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Jeremiah 3-5
English Standard Version
Jeremiah 3-5
English Standard Version
3 (A)“If[a] a man divorces his wife
and she goes from him
and becomes another man's wife,
will he return to her?
(B)Would not that land be greatly polluted?
(C)You have played the whore with many lovers;
and would you return to me?
declares the Lord.
2 Lift up your eyes to (D)the bare heights, and see!
Where have you not been ravished?
(E)By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers
like an Arab in the wilderness.
(F)You have polluted the land
with your vile whoredom.
3 (G)Therefore the showers have been withheld,
and the spring rain has not come;
yet you have (H)the forehead of a whore;
you refuse to be ashamed.
4 Have you not just now (I)called to me,
‘My father, you are the friend of my youth—
5 (J)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 (K)King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, (L)how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there (M)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 (N)sister Judah saw it. 8 She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, (O)I had sent her away with (P)a decree of divorce. (Q)Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went (R)and played the whore. 9 Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with (S)stone and tree. 10 Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me (T)with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the Lord.”
11 And the Lord said to me, (U)“Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward (V)the north, and say,
(W)“‘Return, faithless Israel,
declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
for (X)I am merciful,
declares the Lord;
(Y)I will not be angry forever.
13 (Z)Only acknowledge your guilt,
that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among foreigners under (AA)every green tree,
and that you have not obeyed my voice,
declares the Lord.
14 (AB)Return, O faithless children,
declares the Lord;
(AC)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 (AD)I will give you shepherds after my own heart, (AE)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, (AF)and all nations shall gather to it, (AG)to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 18 (AH)In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land (AI)of the north to (AJ)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 (AK)call me, My Father,
and would not turn from following me.
20 (AL)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 (AM)bare heights is heard,
(AN)the weeping and pleading of Israel's sons
because they have perverted their way;
they have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 (AO)“Return, O faithless sons;
(AP)I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
23 Truly (AQ)the hills are a delusion,
the orgies[b] on the mountains.
(AR)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 (AS)Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For (AT)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,
(AU)to me you should return.
If you remove your detestable things from my presence,
(AV)and do not waver,
2 (AW)and if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’
in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
then (AX)nations shall bless themselves in him,
(AY)and in him shall they glory.”
3 For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:
(AZ)“Break up your fallow ground,
and (BA)sow not among thorns.
4 (BB)Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;
remove the foreskin of your hearts,
O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem;
(BC)lest my wrath go forth like fire,
and burn with none to quench it,
(BD)because of the evil of your deeds.”
Disaster from the North
5 Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,
(BE)“Blow the trumpet through the land;
cry aloud and say,
(BF)‘Assemble, and let us go
into the fortified cities!’
6 (BG)Raise a standard toward Zion,
flee for safety, stay not,
for I bring disaster from (BH)the north,
(BI)and great destruction.
7 (BJ)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
(BK)without inhabitant.
8 For this (BL)put on sackcloth,
lament and wail,
for (BM)the fierce anger of the Lord
has not turned back from us.”
9 “In that day, declares the Lord, (BN)courage shall fail both king and officials. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded.” 10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, (BO)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 (BP)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 (BQ)speak in judgment upon them.”
13 Behold, he comes up like clouds;
(BR)his chariots like the whirlwind;
his horses are (BS)swifter than eagles—
woe to us, (BT)for we are ruined!
14 O Jerusalem, (BU)wash your heart from evil,
that you may be saved.
How long shall your wicked thoughts
lodge within you?
15 For a voice (BV)declares from Dan
and proclaims trouble from (BW)Mount Ephraim.
16 Warn the nations that he is coming;
announce to Jerusalem,
“Besiegers come (BX)from a distant land;
they shout against the cities of Judah.
17 Like keepers of a field (BY)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 (BZ)it is bitter;
it has reached your very heart.”
Anguish over Judah's Desolation
19 (CA)My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Oh the walls of my heart!
My heart is beating wildly;
I cannot keep silent,
for I hear the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war.
20 (CB)Crash follows hard on crash;
the whole land is laid waste.
(CC)Suddenly my tents are laid waste,
my curtains in a moment.
21 How long must I see the standard
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For (CD)my people are foolish;
they know me not;
they are stupid children;
they have no understanding.
(CE)They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!
But how to do good they know not.”
23 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was (CF)without form and void;
(CG)and to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked on (CH)the mountains, and behold, they were quaking,
and all the hills moved to and fro.
25 (CI)I looked, and behold, there was no man,
and all the birds of the air had fled.
26 I looked, and behold, the (CJ)fruitful land was a desert,
and all its cities were laid in ruins
before the Lord, before (CK)his fierce anger.
27 For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; (CL)yet I will not make a full end.
28 (CM)“For this the earth shall mourn,
(CN)and the heavens above be dark;
for I have spoken; I have purposed;
(CO)I have not relented, nor will I turn back.”
29 At the noise of horseman and archer
every city takes to flight;
they enter thickets; they climb among rocks;
all the cities are forsaken,
and (CP)no man dwells in them.
30 And you, O desolate one,
what do you mean that you dress in scarlet,
(CQ)that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold,
(CR)that you enlarge your eyes with paint?
In vain you beautify yourself.
(CS)Your lovers despise you;
they seek your life.
31 For I heard (CT)a cry as of a woman in labor,
anguish as of one giving birth to her first child,
the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath,
(CU)stretching out her hands,
“Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.”
Jerusalem Refused to Repent
5 (CV)Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
look and take note!
Search her squares to see
(CW)if you can find a man,
one who does justice
and seeks truth,
(CX)that I may pardon her.
2 (CY)Though they say, “As the Lord lives,”
(CZ)yet they swear falsely.
3 O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
(DA)You have struck them down,
but they felt no anguish;
you have consumed them,
but they refused to take correction.
(DB)They have made their faces harder than rock;
they have refused to repent.
4 Then I said, “These are only the poor;
they have no sense;
(DC)for they do not know the way of the Lord,
the justice of their God.
5 I will go to the great
and will speak to them,
for they know the way of the Lord,
the justice of their God.”
(DD)But they all alike had broken the yoke;
they had burst the bonds.
6 Therefore (DE)a lion from the forest shall strike them down;
a (DF)wolf from the desert shall devastate them.
(DG)A leopard is watching their cities;
everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,
because their transgressions are many,
their (DH)apostasies are great.
7 (DI)“How can I pardon you?
Your children have forsaken me
(DJ)and have sworn by those who are no gods.
(DK)When I fed them to the full,
(DL)they committed adultery
(DM)and trooped to the houses of whores.
8 They were well-fed, lusty stallions,
(DN)each neighing (DO)for his neighbor's wife.
9 (DP)Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord;
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?
10 (DQ)“Go up through her vine rows and destroy,
(DR)but make not a full end;
strip away her branches,
for they are not the Lord's.
11 (DS)For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
have been utterly treacherous to me,
declares the Lord.
12 They have spoken falsely of the Lord
and have said, ‘He will do nothing;
(DT)no disaster will come upon us,
(DU)nor shall we see sword or famine.
13 The prophets will become wind;
the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them!’”
The Lord Proclaims Judgment
14 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts:
“Because you have spoken this word,
behold, (DV)I am making my words in your mouth (DW)a fire,
and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.
15 (DX)Behold, I am bringing against you
a nation from afar, O house of Israel,
declares the Lord.
It is an enduring nation;
it is an ancient nation,
a nation whose language you do not know,
(DY)nor can you understand what they say.
16 (DZ)Their quiver is like (EA)an open tomb;
they are all mighty warriors.
17 (EB)They shall eat up your harvest and your food;
they shall eat up your sons and your daughters;
they shall eat up your flocks and your herds;
they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees;
your (EC)fortified cities in which you trust
they shall beat down with the sword.”
18 “But even in those days, declares the Lord, (ED)I will not make a full end of you. 19 And when your people say, (EE)‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, (EF)so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’”
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob;
proclaim it in Judah:
21 “Hear this, (EG)O foolish and senseless people,
(EH)who have eyes, but see not,
who have ears, but hear not.
22 (EI)Do you not fear me? declares the Lord.
Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand (EJ)as the boundary for the sea,
a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass;
though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
though (EK)they roar, they cannot pass over it.
23 (EL)But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
they have turned aside and gone away.
24 They do not say in their hearts,
‘Let us fear the Lord our God,
(EM)who gives the rain in its season,
the autumn rain and the spring rain,
and keeps for us
(EN)the weeks appointed for the harvest.’
25 (EO)Your iniquities have turned these away,
and your sins have kept good from you.
26 For wicked men are found among my people;
(EP)they lurk like fowlers lying in wait.[c]
(EQ)They set a trap;
they catch men.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
therefore they have become great and rich;
28 (ER)they have grown fat and sleek.
They know no bounds in deeds of evil;
(ES)they judge not with justice
the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper,
and they do not defend the rights of the needy.
29 (ET)Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord,
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?”
30 An appalling and (EU)horrible thing
has happened in the land:
31 (EV)the prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests rule at their direction;
(EW)my people love to have it so,
but what will you do when the end comes?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 3:1 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Saying, “If
- Jeremiah 3:23 Hebrew commotion
- Jeremiah 5:26 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Jeremiah 3-5
New International Version
Jeremiah 3-5
New International Version
3 “If a man divorces(A) his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
Would not the land be completely defiled?(B)
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers(C)—
would you now return to me?”(D)
declares the Lord.
2 “Look up to the barren heights(E) and see.
Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside(F) you sat waiting for lovers,
sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land(G)
with your prostitution(H) and wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld,(I)
and no spring rains(J) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen(K) look of a prostitute;
you refuse to blush with shame.(L)
4 Have you not just called to me:
‘My Father,(M) my friend from my youth,(N)
5 will you always be angry?(O)
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,(P) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless(Q) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree(R) and has committed adultery(S) there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister(T) Judah saw it.(U) 8 I gave faithless Israel(V) her certificate of divorce(W) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;(X) she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land(Y) and committed adultery(Z) with stone(AA) and wood.(AB) 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return(AC) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,(AD)” declares the Lord.(AE)
11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous(AF) than unfaithful(AG) Judah.(AH) 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:(AI)
“‘Return,(AJ) faithless(AK) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’(AL) declares the Lord,
‘I will not be angry(AM) forever.
13 Only acknowledge(AN) your guilt—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods(AO)
under every spreading tree,(AP)
and have not obeyed(AQ) me,’”
declares the Lord.
14 “Return,(AR) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.(AS) 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(AT) after my own heart,(AU) 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(AV) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;(AW) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne(AX) of the Lord, and all nations(AY) will gather in Jerusalem to honor(AZ) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(BA) 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,(BB) and together(BC) they will come from a northern(BD) land to the land(BE) 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,(BF)
the most beautiful inheritance(BG) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’(BH)
and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you, Israel, have been unfaithful(BI) to me,”
declares the Lord.
21 A cry is heard on the barren heights,(BJ)
the weeping(BK) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten(BL) 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(BP)
and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
is the salvation(BQ) of Israel.
24 From our youth shameful(BR) 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,(BS)
and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned(BT) against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors;(BU)
from our youth(BV) till this day
we have not obeyed(BW) the Lord our God.”
4 “If you, Israel, will return,(BX)
then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(BY) out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear,(BZ) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(CA)
then the nations will invoke blessings(CB) by him
and in him they will boast.(CC)”
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground(CD)
and do not sow among thorns.(CE)
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
circumcise your hearts,(CF)
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(CG) will flare up and burn like fire(CH)
because of the evil(CI) you have done—
burn with no one to quench(CJ) it.
Disaster From the North
5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim(CK) in Jerusalem and say:
‘Sound the trumpet(CL) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
‘Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(CM)
6 Raise the signal(CN) to go to Zion!
Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(CO) from the north,(CP)
even terrible destruction.”
7 A lion(CQ) has come out of his lair;(CR)
a destroyer(CS) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to lay waste(CT) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(CU)
without inhabitant.
8 So put on sackcloth,(CV)
lament(CW) and wail,
for the fierce anger(CX) of the Lord
has not turned away from us.
9 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“the king and the officials will lose heart,(CY)
the priests will be horrified,
and the prophets will be appalled.”(CZ)
10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(DA) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(DB) when the sword is at our throats!”
11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(DC) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(DD) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(DE) against them.”
13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(DF)
his chariots(DG) come like a whirlwind,(DH)
his horses(DI) are swifter than eagles.(DJ)
Woe to us! We are ruined!(DK)
14 Jerusalem, wash(DL) the evil from your heart and be saved.(DM)
How long(DN) will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(DO)
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(DP)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(DQ)
raising a war cry(DR) against the cities of Judah.(DS)
17 They surround(DT) her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled(DU) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(DV)
have brought this on you.(DW)
This is your punishment.
How bitter(DX) it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(DY)
I writhe in pain.(DZ)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds(EA) within me,
I cannot keep silent.(EB)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(EC)
I have heard the battle cry.(ED)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(EE)
the whole land lies in ruins.(EF)
In an instant my tents(EG) are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle standard(EH)
and hear the sound of the trumpet?(EI)
22 “My people are fools;(EJ)
they do not know me.(EK)
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.(EL)
They are skilled in doing evil;(EM)
they know not how to do good.”(EN)
23 I looked at the earth,
and it was formless and empty;(EO)
and at the heavens,
and their light(EP) was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking;(EQ)
all the hills were swaying.
25 I looked, and there were no people;
every bird in the sky had flown away.(ER)
26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;(ES)
all its towns lay in ruins(ET)
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.(EU)
27 This is what the Lord says:
“The whole land will be ruined,(EV)
though I will not destroy(EW) it completely.
28 Therefore the earth will mourn(EX)
and the heavens above grow dark,(EY)
because I have spoken and will not relent,(EZ)
I have decided and will not turn back.(FA)”
29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(FB)
every town takes to flight.(FC)
Some go into the thickets;
some climb up among the rocks.(FD)
All the towns are deserted;(FE)
no one lives in them.
30 What are you doing,(FF) you devastated one?
Why dress yourself in scarlet
and put on jewels(FG) of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?(FH)
You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers(FI) despise you;
they want to kill you.(FJ)
31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,(FK)
a groan as of one bearing her first child—
the cry of Daughter Zion(FL) gasping for breath,(FM)
stretching out her hands(FN) and saying,
“Alas! I am fainting;
my life is given over to murderers.”(FO)
Not One Is Upright
5 “Go up and down(FP) the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,(FQ)
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(FR)
who deals honestly(FS) and seeks the truth,
I will forgive(FT) this city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(FU)
still they are swearing falsely.(FV)”
3 Lord, do not your eyes(FW) look for truth?
You struck(FX) them, but they felt no pain;
you crushed them, but they refused correction.(FY)
They made their faces harder than stone(FZ)
and refused to repent.(GA)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
they are foolish,(GB)
for they do not know(GC) the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
5 So I will go to the leaders(GD)
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.(GE)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest(GF) will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage(GG) them,
a leopard(GH) will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.(GI)
7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me
and sworn(GJ) by gods that are not gods.(GK)
I supplied all their needs,
yet they committed adultery(GL)
and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(GM)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.(GN)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”(GO)
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(GP) myself
on such a nation as this?
10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
but do not destroy them completely.(GQ)
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(GR) to me,”
declares the Lord.
12 They have lied(GS) about the Lord;
they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;(GT)
we will never see sword or famine.(GU)
13 The prophets(GV) are but wind(GW)
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(GX) a fire(GY)
and these people the wood it consumes.(GZ)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
“I am bringing a distant nation(HA) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
a people whose language(HB) you do not know,
whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers(HC) are like an open grave;
all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour(HD) your harvests and food,
devour(HE) your sons and daughters;
they will devour(HF) your flocks and herds,
devour your vines and fig trees.(HG)
With the sword(HH) they will destroy
the fortified cities(HI) in which you trust.(HJ)
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy(HK) you completely. 19 And when the people ask,(HL) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods(HM) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners(HN) in a land not your own.’
20 “Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
and proclaim(HO) it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(HP)
who have eyes(HQ) but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:(HR)
22 Should you not fear(HS) me?” declares the Lord.
“Should you not tremble(HT) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(HU)
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar,(HV) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(HW) hearts;
they have turned aside(HX) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear(HY) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(HZ) in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(IA)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.(IB)
26 “Among my people are the wicked(IC)
who lie in wait(ID) like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps(IE) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;(IF)
they have become rich(IG) and powerful
28 and have grown fat(IH) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(II)
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(IJ)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(IK) myself
on such a nation as this?
Acts 27:1-26
English Standard Version
Acts 27:1-26
English Standard Version
Paul Sails for Rome
27 And when it was decided (A)that (B)we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan (C)Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by (D)Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And (E)Julius (F)treated Paul kindly and (G)gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found (H)a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even (I)the Fast[a] was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with (J)injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to (K)the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
The Storm at Sea
13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, (L)struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda,[b] we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would (M)run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,[c] and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day (N)to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, (O)you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this (P)injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to (Q)take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night (R)there (S)stood before me (T)an angel of the God (U)to whom I belong and (V)whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; (W)you must stand before Caesar. And behold, (X)God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But (Y)we must (Z)run aground on some island.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 27:9 That is, the Day of Atonement
- Acts 27:16 Some manuscripts Clauda
- Acts 27:17 That is, the sea-anchor (or possibly the mainsail)
Acts 27:1-26
New International Version
Acts 27:1-26
New International Version
Paul Sails for Rome
27 When it was decided that we(A) would sail for Italy,(B) Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.(C) 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia,(D) and we put out to sea. Aristarchus,(E) a Macedonian(F) from Thessalonica,(G) was with us.
3 The next day we landed at Sidon;(H) and Julius, in kindness to Paul,(I) allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.(J) 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.(K) 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia(L) and Pamphylia,(M) we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship(N) sailing for Italy(O) and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course,(P) we sailed to the lee of Crete,(Q) opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.[a](R) So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”(S) 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete,(T) facing both southwest and northwest.
The Storm
13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,(U) called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat(V) secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground(W) on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.(X) 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice(Y) not to sail from Crete;(Z) then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage,(AA) because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel(AB) of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve(AC) stood beside me(AD) 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar;(AE) and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’(AF) 25 So keep up your courage,(AG) men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.(AH) 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground(AI) on some island.”(AJ)
Footnotes
- Acts 27:9 That is, Yom Kippur
- Acts 27:17 Or the sails
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.