behold, (KF)the word of the Lord has become for them a rebuke;
They take no delight in it.
11 But I am (KG)full of the wrath of the Lord;
I am (KH)weary of holding it in.
(KI)Pour it out on the children in the street
And on the [bw]gathering of young men together;
For both husband and wife shall be taken,
The old [bx]and the very old.
12 Their (KJ)houses shall be turned over to others,
Their fields and their wives together;
For I will (KK)stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord.
13 “For (KL)from the least of them to the greatest of them,
Everyone is (KM)greedy for gain,
And from the prophet to the priest
Everyone deals falsely.
14 They have (KN)healed the brokenness of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
But there is no peace.
15 Were they (KO)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 (KP)ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
Then (KQ)you will find a resting place for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 And I set (KR)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 (KS)Hear, earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people,
The (KT)fruit of their [by]plans,
Because they have not listened to My words,
And as for My Law, they have (KU)rejected it also.
20 (KV)For what purpose does (KW)frankincense come to Me from Sheba,
And the [bz](KX)sweet cane from a distant land?
(KY)Your burnt offerings are not acceptable
And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”
21 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, (KZ)I am [ca]placing stumbling blocks before this people.
And they will stumble against them,
(LA)Fathers and sons together;
Neighbor and [cb]friend will perish.”

The Enemy from the North

22 This is what the Lord says:
“Behold, there is (LB)a people coming from the north land,
And a great nation will be stirred up from the (LC)remote parts of the earth.
23 They seize (LD)bow and spear;
They are (LE)cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice (LF)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 (LG)heard the report of it;
Our hands are limp.
(LH)Anguish has seized us,
Pain like that of a woman in childbirth.
25 (LI)Do not go out into the field,
And (LJ)do not walk on the road;
For the enemy has a sword,
(LK)Terror is on every side.
26 Daughter of my people, (LL)put on sackcloth
And (LM)roll in ashes;
[cc](LN)Mourn as for an only son,
A most bitter mourning.
For suddenly the destroyer
Will come against us.

27 “I have (LO)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,
(LP)Going about as a slanderer;
They are (LQ)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 (LR)wicked are not [cd]separated.
30 (LS)They call them rejected silver,
Because the (LT)Lord has rejected them.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 1:6 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  2. Jeremiah 1:11 Heb shaqed, see note v 12
  3. Jeremiah 1:12 Heb shoqed, a wordplay on almond in v 11 (see note v 11)
  4. Jeremiah 1:14 Lit opened
  5. Jeremiah 1:16 Lit speak
  6. Jeremiah 1:16 Or burned incense
  7. Jeremiah 2:2 Or faithfulness
  8. Jeremiah 2:6 Or the shadow of death
  9. Jeremiah 2:8 Lit shepherds
  10. Jeremiah 2:10 I.e., Cyprus and other islands
  11. Jeremiah 2:15 Lit given their voice
  12. Jeremiah 2:16 Lit sons
  13. Jeremiah 2:16 Lit grazed
  14. Jeremiah 2:18 Heb Shihor
  15. Jeremiah 2:19 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  16. Jeremiah 2:20 Or you
  17. Jeremiah 2:22 Lit acquire much soap for yourself
  18. Jeremiah 2:22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  19. Jeremiah 2:25 Or desperate
  20. Jeremiah 2:27 Or evil
  21. Jeremiah 2:28 Or evil
  22. Jeremiah 3:1 Lit saying
  23. Jeremiah 3:1 Lit companions
  24. Jeremiah 3:3 I.e., calloused appearance
  25. Jeremiah 3:5 Lit been able
  26. Jeremiah 3:7 Lit said
  27. Jeremiah 3:8 I.e., idolatry
  28. Jeremiah 3:9 I.e., idolatry
  29. Jeremiah 3:12 Lit make My face fall
  30. Jeremiah 3:13 Lit know
  31. Jeremiah 3:13 Lit ways
  32. Jeremiah 3:15 I.e., with hearts like Mine
  33. Jeremiah 3:19 Lit the
  34. Jeremiah 3:23 I.e., from idolatrous rituals
  35. Jeremiah 4:3 Lit Plow for yourselves plowed ground
  36. Jeremiah 4:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  37. Jeremiah 4:10 Or life
  38. Jeremiah 4:12 Lit full from
  39. Jeremiah 4:12 Lit these
  40. Jeremiah 4:12 Lit for Me
  41. Jeremiah 4:16 As indicated in LXX; MT watchmen
  42. Jeremiah 4:18 Lit done
  43. Jeremiah 4:19 Lit inward parts
  44. Jeremiah 4:19 Lit inward parts
  45. Jeremiah 4:19 Lit The walls of my heart
  46. Jeremiah 4:19 Another reading is I have heard
  47. Jeremiah 4:23 Or waste
  48. Jeremiah 4:26 Or Carmel
  49. Jeremiah 4:28 Or been sorry
  50. Jeremiah 4:30 Lit paramours
  51. Jeremiah 4:31 Lit palms
  52. Jeremiah 4:31 Lit my soul faints
  53. Jeremiah 5:1 I.e., Jerusalem
  54. Jeremiah 5:3 Or become sick
  55. Jeremiah 5:12 Lit He is not
  56. Jeremiah 5:19 Or you
  57. Jeremiah 5:21 Lit without heart
  58. Jeremiah 5:26 Perhaps, crouching down
  59. Jeremiah 5:28 Lit pass over; or overlook deeds
  60. Jeremiah 5:28 Or fatherless
  61. Jeremiah 5:28 Lit judge
  62. Jeremiah 5:31 Lit over their own hands
  63. Jeremiah 5:31 Lit at the end of it
  64. Jeremiah 6:1 I.e., house of the vineyard
  65. Jeremiah 6:3 Lit against her round about
  66. Jeremiah 6:3 Lit hand
  67. Jeremiah 6:4 Lit Sanctify war
  68. Jeremiah 6:4 Lit go up
  69. Jeremiah 6:5 Lit go up
  70. Jeremiah 6:5 Or fortified towers
  71. Jeremiah 6:7 Lit keeps cold
  72. Jeremiah 6:7 Lit keeps cold
  73. Jeremiah 6:8 Lit my soul
  74. Jeremiah 6:10 Lit uncircumcised
  75. Jeremiah 6:11 Lit council
  76. Jeremiah 6:11 Lit with fullness of days
  77. Jeremiah 6:19 Or devices
  78. Jeremiah 6:20 Lit good
  79. Jeremiah 6:21 Lit giving
  80. Jeremiah 6:21 Lit his friend
  81. Jeremiah 6:26 Lit Make for yourself mourning
  82. Jeremiah 6:29 Or drawn off

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