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The Broken Covenant

11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And say you to them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant, which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey My voice, and do according to all which I command you. So you shall be My people, and I will be your God, that I may perform the oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.

Then I answered and said, “So be it, O Lord.”

Then the Lord said to me: Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: saying, Hear the words of this covenant, and do them. For I earnestly warned your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, rising early and warning, saying, Obey My voice. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the imagination of their evil heart. Therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which they did not do.

The Lord said to me: A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear 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 which I made with their fathers. 11 Therefore thus says the Lord, Surely, I will bring calamity upon them which they will not be able to escape. And though they cry to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they offer incense. But they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. 13 For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah. And according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense to Baal.

14 Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them. For I will not hear them in the time that they cry to Me because of their trouble.

15 What right has My beloved in My house,
    seeing that she has done many lewd deeds?
    Can the sacrificial meat take away from you your disaster,
    so that you can rejoice while doing evil?

16 The Lord called your name,
    “A green olive tree, fair in fruit and form.”
With the noise of a great tumult
    He has kindled fire upon it,
    and its branches are broken.

17 For the Lord of Hosts, who planted you, has pronounced disaster against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal.

Jeremiah’s Life Threatened

18 The Lord has made it known to me and I knew it; then You showed me their deeds. 19 But I was like a gentle lamb that is brought to the slaughter, and I did not know that they had devised plots against me, saying,

“Let us destroy the tree with the fruit,
    and let us cut him off from the land of the living
    so that his name may be remembered no more.”
20 But, O Lord of Hosts, who judges righteously,
    who tries the feelings and the heart,
let me see Your vengeance on them,
    for to You I have revealed my cause.

21 Therefore thus says the Lord of the men of Anathoth who seek your life, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord so that you not die by our hand.” 22 Therefore thus says the Lord of Hosts: I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters shall die by famine. 23 And there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring calamity upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their punishment.

11 The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man that heareth not the words of this covenant, which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God; that I may establish the oath which I sware unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day. Then answered I, and said, Amen, O Jehovah.

And Jehovah said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them. For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the stubbornness of their evil heart: therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.

And Jehovah said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; and they are gone after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. 11 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and they shall cry unto me, but I will not hearken unto them. 12 Then shall the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry unto the gods unto which they offer incense: but they will not save them at all in the time of their [a]trouble. 13 For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to the [b]shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.

14 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me because of their [c]trouble. 15 What hath my beloved to do in my house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness [d]with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? [e]when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest. 16 Jehovah called thy name, A green olive-tree, fair with goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken. 17 For Jehovah of hosts, who planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have wrought for themselves in provoking me to anger by offering incense unto Baal.

18 And Jehovah gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it: then thou showedst me their doings. 19 But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the [f]fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered. 20 But, O Jehovah of hosts, who judgest righteously, who triest the [g]heart and the mind, I shall see thy vengeance on them; for unto thee have I revealed my cause. 21 Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Thou shalt not prophesy in the name of Jehovah, that thou die not by our hand; 22 therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I will [h]punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine; 23 and there shall be no remnant unto them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, [i]even the year of their visitation.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 11:12 Hebrew evil.
  2. Jeremiah 11:13 Hebrew shame.
  3. Jeremiah 11:14 Hebrew evil.
  4. Jeremiah 11:15 The text is obscure. The Septuagint has Shall vows and holy flesh take away from thee they wickedness, or shalt thou escape by these?
  5. Jeremiah 11:15 Or, when thine evil cometh
  6. Jeremiah 11:19 Hebrew bread.
  7. Jeremiah 11:20 Hebrew reins.
  8. Jeremiah 11:22 Hebrew visit upon.
  9. Jeremiah 11:23 Or, in the year