Jeremiah 11
Lexham English Bible
The Broken Covenant
11 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,[a] 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the people[b] of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 3 and say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: “The man is cursed who does not obey the words of this covenant, 4 which I commanded your ancestors[c] in the day of my bringing them from the land of Egypt, from the furnace of iron, saying,[d] ‘Listen to my voice and do according to all that I command you, so will you be my people, and I will be your God.’[e] 5 in order to keep the oath that I swore to your ancestors,[f] to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I answered and said, “Let it be so,[g] O Yahweh.”
6 And Yahweh said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying,[h] ‘Hear the words of this covenant and do them, 7 for I solemnly admonished your ancestors[i] in the day of my leading them out from the land of Egypt and up to this day, admonishing persistently,[j] saying,[k] “Obey my voice.” 8 But they did not obey and they did not incline their ear. Instead each one walked in the stubbornness of his[l] evil heart. Therefore, I brought on them all the words of this covenant which I commanded them[m] to do, and they did not do it.’”[n]
9 And Yahweh said to me, “A conspiracy is found among the people[o] of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their former ancestors,[p] who refused to obey my words, and they have gone after other gods, to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made[q] with their ancestors.”[r]
11 Therefore[s] thus says Yahweh, “I am about to bring on them disaster from which they will not be able to escape. Though they cry out to me, yet I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they are making smoke offerings, but they will certainly not save them in the time of their trouble. 13 For the number of your towns are your gods, O Judah, and the number of the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the shameful things, to make smoke offerings to Baal. 14 Therefore you must not pray for this people, and you must not lift up for them a cry of entreaty, or a prayer, for I will not listen in the time of their calling to me, in the time of their trouble.
15 What rights has my beloved in my house[t]
when she has done many wicked things?[u]
Can the flesh of holiness pass over you?
For you engage in your wickedness,[v] then you exult.
16 Yahweh called your name, ‘A leafy olive tree, beautiful with fine fruit.’[w]
With the sound of a great storm he will set fire to it,
and its branches will be good for nothing.
17 And Yahweh of hosts, the one who planted you,
has spoken evil against you,
because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah,
that they have done to themselves,
to provoke me to anger by making smoke offerings to Baal.”
A Warning for the People of Anathoth
18 Moreover, Yahweh let it be made known to me, and I knew.
Then you showed me their deeds.
19 And I was like a gentle ram-lamb that is brought to slaughter,
and I did not know that they planned plans against me, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
and let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will no longer be remembered.”
20 But O Yahweh of hosts, who judges in righteousness,
who tests the inmost being,[x] and the mind,[y]
let me see your retribution upon them,
for to you I have revealed my legal case.
21 Therefore[z] thus says Yahweh concerning the people[aa] of Anathoth who seek your life, saying,[ab] “You shall not prophesy in the name of Yahweh or[ac] you will die by our hand.” 22 Therefore[ad] thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Look, I am about to punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by the famine. 23 And a remnant will not be left for them, for I will bring disaster to the people[ae] of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 11:1 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 11:2 Literally “man”
- Jeremiah 11:4 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 11:4 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 11:4 Literally “and you shall be to me as people and I will be to you as God”
- Jeremiah 11:5 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 11:5 Literally “Amen”
- Jeremiah 11:6 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 11:7 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 11:7 Literally “do early and admonishing”
- Jeremiah 11:7 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 11:8 Hebrew “their”
- Jeremiah 11:8 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Jeremiah 11:8 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Jeremiah 11:9 Literally “man”
- Jeremiah 11:10 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 11:10 Literally “cut”
- Jeremiah 11:10 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 11:11 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 11:15 Literally “What for my beloved in my house”
- Jeremiah 11:15 Hebrew “wicked thing”
- Jeremiah 11:15 Literally “your wickedness”
- Jeremiah 11:16 Literally “beautiful of fruit of appearance”
- Jeremiah 11:20 Literally “kidney”
- Jeremiah 11:20 Literally “heart”
- Jeremiah 11:21 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 11:21 Or “men”
- Jeremiah 11:21 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 11:21 Literally “and not”
- Jeremiah 11:22 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 11:23 Or “men”
Jeremiah 11
Common English Bible
Judah’s broken covenant with God
11 Jeremiah received the Lord’s word: 2 Listen to the terms of this covenant and proclaim them to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem. 3 Say to them: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Cursed are those who don’t heed the terms of this covenant 4 that I commanded your ancestors when I bought them out of the land of Egypt, that iron crucible, saying, Obey me and observe all that I instruct you. Then you will be my people and I, even I, will be your God. 5 I will fulfill my solemn pledge that I made to your ancestors to give them a land full of milk and honey, as is the case today.
And I replied, “As you say, Lord!”
6 The Lord said to me: Announce all these words in the towns of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem: Obey the terms of this covenant and perform them. 7 I repeatedly and tirelessly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt to this very day, saying, Obey me. 8 But they didn’t listen or pay attention; they followed their own willful ambitions. So I brought upon them all the punishments I prescribed for violating this covenant—for refusing to obey.
9 The Lord said to me: A conspiracy is taking place among the people of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors who refused to obey my words. They too are following other gods and serving them. The people of Israel and the people of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their ancestors.
11 Therefore, the Lord proclaims: I will bring upon them a disaster from which they won’t be able to escape. They will cry out to me, but I won’t listen to them. 12 Then the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem will call upon the gods they worship,[a] but they won’t save them when disaster strikes. 13 You have as many gods as you have towns, Judah, and you have as many shameful altars for worshipping Baal as you have streets in Jerusalem.
14 As for you, don’t pray for these people, don’t cry out or plead for them, for I won’t listen when they cry out to me on account of their distress.
15 What are my loved ones doing in my temple
while working out their many evil schemes?
Can sacred offerings cancel your sin
so that you revel in your evil deeds?[b]
16 The Lord named you,
“A blossoming olive tree, fair and fruitful”;
but with the blast of a powerful storm
he will set it ablaze,
until its branches are completely consumed.[c]
17 The Lord of heavenly forces who planted you has announced disaster for you, because the people of Israel and Judah have done evil and made me angry by worshipping Baal.
Jeremiah’s lament
18 The Lord informed me and I knew.
Then he helped me see what they were up to.
19 I was like a young lamb led to the slaughter;
I didn’t realize that they were planning
their schemes against me:
“Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit;
let’s cut him off from the land of the living
so that even any knowledge of him will be wiped out.”
20 Lord of heavenly forces, righteous judge,
who tests the heart and mind,
let me see your revenge upon them,
because I have committed my case to you.
21 This is what the Lord says concerning the men from Anathoth who seek your life and say, “Don’t prophesy in the Lord’s name or else you will die at our hands.” 22 Therefore, the Lord of heavenly forces proclaims, I’m going to punish them. Their young men will die in war, and their sons and daughters will die by famine. 23 No one will be left because I will bring disaster upon the men of Anathoth when their time comes.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 11:12 Or to whom they burn incense
- Jeremiah 11:15 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 11:16 Vulg; MT broken
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