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Jeremiah 1-12
New American Standard Bible
Jeremiah 1-12
New American Standard Bible
Jeremiah’s Call and Commission
1 The words of (A)Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in (B)Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 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. 3 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.
4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “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.”
6 Then (K)I said, “Oh, Lord [a]God!
Behold, I do not know how to speak,
Because (L)I am a youth.”
7 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.
8 (O)Do not be afraid of them,
For (P)I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.
9 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
2 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “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.
3 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.’”
4 Hear the word of the Lord, house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 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?
6 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?’
7 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.
8 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.
9 “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
3 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.
2 “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.
3 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.
4 Have you not just now called to Me,
‘(DK)My Father, You are the (DL)friend of my (DM)youth?
5 (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
6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 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
4 “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,
2 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.”
3 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.
4 (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.”
5 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.’
6 Raise a (FN)flag toward Zion!
Take refuge, do not stand still,
For I am bringing (FO)evil from the north,
And great destruction.
7 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.
8 For this, (FS)put on sackcloth,
Mourn and wail;
For the (FT)fierce anger of the Lord
Has not turned away from us.”
9 “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
5 “(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.
2 And (HN)although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’
Certainly they swear falsely.”
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 “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.
8 They were well-fed lusty horses,
Each one neighing at his (IC)neighbor’s wife.
9 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 Lord’s.
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
6 “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.
2 The beautiful and (JN)delicate one, (JO)the daughter of Zion, I will destroy.
3 (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.
4 ‘[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!
5 Arise, and let’s [bq]attack by night
And (JT)destroy her [br]palaces!’”
6 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.
7 (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.
8 (KA)Be warned, Jerusalem,
Or [bu](KB)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 (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.
Message at the Temple Gate
7 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “(LU)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: “(LV)Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you live in this place. 4 (LW)Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘[ce]This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ 5 For (LX)if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly (LY)practice justice between a person and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the [cf](LZ)orphan, or the widow, and do not shed (MA)innocent blood in this place, nor (MB)follow other gods to your own ruin, 7 then I will let you (MC)live in this place, in the (MD)land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.
8 “Behold, you are trusting in (ME)deceptive words to no avail. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, [cg](MF)offer sacrifices to Baal, and follow (MG)other gods that you have not known, 10 then (MH)come and stand before Me in (MI)this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are saved!’—so that you may do all these abominations? 11 Has (MJ)this house, which is called by My name, become a (MK)den of robbers in your sight? Behold, (ML)I Myself have seen it,” declares the Lord.
12 “But go now to My place which was in (MM)Shiloh, where I (MN)made My name dwell at the beginning, and (MO)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, (MP)speaking again and again, but you did not listen, and I (MQ)called you but you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the (MR)house which is called by My name, (MS)in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your fathers, just as I (MT)did to Shiloh. 15 I will (MU)hurl you out of My sight, just as I have hurled out all your brothers, all the [ch]descendants of (MV)Ephraim.
16 “As for you, (MW)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 [ci]children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make sacrificial cakes for the queen of heaven; and they (MX)pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to (MY)provoke Me to anger. 19 (MZ)Are they provoking Me?” declares the Lord. “Is it not themselves instead, to their [cj]own (NA)shame?” 20 Therefore this is what the Lord [ck]God says: “Behold, My (NB)anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on human and animal life, and on the (NC)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 (ND)burnt offerings to your sacrifices and (NE)eat flesh. 22 For I did not (NF)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 [cl]what I commanded them, saying, ‘(NG)Obey My voice, and (NH)I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you shall walk [cm]entirely in the way which I command you, so that it may (NI)go well for you.’ 24 Yet they (NJ)did not obey or incline their ear, but walked by their own advice and in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and they [cn](NK)went backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have (NL)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 (NM)stiffened their neck; they (NN)did more evil than their fathers.
27 “So you shall (NO)speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will (NP)not answer you. 28 And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that (NQ)did not obey the voice of the Lord their God or accept discipline; [co](NR)trustworthiness has perished and has been eliminated from their mouth.
29 (NS)Cut off [cp]your hair and throw it away,
And (NT)take up a song of mourning on the bare heights;
For the Lord has (NU)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 (NV)put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 31 They have (NW)built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, to (NX)burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I (NY)did not command, and it did not come into My [cq]mind.
32 “(NZ)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 (OA)bury in Topheth [cr]because there is no other place. 33 The (OB)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 (OC)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 (OD)land will become a site of ruins.
The Sin and Treachery of Judah
8 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “they will (OE)bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its leaders, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves. 2 They will spread them out to the sun, the moon, and to all the (OF)heavenly [cs]lights, which they have loved, which they have served, which they have followed, which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered (OG)nor buried; (OH)they will be like dung on the face of the ground. 3 And (OI)death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family, that remains in all the (OJ)places to which I have driven them,” declares the Lord of armies.
4 “You shall say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“Do people (OK)fall and not get up?
Does one turn away and not [ct]repent?
5 Why has this people, Jerusalem,
(OL)Turned away in continual apostasy?
They (OM)hold on to deceit,
They (ON)refuse to return.
6 I (OO)have listened and heard,
They have spoken what is not right;
(OP)No one repented of his wickedness,
Saying, ‘What have I done?’
Everyone turned to his own course,
Like a (OQ)horse charging into the battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky
(OR)Knows her seasons;
And the (OS)turtledove, the swallow, and the crane
Keep to the time of their [cu]migration;
But (OT)My people do not know
The judgment of the Lord.
8 “(OU)How can you say, ‘We are wise,
And the Law of the Lord is with us’?
But behold, the lying pen of the scribes
Has made it into a lie.
9 The wise men are (OV)put to shame,
They are dismayed and caught;
Behold, they have (OW)rejected the word of the Lord,
So what kind of wisdom do they have?
10 Therefore I will (OX)give their wives to others,
Their fields to new owners;
Because from the least even to the greatest
Everyone is (OY)greedy for gain;
From the prophet even to the priest,
Everyone practices deceit.
11 They have (OZ)healed the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
But there is no peace.
12 Were they (PA)ashamed because of the abomination they had done?
They were not ashamed at all,
And they did not know how to be ashamed;
Therefore they will (PB)fall among those who fall;
At the (PC)time of their punishment they will collapse,”
Says the Lord.
13 “I will (PD)certainly snatch them away,” declares the Lord.
“There will be (PE)no grapes on the vine
And (PF)no figs on the fig tree,
And the leaf will wither;
And what I have given them will pass away.”’”
14 Why are we sitting still?
(PG)Assemble yourselves, and let’s (PH)go into the fortified cities
And perish there,
For the Lord our God has doomed us
And given us (PI)poisoned water to drink,
Because (PJ)we have sinned against the Lord.
15 We (PK)waited for peace, but no good came;
For a time of healing, but behold, terror!
16 From (PL)Dan there is heard the snorting of his horses;
At the sound of the neighing of his (PM)stallions
The whole land quakes;
For they come and (PN)devour the land and its fullness,
The city and its inhabitants.
17 “For behold, I am (PO)sending serpents among you,
Vipers for which there is (PP)no charm;
And they will bite you,” declares the Lord.
18 [cv]My (PQ)sorrow is beyond healing,
My (PR)heart is faint within me!
19 Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a (PS)distant land:
“Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not within her?”
“Why have they (PT)provoked Me with their carved images, with foreign [cw](PU)idols?”
20 “Harvest is past, summer is over,
And we are not saved.”
21 I am broken over the (PV)brokenness of the daughter of my people.
I (PW)mourn, dismay has taken hold of me.
22 Is there no (PX)balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
(PY)Why then has not the [cx]health of the daughter of my people [cy]been restored?
Grief over Zion
9 [cz](PZ)Oh, that my head were waters
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For those slain of the (QA)daughter of my people!
2 [da](QB)Oh that I had in the desert
A travelers’ lodging place;
So that I might leave my people
And go away from them!
For all of them are (QC)adulterers,
An assembly of (QD)treacherous people.
3 “They (QE)bend their tongues like their bows;
Lies and not truth prevail in the land;
For they (QF)proceed from evil to evil,
And they (QG)do not know Me,” declares the Lord.
4 “Let everyone (QH)be on guard against his neighbor,
And (QI)do not trust any brother;
Because every (QJ)brother utterly [db]betrays,
And every neighbor (QK)goes about as a slanderer.
5 Everyone (QL)deceives his neighbor
And does not speak the truth.
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They (QM)weary themselves committing wrongdoing.
6 Your (QN)dwelling is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they (QO)refuse to know Me,” declares the Lord.
7 Therefore this is what the Lord of armies says:
“Behold, I will refine them and (QP)put them to the test;
For (QQ)what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?
8 Their (QR)tongue is a deadly arrow;
It speaks deceit;
With his mouth one (QS)speaks peace to his neighbor,
But inwardly he (QT)sets an ambush for him.
9 (QU)Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the Lord.
“Shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?
10 “I will take up a weeping and wailing for the (QV)mountains,
And for the pastures of the (QW)wilderness a song of mourning,
Because they are (QX)laid waste so that no one passes through,
And the sound of the livestock is not heard;
Both the (QY)birds of the sky and the animals have fled; they are gone.
11 I will make Jerusalem a (QZ)heap of ruins,
A haunt of (RA)jackals;
And I will make the cities of Judah a (RB)desolation without inhabitant.”
12 Who is the (RC)wise person who may understand this? And who is he to whom (RD)the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? (RE)Why is the land destroyed, laid waste like the desert, so that no one passes through? 13 The Lord said, “Because they have (RF)abandoned My Law which I put before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, 14 but have (RG)followed the stubbornness of their heart and the (RH)Baals, [dc]as their (RI)fathers taught them,” 15 therefore this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, (RJ)I will feed this people wormwood; and I will give them (RK)poisoned water to drink. 16 I will also (RL)scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the (RM)sword after them until I have put an end to them.”
17 This is what the Lord of armies says:
“Consider and call for the (RN)mourning women, that they may come;
And send for the [dd](RO)skillful women, that they may come!
18 Have them hurry and take up a wailing for us,
So that our (RP)eyes may shed tears,
And our eyelids flow with water.
19 For a voice of (RQ)wailing is heard from Zion:
‘(RR)How devastated we are!
We are put to great shame,
For we have (RS)abandoned the land
Because they have torn down our homes.’”
20 Now hear the word of the Lord, you (RT)women,
And let your ears receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And have every woman teach her neighbor a song of mourning.
21 For (RU)death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces
To eliminate the (RV)children from the streets,
The young men from the public squares.
22 Speak, “This is what the Lord says:
‘The corpses of people will fall (RW)like dung on the open field,
And like the sheaf after the reaper,
But no one will gather them.’”
23 This is what the Lord says: “(RX)Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the (RY)mighty man boast of his might, nor a (RZ)rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts (SA)boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who (SB)exercises [de]mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I (SC)delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet (SD)uncircumcised— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and (SE)all those inhabiting the desert who trim the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are (SF)uncircumcised of heart.”
A Satire on Idolatry
10 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, house of Israel. 2 This is what the Lord says:
“(SG)Do not learn the way of the nations,
And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens,
Although the nations are terrified by them;
3 For the customs of the peoples are (SH)futile;
For (SI)it is wood cut from the forest,
The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.
4 They (SJ)decorate the idol with silver and gold;
They (SK)fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not totter.
5 They are like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
And they (SL)cannot speak;
They must be (SM)carried,
Because they cannot walk!
Do not fear them,
For they (SN)can do no harm,
Nor can they do any good.”
6 (SO)There is none like You, Lord;
You are (SP)great, and Your name is great in might.
7 (SQ)Who would not fear You, O (SR)King of the nations?
For it is Your due!
For among all the (SS)wise men of the nations
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
8 But they are altogether (ST)stupid and foolish;
The instruction from idols is nothing but wood!
9 Beaten (SU)silver is brought from (SV)Tarshish,
And (SW)gold from Uphaz,
The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith;
Their clothing is of violet and purple;
They are all the (SX)work of skilled people.
10 But the Lord is the (SY)true God;
He is the (SZ)living God and the (TA)everlasting King.
The (TB)earth quakes at His wrath,
And the nations cannot (TC)endure His indignation.
11 [df]This is what you shall say to them: “The (TD)gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will (TE)perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”
12 It is (TF)He who made the earth by His power,
Who (TG)established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has (TH)stretched out the heavens.
13 When He utters His (TI)voice, there is a roar of waters in the heavens,
And He makes the (TJ)clouds ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain,
And brings out the (TK)wind from His storehouses.
14 Every person is (TL)stupid, devoid of knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
For his cast metal images are deceitful,
And there is no breath in them.
15 They are (TM)worthless, a work of mockery;
At the (TN)time of their punishment they will perish.
16 The (TO)Portion of Jacob is not like these;
For He is the [dg](TP)Maker of everything,
And (TQ)Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;
The (TR)Lord of armies is His name.
17 (TS)Pick up your bundle from the ground,
You who live under siege!
18 For this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, I am (TT)slinging out the inhabitants of the land
At this time,
And I will cause them distress,
So that they may [dh]be found.”
19 (TU)Woe to me, because of my [di]injury!
My (TV)wound is incurable.
But I said, “This certainly is a sickness,
And I (TW)must endure it.”
20 My (TX)tent is destroyed,
And all my ropes are broken.
My (TY)sons have gone from me and are no more.
There is (TZ)no one to stretch out my tent again
Or to set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become stupid
And (UA)have not sought the Lord.
Therefore they have not prospered,
And (UB)all their flock is scattered.
22 The sound of a (UC)report! Behold, it is coming—
A great roar (UD)from the land of the north—
To (UE)make the cities of Judah
A desolation, a haunt of jackals.
23 I know, Lord, that (UF)a person’s way is not in himself,
(UG)Nor is it in a person who walks to direct his steps.
24 (UH)Correct me, Lord, but with justice;
Not with Your anger, or You will [dj]bring me to nothing.
25 (UI)Pour out Your wrath on the nations that (UJ)do not know You,
And on the families who (UK)do not call upon Your name;
For they have devoured Jacob;
They have (UL)devoured him and consumed him,
And have laid waste his [dk]settlement.
The Broken Covenant
11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “(UM)Hear the words of this (UN)covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3 and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “(UO)Cursed is the one who does not obey the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your forefathers on the (UP)day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the (UQ)iron furnace, saying, ‘(UR)Listen to My voice, and [dl]do according to all that I command you; so you shall be (US)My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 in order to confirm the (UT)oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I replied, “(UU)Amen, Lord.”
6 And the Lord said to me, “(UV)Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘(UW)Hear the words of this covenant and (UX)do them. 7 For I solemnly (UY)warned your fathers on the (UZ)day I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, (VA)warning them persistently, saying, “(VB)Listen to My voice.” 8 Yet they (VC)did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart, each one of them; therefore I brought on them all the (VD)words of this covenant which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”
9 Then the Lord said to me, “A (VE)conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have (VF)turned back to the wrongdoings of their [dm]ancestors who (VG)refused to hear My words, and they (VH)have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have (VI)broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am (VJ)bringing disaster on them which they will (VK)not be able to escape; though they will (VL)cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will (VM)go and cry out to the gods to whom they [dn]burn incense, but they certainly will not save them in the time of their disaster. 13 For your gods are [do](VN)as many as your cities, Judah; and [dp]as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the (VO)shameful thing, altars for [dq](VP)burning incense to Baal.
14 “So as for you, (VQ)do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will (VR)not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.
15 What right has My (VS)beloved in My house
When (VT)she has carried out many evil schemes?
Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster,
[dr]So that you can rejoice?”
16 The Lord named you
“A (VU)green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”;
With the (VV)noise of a great [ds]tumult
He has (VW)set fire to it,
And its branches are worthless.
17 The Lord of armies, who (VX)planted you, has (VY)pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have [dt]done to provoke Me by [du](VZ)offering sacrifices to Baal.
Plots against Jeremiah
18 Moreover, the Lord (WA)made it known to me and I knew it;
Then You showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle (WB)lamb led to the slaughter;
And I did not know that they had (WC)devised plots against me, saying,
“Let’s destroy the tree with its [dv]fruit,
And (WD)let’s cut him off from the (WE)land of the living,
So that his (WF)name will no longer be remembered.”
20 But, Lord of armies, who (WG)judges righteously,
Who (WH)puts the [dw]feelings and the heart to the test,
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You I have [dx]committed my cause.
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the people of (WI)Anathoth, who are (WJ)seeking your life, saying: “(WK)Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you do not (WL)die by our hand”; 22 therefore, this is what the Lord of armies says: “Behold, I am going to (WM)punish them! The (WN)young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine; 23 and a remnant (WO)will not be left to them, because I will (WP)bring disaster on the people of Anathoth—(WQ)the year of their punishment.”
Jeremiah’s Prayer
12 (WR)Righteous are You, Lord, when I plead my case with You;
Nevertheless I would (WS)discuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the (WT)way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who (WU)deal in treachery at ease?
2 You have (WV)planted them, they have also taken root;
They grow, they have also produced fruit.
You are (WW)near [dy]to their lips
But far from their [dz]mind.
3 But You (WX)know me, Lord;
You see me
And (WY)examine my heart’s attitude toward You.
Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter,
And [ea]set them apart for a (WZ)day of slaughter!
4 How long is the (XA)land to mourn,
And the (XB)vegetation of the [eb]countryside to dry up?
Due to the (XC)wickedness of those who live in it,
(XD)Animals and birds have been snatched away,
Because people have said, “He will not see our final (XE)end.”
5 “If you have run with infantrymen and they have tired you out,
How can you compete with horses?
If you fall down in a land of peace,
How will you do in the (XF)thicket by the Jordan?
6 For even your (XG)brothers and the household of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you,
Even they have called aloud after you.
Do not believe them, though they say (XH)nice things to you.”
God’s Answer
7 “I have (XI)forsaken My house,
I have abandoned My inheritance;
I have handed the (XJ)beloved of My soul
Over to her enemies.
8 My inheritance has become to Me
Like a lion in the forest;
She has [ec](XK)roared against Me;
Therefore I have come to (XL)hate her.
9 Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?
Are the (XM)birds of prey against her on every side?
Go, gather all the (XN)animals of the field,
Bring them to devour!
10 Many (XO)shepherds have ruined My (XP)vineyard,
They have (XQ)trampled down My field;
They have made My (XR)pleasant field
A desolate wilderness.
11 [ed]It has been made a desolation;
Desolate, it (XS)mourns [ee]before Me;
The (XT)whole land has been made desolate,
Because no one (XU)takes it to heart.
12 On all the [ef](XV)bare heights in the wilderness
Destroyers have come,
For the (XW)sword of the Lord is devouring
From one end of the land even to the [eg]other;
There is (XX)no peace for [eh]anyone.
13 They have (XY)sown wheat but have harvested thorns,
They have (XZ)strained themselves [ei]to no profit.
So be ashamed of your (YA)produce
Because of the (YB)fierce anger of the Lord.”
14 This is what the Lord says concerning all My (YC)wicked neighbors who (YD)do harm to the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel: “Behold, I am going to drive them out of their land, and I will (YE)drive the house of Judah out from among them. 15 And it will come about that after I have driven them out, I will (YF)again have compassion on them; and I will (YG)bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. 16 Then, if they will really (YH)learn the ways of My people, to (YI)swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ just as they taught My people to (YJ)swear by Baal, they will be (YK)built up in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not listen, then I will (YL)drive out that nation, drive it out and destroy it,” declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 1:6 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 1:11 Heb shaqed, see note v 12
- Jeremiah 1:12 Heb shoqed, a wordplay on almond in v 11 (see note v 11)
- Jeremiah 1:14 Lit opened
- Jeremiah 1:16 Lit speak
- Jeremiah 1:16 Or burned incense
- Jeremiah 2:2 Or faithfulness
- Jeremiah 2:6 Or the shadow of death
- Jeremiah 2:8 Lit shepherds
- Jeremiah 2:10 I.e., Cyprus and other islands
- Jeremiah 2:15 Lit given their voice
- Jeremiah 2:16 Lit sons
- Jeremiah 2:16 Lit grazed
- Jeremiah 2:18 Heb Shihor
- Jeremiah 2:19 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 2:20 Or you
- Jeremiah 2:22 Lit acquire much soap for yourself
- Jeremiah 2:22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 2:25 Or desperate
- Jeremiah 2:27 Or evil
- Jeremiah 2:28 Or evil
- Jeremiah 3:1 Lit saying
- Jeremiah 3:1 Lit companions
- Jeremiah 3:3 I.e., calloused appearance
- Jeremiah 3:5 Lit been able
- Jeremiah 3:7 Lit said
- Jeremiah 3:8 I.e., idolatry
- Jeremiah 3:9 I.e., idolatry
- Jeremiah 3:12 Lit make My face fall
- Jeremiah 3:13 Lit know
- Jeremiah 3:13 Lit ways
- Jeremiah 3:15 I.e., with hearts like Mine
- Jeremiah 3:19 Lit the
- Jeremiah 3:23 I.e., from idolatrous rituals
- Jeremiah 4:3 Lit Plow for yourselves plowed ground
- Jeremiah 4:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 4:10 Or life
- Jeremiah 4:12 Lit full from
- Jeremiah 4:12 Lit these
- Jeremiah 4:12 Lit for Me
- Jeremiah 4:16 As indicated in LXX; MT watchmen
- Jeremiah 4:18 Lit done
- Jeremiah 4:19 Lit inward parts
- Jeremiah 4:19 Lit inward parts
- Jeremiah 4:19 Lit The walls of my heart
- Jeremiah 4:19 Another reading is I have heard
- Jeremiah 4:23 Or waste
- Jeremiah 4:26 Or Carmel
- Jeremiah 4:28 Or been sorry
- Jeremiah 4:30 Lit paramours
- Jeremiah 4:31 Lit palms
- Jeremiah 4:31 Lit my soul faints
- 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 8:2 Lit host
- Jeremiah 8:4 Lit turn back
- Jeremiah 8:7 Lit coming
- Jeremiah 8:18 As in LXX and ancient versions
- Jeremiah 8:19 Lit futilities
- Jeremiah 8:22 Or healing
- Jeremiah 8:22 Lit gone up
- Jeremiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Heb
- Jeremiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Heb
- Jeremiah 9:4 I.e., like Jacob (a play on words)
- Jeremiah 9:14 Lit which
- Jeremiah 9:17 I.e., professional mourners
- Jeremiah 9:24 Or faithfulness
- Jeremiah 10:11 This verse is in Aram
- Jeremiah 10:16 Lit Fashioner
- Jeremiah 10:18 Lit find
- Jeremiah 10:19 Lit breaking
- Jeremiah 10:24 Lit diminish me
- Jeremiah 10:25 Or pasture
- Jeremiah 11:4 Lit do them
- Jeremiah 11:10 Lit former fathers
- Jeremiah 11:12 Or offer sacrifices
- Jeremiah 11:13 Lit the number of
- Jeremiah 11:13 Lit the number of
- Jeremiah 11:13 Or offering sacrifices to
- Jeremiah 11:15 Lit Then
- Jeremiah 11:16 I.e., confused noise
- Jeremiah 11:17 Or done for themselves
- Jeremiah 11:17 Or burning incense
- Jeremiah 11:19 Lit bread
- Jeremiah 11:20 Lit kidneys
- Jeremiah 11:20 Lit rolled
- Jeremiah 12:2 Lit in their mouth
- Jeremiah 12:2 Lit kidneys
- Jeremiah 12:3 Lit sanctify them
- Jeremiah 12:4 Lit whole field
- Jeremiah 12:8 Lit raised her voice
- Jeremiah 12:11 Lit One has made it
- Jeremiah 12:11 Or upon
- Jeremiah 12:12 Or caravan trails
- Jeremiah 12:12 Lit other end of the land
- Jeremiah 12:12 Lit all flesh
- Jeremiah 12:13 Lit they do not profit
Jeremiah 1-9
New International Version
Jeremiah 1-9
New International Version
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth(A) in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the Lord came(B) to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah(C) son of Amon king of Judah, 3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim(D) son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah(E) son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.(F)
The Call of Jeremiah
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb(G) I knew[a](H) you,
before you were born(I) I set you apart;(J)
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.(K)”
6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak;(L) I am too young.”(M)
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid(N) of them, for I am with you(O) and will rescue(P) you,” declares the Lord.(Q)
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched(R) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.(S) 10 See, today I appoint you over nations(T) and kingdoms to uproot(U) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”(V)
11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”(W)
“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching[b](X) to see that my word is fulfilled.”
13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”(Y)
“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”
14 The Lord said to me, “From the north(Z) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.
“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah.(AA)
16 I will pronounce my judgments(AB) on my people
because of their wickedness(AC) in forsaking me,(AD)
in burning incense to other gods(AE)
and in worshiping(AF) what their hands have made.(AG)
17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say(AH) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified(AI) by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you(AJ) a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome(AK) you, for I am with you(AL) and will rescue(AM) you,” declares the Lord.
Israel Forsakes God
2 The word(AN) of the Lord came to me: 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
“This is what the Lord says:
“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,(AO)
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,(AP)
through a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy(AQ) to the Lord,(AR)
the firstfruits(AS) of his harvest;
all who devoured(AT) her were held guilty,(AU)
and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the Lord.
4 Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
all you clans of Israel.
5 This is what the Lord says:
“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols(AV)
and became worthless(AW) themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
who brought us up out of Egypt(AX)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts(AY) and ravines,(AZ)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no one travels(BA) and no one lives?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.(BB)
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.(BC)
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;(BD)
the leaders(BE) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,(BF)
following worthless idols.(BG)
9 “Therefore I bring charges(BH) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus(BI) and look,
send to Kedar[c](BJ) and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods(BK) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious(BL) God
for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken(BM) me,
the spring of living water,(BN)
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14 Is Israel a servant, a slave(BO) by birth?
Why then has he become plunder?
15 Lions(BP) have roared;
they have growled at him.
They have laid waste(BQ) his land;
his towns are burned(BR) and deserted.(BS)
16 Also, the men of Memphis(BT) and Tahpanhes(BU)
have cracked your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourselves(BV)
by forsaking(BW) the Lord your God
when he led you in the way?
18 Now why go to Egypt(BX)
to drink water from the Nile[d]?(BY)
And why go to Assyria(BZ)
to drink water from the Euphrates?(CA)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding(CB) will rebuke(CC) you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter(CD) it is for you
when you forsake(CE) the Lord your God
and have no awe(CF) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke(CG)
and tore off your bonds;(CH)
you said, ‘I will not serve you!’(CI)
Indeed, on every high hill(CJ)
and under every spreading tree(CK)
you lay down as a prostitute.(CL)
21 I had planted(CM) you like a choice vine(CN)
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt,(CO) wild vine?
22 Although you wash(CP) yourself with soap(CQ)
and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.(CR)
23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;(CS)
I have not run after the Baals’?(CT)
See how you behaved in the valley;(CU)
consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
running(CV) here and there,
24 a wild donkey(CW) accustomed to the desert,(CX)
sniffing the wind in her craving—
in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
at mating time they will find her.
25 Do not run until your feet are bare
and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!(CY)
I love foreign gods,(CZ)
and I must go after them.’(DA)
26 “As a thief is disgraced(DB) when he is caught,
so the people of Israel are disgraced—
they, their kings and their officials,
their priests(DC) and their prophets.(DD)
27 They say to wood,(DE) ‘You are my father,’
and to stone,(DF) ‘You gave me birth.’
They have turned their backs(DG) to me
and not their faces;(DH)
yet when they are in trouble,(DI) they say,
‘Come and save(DJ) us!’
28 Where then are the gods(DK) you made for yourselves?
Let them come if they can save you
when you are in trouble!(DL)
For you, Judah, have as many gods
as you have towns.(DM)
29 “Why do you bring charges against me?
You have all(DN) rebelled against me,”
declares the Lord.
30 “In vain I punished your people;
they did not respond to correction.(DO)
Your sword has devoured your prophets(DP)
like a ravenous lion.
31 “You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord:
“Have I been a desert to Israel
or a land of great darkness?(DQ)
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
we will come to you no more’?(DR)
32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten(DS) me,
days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing(DT) love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
34 On your clothes is found
the lifeblood(DU) of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.(DV)
Yet in spite of all this
35 you say, ‘I am innocent;(DW)
he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment(DX) on you
because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’(DY)
36 Why do you go about so much,
changing(DZ) your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt(EA)
as you were by Assyria.
37 You will also leave that place
with your hands on your head,(EB)
for the Lord has rejected those you trust;
you will not be helped(EC) by them.
3 “If a man divorces(ED) his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
Would not the land be completely defiled?(EE)
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers(EF)—
would you now return to me?”(EG)
declares the Lord.
2 “Look up to the barren heights(EH) and see.
Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside(EI) you sat waiting for lovers,
sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land(EJ)
with your prostitution(EK) and wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld,(EL)
and no spring rains(EM) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen(EN) look of a prostitute;
you refuse to blush with shame.(EO)
4 Have you not just called to me:
‘My Father,(EP) my friend from my youth,(EQ)
5 will you always be angry?(ER)
Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
but you do all the evil you can.”
Unfaithful Israel
6 During the reign of King Josiah,(ES) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless(ET) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree(EU) and has committed adultery(EV) there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister(EW) Judah saw it.(EX) 8 I gave faithless Israel(EY) her certificate of divorce(EZ) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;(FA) she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land(FB) and committed adultery(FC) with stone(FD) and wood.(FE) 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return(FF) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,(FG)” declares the Lord.(FH)
11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous(FI) than unfaithful(FJ) Judah.(FK) 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:(FL)
“‘Return,(FM) faithless(FN) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’(FO) declares the Lord,
‘I will not be angry(FP) forever.
13 Only acknowledge(FQ) your guilt—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods(FR)
under every spreading tree,(FS)
and have not obeyed(FT) me,’”
declares the Lord.
14 “Return,(FU) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.(FV) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds(FW) after my own heart,(FX) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark(FY) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;(FZ) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne(GA) of the Lord, and all nations(GB) will gather in Jerusalem to honor(GC) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(GD) 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,(GE) and together(GF) they will come from a northern(GG) land to the land(GH) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.
19 “I myself said,
“‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
and give you a pleasant land,(GI)
the most beautiful inheritance(GJ) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’(GK)
and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you, Israel, have been unfaithful(GL) to me,”
declares the Lord.
21 A cry is heard on the barren heights,(GM)
the weeping(GN) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten(GO) the Lord their God.
“Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
23 Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills(GS)
and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
is the salvation(GT) of Israel.
24 From our youth shameful(GU) gods have consumed
the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
their sons and daughters.
25 Let us lie down in our shame,(GV)
and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned(GW) against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors;(GX)
from our youth(GY) till this day
we have not obeyed(GZ) the Lord our God.”
4 “If you, Israel, will return,(HA)
then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(HB) out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear,(HC) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(HD)
then the nations will invoke blessings(HE) by him
and in him they will boast.(HF)”
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground(HG)
and do not sow among thorns.(HH)
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
circumcise your hearts,(HI)
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(HJ) will flare up and burn like fire(HK)
because of the evil(HL) you have done—
burn with no one to quench(HM) it.
Disaster From the North
5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim(HN) in Jerusalem and say:
‘Sound the trumpet(HO) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
‘Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(HP)
6 Raise the signal(HQ) to go to Zion!
Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(HR) from the north,(HS)
even terrible destruction.”
7 A lion(HT) has come out of his lair;(HU)
a destroyer(HV) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to lay waste(HW) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(HX)
without inhabitant.
8 So put on sackcloth,(HY)
lament(HZ) and wail,
for the fierce anger(IA) of the Lord
has not turned away from us.
9 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“the king and the officials will lose heart,(IB)
the priests will be horrified,
and the prophets will be appalled.”(IC)
10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(ID) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(IE) when the sword is at our throats!”
11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(IF) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(IG) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(IH) against them.”
13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(II)
his chariots(IJ) come like a whirlwind,(IK)
his horses(IL) are swifter than eagles.(IM)
Woe to us! We are ruined!(IN)
14 Jerusalem, wash(IO) the evil from your heart and be saved.(IP)
How long(IQ) will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(IR)
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(IS)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(IT)
raising a war cry(IU) against the cities of Judah.(IV)
17 They surround(IW) her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled(IX) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(IY)
have brought this on you.(IZ)
This is your punishment.
How bitter(JA) it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(JB)
I writhe in pain.(JC)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds(JD) within me,
I cannot keep silent.(JE)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(JF)
I have heard the battle cry.(JG)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(JH)
the whole land lies in ruins.(JI)
In an instant my tents(JJ) are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle standard(JK)
and hear the sound of the trumpet?(JL)
22 “My people are fools;(JM)
they do not know me.(JN)
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.(JO)
They are skilled in doing evil;(JP)
they know not how to do good.”(JQ)
23 I looked at the earth,
and it was formless and empty;(JR)
and at the heavens,
and their light(JS) was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking;(JT)
all the hills were swaying.
25 I looked, and there were no people;
every bird in the sky had flown away.(JU)
26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;(JV)
all its towns lay in ruins(JW)
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.(JX)
27 This is what the Lord says:
“The whole land will be ruined,(JY)
though I will not destroy(JZ) it completely.
28 Therefore the earth will mourn(KA)
and the heavens above grow dark,(KB)
because I have spoken and will not relent,(KC)
I have decided and will not turn back.(KD)”
29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(KE)
every town takes to flight.(KF)
Some go into the thickets;
some climb up among the rocks.(KG)
All the towns are deserted;(KH)
no one lives in them.
30 What are you doing,(KI) you devastated one?
Why dress yourself in scarlet
and put on jewels(KJ) of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?(KK)
You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers(KL) despise you;
they want to kill you.(KM)
31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,(KN)
a groan as of one bearing her first child—
the cry of Daughter Zion(KO) gasping for breath,(KP)
stretching out her hands(KQ) and saying,
“Alas! I am fainting;
my life is given over to murderers.”(KR)
Not One Is Upright
5 “Go up and down(KS) the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,(KT)
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(KU)
who deals honestly(KV) and seeks the truth,
I will forgive(KW) this city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(KX)
still they are swearing falsely.(KY)”
3 Lord, do not your eyes(KZ) look for truth?
You struck(LA) them, but they felt no pain;
you crushed them, but they refused correction.(LB)
They made their faces harder than stone(LC)
and refused to repent.(LD)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
they are foolish,(LE)
for they do not know(LF) the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
5 So I will go to the leaders(LG)
and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds.(LH)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest(LI) will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage(LJ) them,
a leopard(LK) will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.(LL)
7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me
and sworn(LM) by gods that are not gods.(LN)
I supplied all their needs,
yet they committed adultery(LO)
and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(LP)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.(LQ)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”(LR)
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(LS) myself
on such a nation as this?
10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
but do not destroy them completely.(LT)
Strip off her branches,
for these people do not belong to the Lord.
11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah
have been utterly unfaithful(LU) to me,”
declares the Lord.
12 They have lied(LV) about the Lord;
they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;(LW)
we will never see sword or famine.(LX)
13 The prophets(LY) are but wind(LZ)
and the word is not in them;
so let what they say be done to them.”
14 Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:
“Because the people have spoken these words,
I will make my words in your mouth(MA) a fire(MB)
and these people the wood it consumes.(MC)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
“I am bringing a distant nation(MD) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
a people whose language(ME) you do not know,
whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers(MF) are like an open grave;
all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour(MG) your harvests and food,
devour(MH) your sons and daughters;
they will devour(MI) your flocks and herds,
devour your vines and fig trees.(MJ)
With the sword(MK) they will destroy
the fortified cities(ML) in which you trust.(MM)
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy(MN) you completely. 19 And when the people ask,(MO) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods(MP) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners(MQ) in a land not your own.’
20 “Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
and proclaim(MR) it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(MS)
who have eyes(MT) but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:(MU)
22 Should you not fear(MV) me?” declares the Lord.
“Should you not tremble(MW) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(MX)
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar,(MY) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(MZ) hearts;
they have turned aside(NA) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear(NB) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(NC) in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(ND)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.(NE)
26 “Among my people are the wicked(NF)
who lie in wait(NG) like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps(NH) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;(NI)
they have become rich(NJ) and powerful
28 and have grown fat(NK) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(NL)
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(NM)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(NN) myself
on such a nation as this?
30 “A horrible(NO) and shocking thing
has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies,(NP)
the priests(NQ) rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?(NR)
Jerusalem Under Siege
6 “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet(NS) in Tekoa!(NT)
Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!(NU)
For disaster looms out of the north,(NV)
even terrible destruction.
2 I will destroy Daughter Zion,(NW)
so beautiful and delicate.(NX)
3 Shepherds(NY) with their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents around(NZ) her,
each tending his own portion.”
4 “Prepare for battle against her!
Arise, let us attack at noon!(OA)
But, alas, the daylight is fading,
and the shadows of evening grow long.
5 So arise, let us attack at night
and destroy her fortresses!”
6 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Cut down the trees(OB)
and build siege ramps(OC) against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
it is filled with oppression.(OD)
7 As a well pours out its water,
so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence(OE) and destruction(OF) resound in her;
her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Take warning, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away(OG) from you
and make your land desolate
so no one can live in it.”
9 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Let them glean the remnant(OH) of Israel
as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
like one gathering grapes.”
10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen(OI) to me?
Their ears are closed[e](OJ)
so they cannot hear.(OK)
The word(OL) of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath(OM) of the Lord,
and I cannot hold it in.(ON)
“Pour it out on the children in the street
and on the young men(OO) gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
and the old, those weighed down with years.(OP)
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,(OQ)
together with their fields and their wives,(OR)
when I stretch out my hand(OS)
against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord.
13 “From the least to the greatest,
all(OT) are greedy for gain;(OU)
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.(OV)
14 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
when there is no peace.(OW)
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.(OX)
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish(OY) them,”
says the Lord.
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,(OZ)
ask where the good way(PA) is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest(PB) for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen(PC) over you and said,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’(PD)
But you said, ‘We will not listen.’(PE)
18 Therefore hear, you nations;
you who are witnesses,
observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth:(PF)
I am bringing disaster(PG) on this people,
the fruit of their schemes,(PH)
because they have not listened to my words(PI)
and have rejected my law.(PJ)
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba(PK)
or sweet calamus(PL) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;(PM)
your sacrifices(PN) do not please me.”(PO)
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“I will put obstacles before this people.
Parents and children alike will stumble(PP) over them;
neighbors and friends will perish.”
22 This is what the Lord says:
“Look, an army is coming
from the land of the north;(PQ)
a great nation is being stirred up
from the ends of the earth.(PR)
23 They are armed with bow and spear;
they are cruel and show no mercy.(PS)
They sound like the roaring sea(PT)
as they ride on their horses;(PU)
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, Daughter Zion.(PV)”
24 We have heard reports about them,
and our hands hang limp.(PW)
Anguish(PX) has gripped us,
pain like that of a woman in labor.(PY)
25 Do not go out to the fields
or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
and there is terror on every side.(PZ)
26 Put on sackcloth,(QA) my people,
and roll in ashes;(QB)
mourn with bitter wailing(QC)
as for an only son,(QD)
for suddenly the destroyer(QE)
will come upon us.
27 “I have made you a tester(QF) of metals
and my people the ore,
that you may observe
and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels,(QG)
going about to slander.(QH)
They are bronze and iron;(QI)
they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely
to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining(QJ) goes on in vain;
the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver,(QK)
because the Lord has rejected them.”(QL)
False Religion Worthless
7 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Stand(QM) at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message:
“‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. 3 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways(QN) and your actions, and I will let you live(QO) in this place. 4 Do not trust(QP) in deceptive(QQ) words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” 5 If you really change(QR) your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,(QS) 6 if you do not oppress(QT) the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood(QU) in this place, and if you do not follow other gods(QV) to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land(QW) I gave your ancestors(QX) for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting(QY) in deceptive(QZ) words that are worthless.
9 “‘Will you steal(RA) and murder,(RB) commit adultery(RC) and perjury,[f](RD) burn incense to Baal(RE) and follow other gods(RF) you have not known, 10 and then come and stand(RG) before me in this house,(RH) which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?(RI) 11 Has this house,(RJ) which bears my Name, become a den of robbers(RK) to you? But I have been watching!(RL) declares the Lord.
12 “‘Go now to the place in Shiloh(RM) where I first made a dwelling(RN) for my Name,(RO) and see what I did(RP) to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke(RQ) to you again and again,(RR) but you did not listen;(RS) I called(RT) you, but you did not answer.(RU) 14 Therefore, what I did to Shiloh(RV) I will now do to the house that bears my Name,(RW) the temple(RX) you trust in, the place I gave to you and your ancestors. 15 I will thrust you from my presence,(RY) just as I did all your fellow Israelites, the people of Ephraim.’(RZ)
16 “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea(SA) or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen(SB) to you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven.(SC) They pour out drink offerings(SD) to other gods to arouse(SE) my anger. 19 But am I the one they are provoking?(SF) declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?(SG)
20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign(SH) Lord says: My anger(SI) and my wrath will be poured(SJ) out on this place—on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land—and it will burn and not be quenched.(SK)
21 “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices(SL) and eat(SM) the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands(SN) about burnt offerings and sacrifices,(SO) 23 but I gave them this command:(SP) Obey(SQ) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.(SR) Walk in obedience to all(SS) I command you, that it may go well(ST) with you. 24 But they did not listen(SU) or pay attention;(SV) instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.(SW) They went backward(SX) and not forward. 25 From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again(SY) I sent you my servants(SZ) the prophets.(TA) 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention.(TB) They were stiff-necked(TC) and did more evil than their ancestors.’(TD)
27 “When you tell(TE) them all this, they will not listen(TF) to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.(TG) 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction.(TH) Truth(TI) has perished; it has vanished from their lips.
29 “‘Cut off(TJ) your hair and throw it away; take up a lament(TK) on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned(TL) this generation that is under his wrath.
The Valley of Slaughter
30 “‘The people of Judah have done evil(TM) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols(TN) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled(TO) it. 31 They have built the high places of Topheth(TP) in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(TQ) to burn their sons and daughters(TR) in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.(TS) 32 So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter,(TT) for they will bury(TU) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. 33 Then the carcasses(TV) of this people will become food(TW) for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.(TX) 34 I will bring an end to the sounds(TY) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom(TZ) in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,(UA) for the land will become desolate.(UB)
8 “‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones(UC) of the people of Jerusalem will be removed(UD) from their graves. 2 They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served(UE) and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.(UF) They will not be gathered up or buried,(UG) but will be like dung lying on the ground.(UH) 3 Wherever I banish them,(UI) all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life,(UJ) declares the Lord Almighty.’
Sin and Punishment
4 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘When people fall down, do they not get up?(UK)
When someone turns away,(UL) do they not return?
5 Why then have these people turned away?
Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;(UM)
they refuse to return.(UN)
6 I have listened(UO) attentively,
but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent(UP) of their wickedness,
saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course(UQ)
like a horse charging into battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know(UR)
the requirements of the Lord.
8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise,
for we have the law(US) of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?
9 The wise(UT) will be put to shame;
they will be dismayed(UU) and trapped.(UV)
Since they have rejected the word(UW) of the Lord,
what kind of wisdom(UX) do they have?
10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.(UY)
From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;(UZ)
prophets(VA) and priests alike,
all practice deceit.(VB)
11 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
when there is no peace.(VC)
12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame(VD) at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when they are punished,(VE)
says the Lord.(VF)
13 “‘I will take away their harvest,
declares the Lord.
There will be no grapes on the vine.(VG)
There will be no figs(VH) on the tree,
and their leaves will wither.(VI)
What I have given them
will be taken(VJ) from them.[g]’”
14 Why are we sitting here?
Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities(VK)
and perish there!
For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish
and given us poisoned water(VL) to drink,
because we have sinned(VM) against him.
15 We hoped for peace(VN)
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.(VO)
16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses(VP)
is heard from Dan;(VQ)
at the neighing of their stallions
the whole land trembles.(VR)
They have come to devour(VS)
the land and everything in it,
the city and all who live there.
17 “See, I will send venomous snakes(VT) among you,
vipers that cannot be charmed,(VU)
and they will bite you,”
declares the Lord.
18 You who are my Comforter[h] in sorrow,
my heart is faint(VV) within me.
19 Listen to the cry of my people
from a land far away:(VW)
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
Is her King(VX) no longer there?”
20 “The harvest is past,
the summer has ended,
and we are not saved.”
21 Since my people are crushed,(WB) I am crushed;
I mourn,(WC) and horror grips me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead?(WD)
Is there no physician(WE) there?
Why then is there no healing(WF)
for the wound of my people?
9 [i]1 Oh, that my head were a spring of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears!(WG)
I would weep(WH) day and night
for the slain of my people.(WI)
2 Oh, that I had in the desert(WJ)
a lodging place for travelers,
so that I might leave my people
and go away from them;
for they are all adulterers,(WK)
a crowd of unfaithful(WL) people.
3 “They make ready their tongue
like a bow, to shoot lies;(WM)
it is not by truth
that they triumph[j] in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
they do not acknowledge(WN) me,”
declares the Lord.
4 “Beware of your friends;(WO)
do not trust anyone in your clan.(WP)
For every one of them is a deceiver,[k](WQ)
and every friend a slanderer.(WR)
5 Friend deceives friend,(WS)
and no one speaks the truth.(WT)
They have taught their tongues to lie;(WU)
they weary themselves with sinning.
6 You[l] live in the midst of deception;(WV)
in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”
declares the Lord.
7 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says:
“See, I will refine(WW) and test(WX) them,
for what else can I do
because of the sin of my people?
8 Their tongue(WY) is a deadly arrow;
it speaks deceitfully.
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,(WZ)
but in their hearts they set traps(XA) for them.(XB)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(XC) myself
on such a nation as this?”
10 I will weep and wail for the mountains
and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands.(XD)
They are desolate and untraveled,
and the lowing of cattle is not heard.
The birds(XE) have all fled
and the animals are gone.
11 “I will make Jerusalem a heap(XF) of ruins,
a haunt of jackals;(XG)
and I will lay waste the towns of Judah(XH)
so no one can live there.”(XI)
12 Who is wise(XJ) enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?
13 The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.(XK) 14 Instead, they have followed(XL) the stubbornness of their hearts;(XM) they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” 15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food(XN) and drink poisoned water.(XO) 16 I will scatter them among nations(XP) that neither they nor their ancestors have known,(XQ) and I will pursue them with the sword(XR) until I have made an end of them.”(XS)
17 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Consider now! Call for the wailing women(XT) to come;
send for the most skillful of them.
18 Let them come quickly
and wail over us
till our eyes overflow with tears
and water streams from our eyelids.(XU)
19 The sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
‘How ruined(XV) we are!
How great is our shame!
We must leave our land
because our houses are in ruins.’”
20 Now, you women, hear the word of the Lord;
open your ears to the words of his mouth.(XW)
Teach your daughters how to wail;
teach one another a lament.(XX)
21 Death has climbed in through our windows(XY)
and has entered our fortresses;
it has removed the children from the streets
and the young men(XZ) from the public squares.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose
- Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.
- Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert
- Jeremiah 2:18 Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile
- Jeremiah 6:10 Hebrew uncircumcised
- Jeremiah 7:9 Or and swear by false gods
- Jeremiah 8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Jeremiah 8:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Jeremiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-26 is numbered 9:1-25.
- Jeremiah 9:3 Or lies; / they are not valiant for truth
- Jeremiah 9:4 Or a deceiving Jacob
- Jeremiah 9:6 That is, Jeremiah (the Hebrew is singular)
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.