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Jeremiah 1:5-4:18
English Standard Version
Jeremiah 1:5-4:18
English Standard Version
5 (A)“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born (B)I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet (C)to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, (D)I do not know how to speak, (E)for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and (F)whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 (G)Do not be afraid of them,
(H)for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”
9 (I)Then the Lord put out his hand and (J)touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put (K)my words in your mouth.
10 See, I have set you this day (L)over nations and over kingdoms,
(M)to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (N)“Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond[a] branch.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”
13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see (O)a boiling pot, facing away (P)from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, (Q)“Out of the north disaster[b] shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, (R)I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, (S)and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And (T)I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil (U)in forsaking me. (V)They have made offerings to other gods and (W)worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 But you, (X)dress yourself for work;[c] arise, and (Y)say to them everything that I command you. (Z)Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day (AA)a fortified city, (AB)an iron pillar, and (AC)bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 (AD)They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for (AE)I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”
Israel Forsakes the Lord
2 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord,
“I remember the devotion of (AF)your youth,
your love (AG)as a bride,
(AH)how you followed me in the wilderness,
(AI)in a land not sown.
3 (AJ)Israel was holy to the Lord,
(AK)the firstfruits of his harvest.
(AL)All who ate of it incurred guilt;
disaster came upon them,
declares the Lord.”
4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:
(AM)“What wrong did your fathers find in me
that they went far from me,
(AN)and went after (AO)worthlessness, and became worthless?
6 They did not say, (AP)‘Where is the Lord
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us (AQ)in the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
in a land that none passes through,
where no man dwells?’
7 (AR)And I brought you into a plentiful land
to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, (AS)you defiled my land
and made my heritage an abomination.
8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
(AT)Those who handle the law did not know me;
(AU)the shepherds[d] transgressed against me;
(AV)the prophets prophesied by Baal
and went after (AW)things that do not profit.
9 “Therefore (AX)I still contend with you,
declares the Lord,
and (AY)with your children's children I will contend.
10 For cross to the coasts of (AZ)Cyprus and see,
or send to (BA)Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has been such a thing.
11 (BB)Has a nation changed its gods,
(BC)even though they are no gods?
But my people (BD)have changed their glory
for (BE)that which does not profit.
12 Be appalled, (BF)O heavens, at this;
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,
13 for my people have committed two evils:
(BG)they have forsaken (BH)me,
the fountain of (BI)living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.
14 (BJ)“Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant?
Why then has he become a prey?
15 (BK)The lions have roared against him;
they have roared loudly.
They have made his land a waste;
his cities are in ruins, (BL)without inhabitant.
16 Moreover, the men of (BM)Memphis and (BN)Tahpanhes
(BO)have shaved[e] the crown of your head.
17 (BP)Have you not brought this upon yourself
by forsaking the Lord your God,
when (BQ)he led you in the way?
18 (BR)And now what do you gain by going to Egypt
to drink the waters of (BS)the Nile?
(BT)Or what do you gain by going to Assyria
to drink the waters of (BU)the Euphrates?[f]
19 (BV)Your evil will chastise you,
and (BW)your apostasy will reprove you.
Know and see that it is evil and (BX)bitter
for (BY)you to forsake the Lord your God;
the fear of me is not in you,
declares the Lord God of hosts.
20 “For long ago I (BZ)broke your yoke
and burst your bonds;
but you said, (CA)‘I will not serve.’
Yes, (CB)on every high hill
and under every green tree
you bowed down (CC)like a whore.
21 (CD)Yet I planted you a choice vine,
wholly of pure seed.
(CE)How then have you turned degenerate
and become a wild vine?
22 Though you wash yourself with lye
and use much soap,
(CF)the stain of your guilt is still before me,
declares the Lord God.
23 (CG)How can you say, ‘I am not unclean,
I have not gone after the Baals’?
Look at your way (CH)in the valley;
know what you have done—
a restless young camel running here and there,
24 (CI)a wild donkey used to the wilderness,
in her heat sniffing the wind!
Who can restrain her lust?
None who seek her need weary themselves;
in her month they will find her.
25 Keep (CJ)your feet from going unshod
and (CK)your throat from thirst.
But you said, ‘It is hopeless,
(CL)for I have loved foreigners,
and after them I will go.’
26 “As a thief is shamed when caught,
so the house of Israel shall be shamed:
(CM)they, their kings, their officials,
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 back to me,
and not their face.
But (CN)in the time of their trouble they say,
‘Arise and save us!’
28 But (CO)where are your gods
that you made for yourself?
Let them arise, (CP)if they can save you,
in your time of trouble;
for (CQ)as many as your cities
are your gods, O Judah.
29 “Why do you contend with me?
You have all transgressed against me,
declares the Lord.
30 In vain have I (CR)struck your children;
they took no correction;
(CS)your own sword devoured your prophets
like a ravening lion.
31 And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
or a land of thick darkness?
Why then do my people say, ‘We are free,
we will come no more to you’?
32 (CT)Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
or a bride her attire?
Yet (CU)my people have forgotten me
days without number.
33 “How well you direct your course
to seek love!
So that even to wicked women
you have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
(CV)the lifeblood of the guiltless poor;
you did not find them (CW)breaking in.
Yet in spite of all these things
35 you say, ‘I am innocent;
surely his anger has turned from me.’
(CX)Behold, I will bring you to judgment
for (CY)saying, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 (CZ)How much you go about,
changing your way!
You shall be (DA)put to shame by Egypt
as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37 From it too you will come away
with (DB)your hands on your head,
for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
and you will not prosper by them.
3 (DC)“If[g] a man divorces his wife
and she goes from him
and becomes another man's wife,
will he return to her?
(DD)Would not that land be greatly polluted?
(DE)You have played the whore with many lovers;
and would you return to me?
declares the Lord.
2 Lift up your eyes to (DF)the bare heights, and see!
Where have you not been ravished?
(DG)By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers
like an Arab in the wilderness.
(DH)You have polluted the land
with your vile whoredom.
3 (DI)Therefore the showers have been withheld,
and the spring rain has not come;
yet you have (DJ)the forehead of a whore;
you refuse to be ashamed.
4 Have you not just now (DK)called to me,
‘My father, you are the friend of my youth—
5 (DL)will he be angry forever,
will he be indignant to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken,
but you have done all the evil that you could.”
Faithless Israel Called to Repentance
6 The Lord said to me in the days of (DM)King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, (DN)how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there (DO)played the whore? 7 And I thought, ‘After she has done all this she will return to me,’ but she did not return, and her treacherous (DP)sister Judah saw it. 8 She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, (DQ)I had sent her away with (DR)a decree of divorce. (DS)Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went (DT)and played the whore. 9 Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with (DU)stone and tree. 10 Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me (DV)with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the Lord.”
11 And the Lord said to me, (DW)“Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward (DX)the north, and say,
(DY)“‘Return, faithless Israel,
declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
for (DZ)I am merciful,
declares the Lord;
(EA)I will not be angry forever.
13 (EB)Only acknowledge your guilt,
that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among foreigners under (EC)every green tree,
and that you have not obeyed my voice,
declares the Lord.
14 (ED)Return, O faithless children,
declares the Lord;
(EE)for I am your master;
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
and I will bring you to Zion.
15 “‘And (EF)I will give you shepherds after my own heart, (EG)who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. 17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, (EH)and all nations shall gather to it, (EI)to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 18 (EJ)In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land (EK)of the north to (EL)the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.
19 “‘I said,
How I would set you among my sons,
and give you a pleasant land,
a heritage most beautiful of all nations.
And I thought you would (EM)call me, My Father,
and would not turn from following me.
20 (EN)Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband,
so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel,
declares the Lord.’”
21 A voice on the (EO)bare heights is heard,
(EP)the weeping and pleading of Israel's sons
because they have perverted their way;
they have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 (EQ)“Return, O faithless sons;
(ER)I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
23 Truly (ES)the hills are a delusion,
the orgies[h] on the mountains.
(ET)Truly in the Lord our God
is the salvation of Israel.
24 “But from our youth the shameful thing has devoured all for which our fathers labored, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 (EU)Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For (EV)we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”
4 “If you return, O Israel,
declares the Lord,
(EW)to me you should return.
If you remove your detestable things from my presence,
(EX)and do not waver,
2 (EY)and if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’
in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
then (EZ)nations shall bless themselves in him,
(FA)and in him shall they glory.”
3 For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:
(FB)“Break up your fallow ground,
and (FC)sow not among thorns.
4 (FD)Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;
remove the foreskin of your hearts,
O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem;
(FE)lest my wrath go forth like fire,
and burn with none to quench it,
(FF)because of the evil of your deeds.”
Disaster from the North
5 Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,
(FG)“Blow the trumpet through the land;
cry aloud and say,
(FH)‘Assemble, and let us go
into the fortified cities!’
6 (FI)Raise a standard toward Zion,
flee for safety, stay not,
for I bring disaster from (FJ)the north,
(FK)and great destruction.
7 (FL)A lion has gone up from his thicket,
a destroyer of nations has set out;
he has gone out from his place
to make your land a waste;
your cities will be ruins
(FM)without inhabitant.
8 For this (FN)put on sackcloth,
lament and wail,
for (FO)the fierce anger of the Lord
has not turned back from us.”
9 “In that day, declares the Lord, (FP)courage shall fail both king and officials. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded.” 10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, (FQ)surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,’ whereas the sword has reached their very life.”
11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from (FR)the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, 12 a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who (FS)speak in judgment upon them.”
13 Behold, he comes up like clouds;
(FT)his chariots like the whirlwind;
his horses are (FU)swifter than eagles—
woe to us, (FV)for we are ruined!
14 O Jerusalem, (FW)wash your heart from evil,
that you may be saved.
How long shall your wicked thoughts
lodge within you?
15 For a voice (FX)declares from Dan
and proclaims trouble from (FY)Mount Ephraim.
16 Warn the nations that he is coming;
announce to Jerusalem,
“Besiegers come (FZ)from a distant land;
they shout against the cities of Judah.
17 Like keepers of a field (GA)are they against her all around,
because she has rebelled against me,
declares the Lord.
18 Your ways and your deeds
have brought this upon you.
This is your doom, and (GB)it is bitter;
it has reached your very heart.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 1:11 Almond sounds like the Hebrew for watching (compare verse 12)
- Jeremiah 1:14 The Hebrew word can mean evil, harm, or disaster, depending on the context; so throughout Jeremiah
- Jeremiah 1:17 Hebrew gird up your loins
- Jeremiah 2:8 Or rulers
- Jeremiah 2:16 Hebrew grazed
- Jeremiah 2:18 Hebrew the River
- Jeremiah 3:1 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Saying, “If
- Jeremiah 3:23 Hebrew commotion
Jeremiah 1:5-4:18
New International Version
Jeremiah 1:5-4:18
New International Version
5 “Before I formed you in the womb(A) I knew[a](B) you,
before you were born(C) I set you apart;(D)
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.(E)”
6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak;(F) I am too young.”(G)
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(H) of them, for I am with you(I) and will rescue(J) you,” declares the Lord.(K)
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched(L) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.(M) 10 See, today I appoint you over nations(N) and kingdoms to uproot(O) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”(P)
11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”(Q)
“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](R) to see that my word is fulfilled.”
13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”(S)
“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(T) 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.(U)
16 I will pronounce my judgments(V) on my people
because of their wickedness(W) in forsaking me,(X)
in burning incense to other gods(Y)
and in worshiping(Z) what their hands have made.(AA)
17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say(AB) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified(AC) by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you(AD) 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(AE) you, for I am with you(AF) and will rescue(AG) you,” declares the Lord.
Israel Forsakes God
2 The word(AH) 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,(AI)
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,(AJ)
through a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy(AK) to the Lord,(AL)
the firstfruits(AM) of his harvest;
all who devoured(AN) her were held guilty,(AO)
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(AP)
and became worthless(AQ) themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
who brought us up out of Egypt(AR)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts(AS) and ravines,(AT)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no one travels(AU) and no one lives?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.(AV)
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.(AW)
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;(AX)
the leaders(AY) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,(AZ)
following worthless idols.(BA)
9 “Therefore I bring charges(BB) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus(BC) and look,
send to Kedar[c](BD) 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(BE) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious(BF) 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(BG) me,
the spring of living water,(BH)
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14 Is Israel a servant, a slave(BI) by birth?
Why then has he become plunder?
15 Lions(BJ) have roared;
they have growled at him.
They have laid waste(BK) his land;
his towns are burned(BL) and deserted.(BM)
16 Also, the men of Memphis(BN) and Tahpanhes(BO)
have cracked your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourselves(BP)
by forsaking(BQ) the Lord your God
when he led you in the way?
18 Now why go to Egypt(BR)
to drink water from the Nile[d]?(BS)
And why go to Assyria(BT)
to drink water from the Euphrates?(BU)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding(BV) will rebuke(BW) you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter(BX) it is for you
when you forsake(BY) the Lord your God
and have no awe(BZ) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke(CA)
and tore off your bonds;(CB)
you said, ‘I will not serve you!’(CC)
Indeed, on every high hill(CD)
and under every spreading tree(CE)
you lay down as a prostitute.(CF)
21 I had planted(CG) you like a choice vine(CH)
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt,(CI) wild vine?
22 Although you wash(CJ) yourself with soap(CK)
and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.(CL)
23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;(CM)
I have not run after the Baals’?(CN)
See how you behaved in the valley;(CO)
consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
running(CP) here and there,
24 a wild donkey(CQ) accustomed to the desert,(CR)
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!(CS)
I love foreign gods,(CT)
and I must go after them.’(CU)
26 “As a thief is disgraced(CV) when he is caught,
so the people of Israel are disgraced—
they, their kings and their officials,
their priests(CW) and their prophets.(CX)
27 They say to wood,(CY) ‘You are my father,’
and to stone,(CZ) ‘You gave me birth.’
They have turned their backs(DA) to me
and not their faces;(DB)
yet when they are in trouble,(DC) they say,
‘Come and save(DD) us!’
28 Where then are the gods(DE) you made for yourselves?
Let them come if they can save you
when you are in trouble!(DF)
For you, Judah, have as many gods
as you have towns.(DG)
29 “Why do you bring charges against me?
You have all(DH) rebelled against me,”
declares the Lord.
30 “In vain I punished your people;
they did not respond to correction.(DI)
Your sword has devoured your prophets(DJ)
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?(DK)
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
we will come to you no more’?(DL)
32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten(DM) me,
days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing(DN) love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
34 On your clothes is found
the lifeblood(DO) of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.(DP)
Yet in spite of all this
35 you say, ‘I am innocent;(DQ)
he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment(DR) on you
because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’(DS)
36 Why do you go about so much,
changing(DT) your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt(DU)
as you were by Assyria.
37 You will also leave that place
with your hands on your head,(DV)
for the Lord has rejected those you trust;
you will not be helped(DW) by them.
3 “If a man divorces(DX) his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
Would not the land be completely defiled?(DY)
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers(DZ)—
would you now return to me?”(EA)
declares the Lord.
2 “Look up to the barren heights(EB) and see.
Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside(EC) you sat waiting for lovers,
sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land(ED)
with your prostitution(EE) and wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld,(EF)
and no spring rains(EG) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen(EH) look of a prostitute;
you refuse to blush with shame.(EI)
4 Have you not just called to me:
‘My Father,(EJ) my friend from my youth,(EK)
5 will you always be angry?(EL)
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,(EM) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless(EN) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree(EO) and has committed adultery(EP) there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister(EQ) Judah saw it.(ER) 8 I gave faithless Israel(ES) her certificate of divorce(ET) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;(EU) she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land(EV) and committed adultery(EW) with stone(EX) and wood.(EY) 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return(EZ) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,(FA)” declares the Lord.(FB)
11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous(FC) than unfaithful(FD) Judah.(FE) 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:(FF)
“‘Return,(FG) faithless(FH) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’(FI) declares the Lord,
‘I will not be angry(FJ) forever.
13 Only acknowledge(FK) your guilt—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods(FL)
under every spreading tree,(FM)
and have not obeyed(FN) me,’”
declares the Lord.
14 “Return,(FO) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.(FP) 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(FQ) after my own heart,(FR) 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(FS) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;(FT) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne(FU) of the Lord, and all nations(FV) will gather in Jerusalem to honor(FW) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(FX) 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,(FY) and together(FZ) they will come from a northern(GA) land to the land(GB) 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,(GC)
the most beautiful inheritance(GD) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’(GE)
and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you, Israel, have been unfaithful(GF) to me,”
declares the Lord.
21 A cry is heard on the barren heights,(GG)
the weeping(GH) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten(GI) 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(GM)
and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
is the salvation(GN) of Israel.
24 From our youth shameful(GO) 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,(GP)
and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned(GQ) against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors;(GR)
from our youth(GS) till this day
we have not obeyed(GT) the Lord our God.”
4 “If you, Israel, will return,(GU)
then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(GV) out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear,(GW) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(GX)
then the nations will invoke blessings(GY) by him
and in him they will boast.(GZ)”
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground(HA)
and do not sow among thorns.(HB)
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
circumcise your hearts,(HC)
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(HD) will flare up and burn like fire(HE)
because of the evil(HF) you have done—
burn with no one to quench(HG) it.
Disaster From the North
5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim(HH) in Jerusalem and say:
‘Sound the trumpet(HI) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
‘Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(HJ)
6 Raise the signal(HK) to go to Zion!
Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(HL) from the north,(HM)
even terrible destruction.”
7 A lion(HN) has come out of his lair;(HO)
a destroyer(HP) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to lay waste(HQ) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(HR)
without inhabitant.
8 So put on sackcloth,(HS)
lament(HT) and wail,
for the fierce anger(HU) of the Lord
has not turned away from us.
9 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“the king and the officials will lose heart,(HV)
the priests will be horrified,
and the prophets will be appalled.”(HW)
10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(HX) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(HY) when the sword is at our throats!”
11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(HZ) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(IA) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(IB) against them.”
13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(IC)
his chariots(ID) come like a whirlwind,(IE)
his horses(IF) are swifter than eagles.(IG)
Woe to us! We are ruined!(IH)
14 Jerusalem, wash(II) the evil from your heart and be saved.(IJ)
How long(IK) will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(IL)
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(IM)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(IN)
raising a war cry(IO) against the cities of Judah.(IP)
17 They surround(IQ) her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled(IR) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(IS)
have brought this on you.(IT)
This is your punishment.
How bitter(IU) it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
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
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.