Font Size
Jeremiah 4-6
Common English Bible
Jeremiah 4-6
Common English Bible
4 If you return, Israel, return to me, declares the Lord.
If you get rid of your disgusting idols from my presence
and wander no more,
2 and if you swear by the living God
in truth, justice, and righteousness,
then the nations will enjoy God’s blessings;[a]
they will boast about him.
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem:
Break up your hard rocky soil;
don’t plant among the thorns.
4 Dedicate[b] yourselves to the Lord;
don’t be thick-skinned,[c]
people of Judah and residents of Jerusalem,
or else my anger will spread like a wildfire.
It will burn, with no one to put it out,
because of your evil deeds.
Disaster approaches
5 Announce in Judah,
in Jerusalem proclaim,
sound the alarm throughout the land,
cry out and say,
“Gather together!
Let’s flee to the fortified towns!”
6 Set up a flag to Zion;
take cover, don’t just stand there!
I’m bringing disaster from the north,
massive devastation.
7 A lion bursts out of the thicket;
a destroyer of nations advances.
He’s gone forth from his place
to ravage your land,
to wipe out your towns,
until no one is left.
8 So put on funeral clothing.
Weep and wail,
for the Lord’s fierce anger
hasn’t turned away from us.
9 On that day, declares the Lord,
the courage of the king and his princes will fail,
the priests will be stunned,
and the prophets will be shocked.
10 Then I said, “Lord God, no!
You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem
by promising them peace
even though the sword is at their throats.”
11 At that time, this people and Jerusalem will be told:
A blistering wind from the bare heights;
it rages in the desert toward my people,
not merely to winnow or cleanse.
12 This wind is too devastating for that.
Now I, even I, will pronounce my sentence against them.
13 Look! He approaches like the clouds;
his chariots advance like a tempest,
his horses swifter than eagles.
How horrible! We’re doomed!
14 Cleanse your heart of evil, Jerusalem,
that you may be saved.
How long will you entertain your destructive ideas?
15 A voice declares from Dan;
someone proclaims disaster from the highlands of Ephraim.
16 Warn the nations,
proclaim it to Jerusalem!
Armies are approaching from a far-away country,
raising their war cries against the towns of Judah.
17 They hem her in like those guarding a field,
because she has rebelled against me,
declares the Lord.
18 Your own conduct, your own deeds have done this to you.
This is your payment and how bitter it is,
piercing into the depths of your heart.
Anguish over looming disaster
19 Oh, my suffering, my suffering!
My pain is unbearable;
my heart is in turmoil;
it throbs nonstop.
I can’t be silent, because I hear the blast of the trumpet
and the roar of the battle cry!
20 Disaster follows disaster;
the whole land is ruined.
Suddenly, my tents are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle flags
and hear the blast of the trumpet?
22 My people are foolish.
They don’t even know me!
They are thoughtless children
without understanding;
they are skilled at doing wrong,
inept at doing right.
23 I looked at the earth,
and it was without shape or form;
at the heavens
and there was no light.
24 I looked at the mountains
and they were quaking;
all the hills were rocking back and forth.
25 I looked and there was no one left;
every bird in the sky had taken flight.
26 I looked and the fertile land was a desert;
all its towns were in ruins
before the Lord,
before his fury.
27 The Lord proclaims:
The whole earth will become a desolation,
but I will not destroy it completely.
28 Therefore, the earth will grieve
and the heavens grow dark
because I have declared my plan
and will neither change my mind
nor cancel the plan.
29 As the horsemen and archers approach,
the people take flight.
They hide in the bushes
and escape to the cliffs.
Every city is deserted;
no one remains.
30 And you, devastated one,
why dress up in scarlet,
deck yourself in gold jewelry,
and color your eyes with paint?
In vain you get all decked out;
your lovers have rejected you
and now seek your life.
31 I hear the cry of a woman in labor,
the distress of one delivering her first child.
It is the cry of Daughter Zion,
gasping for breath,
her arms stretched out,
and moaning,
“I’m about to fall into the hands of murderers!”
Futile search for a good person
5 Search every street in Jerusalem,
comb the squares,
look far and wide
for one person,
even one who acts justly
and seeks truth that I may pardon her!
2 Even when making a pledge—“As the Lord lives”—
they swear falsely.
3 Lord, don’t you look for integrity?
You have struck them down,
but they didn’t even cringe.
You have crushed them,
but they have ignored your discipline.
They make their faces harder than rock
and refuse to return.
4 Then I thought to myself,
These are the poor who don’t know better!
They don’t understand the Lord’s way
or the justice of their God.
5 Let me go and speak to the powerful people,
for they will surely know the Lord’s way
and the justice of their God.
But they too have broken their yoke
and shattered the chains.
6 Therefore, a lion from the forest will attack them;
a wolf from the desert will destroy them;
a leopard prowling around their towns
will tear to pieces anyone venturing out—
because of their many crimes
and countless acts of unfaithfulness.
7 How can I pardon you?
Your children have forsaken me
and swear by gods that are not gods.
Although I could have satisfied them,
they committed adultery,
dashing off to the prostitution house.
8 They are lusty stallions roving about,
snorting for another’s wife.
9 The Lord declares:
Shouldn’t I confront these acts?
Shouldn’t I take revenge on such a nation?
Contempt for God
10 Climb through her vineyards and ravage them,
although not completely.
Prune back her branches,
because they aren’t the Lord’s.
11 The people of Israel and Judah
have been utterly faithless to me,
declares the Lord.
12 They have lied about the Lord
and said, “He’ll do nothing![d]
Disaster won’t come upon us;
we won’t see war or famine.”
13 The prophets are so much wind;
the word isn’t in them.
Thus and so may it be done to them.
14 Therefore, the Lord God of heavenly forces proclaims:
Because you have spoken this way,
I will put my words
in your mouth as a fire;
it will consume the people,
who are but kindling.
15 I am about to bring a distant nation against you,
people of Israel,
declares the Lord.
It is an established nation,
an ancient nation,
a nation whose language you don’t know,
whose speech you won’t understand.
16 Its weapons are deadly;[e]
its warriors are many.
17 It will devour your harvest and food;
it will devour your sons and daughters;
it will devour your flocks and herds;
it will devour your vines and fig trees;
it will shatter your fortified towns in which you trust—
with the sword!
18 Yet even in those days, declares the Lord, I won’t completely destroy you. 19 And when they ask, “Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?” you must reply, “Just as you have abandoned me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land not your own.”
Shouldn’t you fear me?
20 Declare this to the people of Jacob,
announce it in Judah:
21 Listen, you foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but don’t see
and ears but don’t hear.
22 Shouldn’t you fear me,
declares the Lord,
and tremble before me,
the one who set the shoreline for the sea,
an ancient boundary that it can’t pass?
Though its waves may rise and roar,
they can’t pass the limits I have set.
23 And yet the people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
they turn and go their own way.
24 They don’t say in their hearts,
Let’s fear the Lord our God,
who provides rain in autumn and spring
and who assures us of a harvest in its season.
25 Your wrongdoing has turned these blessings[f] away.
Your sin has robbed you of good.
26 Criminals are found among my people;
they set traps to catch people,
like hunters lying in wait.[g]
27 Like a cage full of birds,
so their houses are full of loot.
No wonder they are rich and powerful
28 and have grown fat and sleek!
To be sure, their evil deeds exceed all limits,
and yet they prosper.
They are indifferent to the plight of the orphan,
reluctant to defend the rights of the poor.
29 Shouldn’t I punish such acts?
declares the Lord.
Shouldn’t I repay that nation for its deeds?
30 An awful, a terrible thing
has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,
the priests rule at their sides,[h]
and my people love it this way!
But what will you do when the end comes?
Prepare for war
6 Escape, people of Benjamin,
get out of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
sound the alarm in Beth-haccherem;
for disaster looms from the north,
massive devastation.
2 You are like a lovely pasture, Daughter Zion.[i]
3 Shepherds come to her with their flocks.
They pitch their tents around her
and graze in their place.
4 “Prepare for battle against her;
get ready; let’s attack by noon!
Oh, no! Daylight is fading,
and the evening shadows lengthen.
5 Get ready, let’s attack by night
and destroy her fortresses!”
6 The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
Cut down her trees,
and build siege ramps against Jerusalem.
This city must be held accountable,[j]
for there’s nothing but oppression in her midst.
7 As a well brings forth fresh water,
she brings forth evil.
Violence and destruction are heard within her;
injury and wounds are ever before me.
8 Hear me out,[k] Jerusalem,
or else I’ll turn away from you
and reduce you to ruins,
a land unfit to live in.
Unresponsive people
9 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says:
From top to bottom, let them harvest
the remaining few in Israel.
Pick clean every
last grape on the vine!
10 To whom can I speak and warn?
How can I get someone’s attention?
Their ears are shut tight,[l]
so they won’t hear.
They are ashamed of the Lord’s word
and take no pleasure in it.
11 But I’m filled with the Lord’s rage
and am tired of holding it in.
Pour it out on the children in the streets
and on the youths gathered together;
husband with wife will be trapped,
as will those old and gray.
12 Their homes will be turned over to others,
their fields and wives as well.
I will stretch out my hand
against the people of this land,
declares the Lord.
13 From the least to the greatest,
each is eager to profit;
from prophet to priest,
each trades in dishonesty.
14 They treat the wound of my people
as if it were nothing:
“All is well, all is well,” they insist,
when in fact nothing is well.
15 They should be ashamed
of their detestable practices,
but they have no shame;
they don’t even blush!
Therefore, they will fall among the fallen
and stumble when I bring disaster,
declares the Lord.
16 The Lord proclaims:
Stop at the crossroads and look around;
ask for the ancient paths.
Where is the good way?
Then walk in it
and find a resting place for yourselves.
But you[m] said, “We won’t go!”
17 Still, I have appointed watchmen to warn you.
But you[n] said, “We won’t listen!”
18 Therefore, pay attention, nations;
take notice, assembly,
what is ahead of them.[o]
19 Pay attention, earth:
I’m bringing disaster upon my people,
the fruit of their own devices,
because they have ignored my words
and they have rejected my teaching.
20 What use to me is incense from Sheba
or sweet cane from a faraway land?
Your entirely burned offerings won’t buy your pardon;
your sacrifices won’t appease me.
21 Therefore, the Lord proclaims:
I’m putting obstacles before this people,
and both parents and children will stumble over them;
neighbor and friend alike will perish.
Panic-stricken Zion
22 The Lord proclaims:
An army is on the move
from the northern regions;
a great nation is roused
from the ends of the earth.
23 Equipped with bow and spear,
they are cruel;
they show no mercy.
Their horsemen sound
like the roaring sea,
arrayed in battle formation
against you, Daughter Zion.
24 We have heard reports of them
and are panic-stricken;
distress overwhelms us,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
25 Don’t go out into the field!
Don’t walk on the road!
The enemies’ sword
terrorizes at every turn.
26 My people,
put on funeral clothes and roll in ashes;
weep and wail as for an only child,
because the destroyer will suddenly descend upon us.
Prophet as tester
27 I have made you a tester of metals,
to examine my people[p]
to know and prove their ways.
28 They are tin[q] and iron;
they are headstrong and rebellious.
They live to slander.
They act corruptly—every last one!
29 The bellows roar;
the lead is consumed.[r]
Yet the refining fails;
the impurities[s] remain.
30 They are called “rejected silver,”
for the Lord has rejected them.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 4:2 Or bless themselves in him or be blessed by him or will bless themselves
- Jeremiah 4:4 Or circumcise
- Jeremiah 4:4 Or remove the foreskins of your hearts
- Jeremiah 5:12 Or not he
- Jeremiah 5:16 Or Its quiver is like an open grave
- Jeremiah 5:25 Heb lacks blessings.
- Jeremiah 5:26 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 5:31 Or by their hands
- Jeremiah 6:2 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:6 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:8 Or Accept correction
- Jeremiah 6:10 Or uncircumcised
- Jeremiah 6:16 Or they
- Jeremiah 6:17 Or they
- Jeremiah 6:18 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:27 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:28 Or bronze
- Jeremiah 6:29 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 6:29 Or wicked
Jeremiah 4-6
New International Version
Jeremiah 4-6
New International Version
4 “If you, Israel, will return,(A)
then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(B) out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear,(C) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(D)
then the nations will invoke blessings(E) by him
and in him they will boast.(F)”
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground(G)
and do not sow among thorns.(H)
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
circumcise your hearts,(I)
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(J) will flare up and burn like fire(K)
because of the evil(L) you have done—
burn with no one to quench(M) it.
Disaster From the North
5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim(N) in Jerusalem and say:
‘Sound the trumpet(O) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
‘Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(P)
6 Raise the signal(Q) to go to Zion!
Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(R) from the north,(S)
even terrible destruction.”
7 A lion(T) has come out of his lair;(U)
a destroyer(V) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to lay waste(W) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(X)
without inhabitant.
8 So put on sackcloth,(Y)
lament(Z) and wail,
for the fierce anger(AA) of the Lord
has not turned away from us.
9 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“the king and the officials will lose heart,(AB)
the priests will be horrified,
and the prophets will be appalled.”(AC)
10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(AD) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(AE) when the sword is at our throats!”
11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(AF) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(AG) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(AH) against them.”
13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(AI)
his chariots(AJ) come like a whirlwind,(AK)
his horses(AL) are swifter than eagles.(AM)
Woe to us! We are ruined!(AN)
14 Jerusalem, wash(AO) the evil from your heart and be saved.(AP)
How long(AQ) will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(AR)
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(AS)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(AT)
raising a war cry(AU) against the cities of Judah.(AV)
17 They surround(AW) her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled(AX) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(AY)
have brought this on you.(AZ)
This is your punishment.
How bitter(BA) it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(BB)
I writhe in pain.(BC)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds(BD) within me,
I cannot keep silent.(BE)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(BF)
I have heard the battle cry.(BG)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(BH)
the whole land lies in ruins.(BI)
In an instant my tents(BJ) are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle standard(BK)
and hear the sound of the trumpet?(BL)
22 “My people are fools;(BM)
they do not know me.(BN)
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.(BO)
They are skilled in doing evil;(BP)
they know not how to do good.”(BQ)
23 I looked at the earth,
and it was formless and empty;(BR)
and at the heavens,
and their light(BS) was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking;(BT)
all the hills were swaying.
25 I looked, and there were no people;
every bird in the sky had flown away.(BU)
26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;(BV)
all its towns lay in ruins(BW)
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.(BX)
27 This is what the Lord says:
“The whole land will be ruined,(BY)
though I will not destroy(BZ) it completely.
28 Therefore the earth will mourn(CA)
and the heavens above grow dark,(CB)
because I have spoken and will not relent,(CC)
I have decided and will not turn back.(CD)”
29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(CE)
every town takes to flight.(CF)
Some go into the thickets;
some climb up among the rocks.(CG)
All the towns are deserted;(CH)
no one lives in them.
30 What are you doing,(CI) you devastated one?
Why dress yourself in scarlet
and put on jewels(CJ) of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?(CK)
You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers(CL) despise you;
they want to kill you.(CM)
31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,(CN)
a groan as of one bearing her first child—
the cry of Daughter Zion(CO) gasping for breath,(CP)
stretching out her hands(CQ) and saying,
“Alas! I am fainting;
my life is given over to murderers.”(CR)
Not One Is Upright
5 “Go up and down(CS) the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,(CT)
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(CU)
who deals honestly(CV) and seeks the truth,
I will forgive(CW) this city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(CX)
still they are swearing falsely.(CY)”
3 Lord, do not your eyes(CZ) look for truth?
You struck(DA) them, but they felt no pain;
you crushed them, but they refused correction.(DB)
They made their faces harder than stone(DC)
and refused to repent.(DD)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
they are foolish,(DE)
for they do not know(DF) the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
5 So I will go to the leaders(DG)
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.(DH)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest(DI) will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage(DJ) them,
a leopard(DK) will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.(DL)
7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me
and sworn(DM) by gods that are not gods.(DN)
I supplied all their needs,
yet they committed adultery(DO)
and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(DP)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.(DQ)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”(DR)
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(DS) myself
on such a nation as this?
10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
but do not destroy them completely.(DT)
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(DU) to me,”
declares the Lord.
12 They have lied(DV) about the Lord;
they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;(DW)
we will never see sword or famine.(DX)
13 The prophets(DY) are but wind(DZ)
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(EA) a fire(EB)
and these people the wood it consumes.(EC)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
“I am bringing a distant nation(ED) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
a people whose language(EE) you do not know,
whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers(EF) are like an open grave;
all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour(EG) your harvests and food,
devour(EH) your sons and daughters;
they will devour(EI) your flocks and herds,
devour your vines and fig trees.(EJ)
With the sword(EK) they will destroy
the fortified cities(EL) in which you trust.(EM)
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy(EN) you completely. 19 And when the people ask,(EO) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods(EP) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners(EQ) in a land not your own.’
20 “Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
and proclaim(ER) it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(ES)
who have eyes(ET) but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:(EU)
22 Should you not fear(EV) me?” declares the Lord.
“Should you not tremble(EW) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(EX)
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar,(EY) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(EZ) hearts;
they have turned aside(FA) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear(FB) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(FC) in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(FD)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.(FE)
26 “Among my people are the wicked(FF)
who lie in wait(FG) like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps(FH) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;(FI)
they have become rich(FJ) and powerful
28 and have grown fat(FK) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(FL)
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(FM)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(FN) myself
on such a nation as this?
30 “A horrible(FO) and shocking thing
has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies,(FP)
the priests(FQ) rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?(FR)
Jerusalem Under Siege
6 “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet(FS) in Tekoa!(FT)
Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!(FU)
For disaster looms out of the north,(FV)
even terrible destruction.
2 I will destroy Daughter Zion,(FW)
so beautiful and delicate.(FX)
3 Shepherds(FY) with their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents around(FZ) her,
each tending his own portion.”
4 “Prepare for battle against her!
Arise, let us attack at noon!(GA)
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(GB)
and build siege ramps(GC) against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
it is filled with oppression.(GD)
7 As a well pours out its water,
so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence(GE) and destruction(GF) resound in her;
her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Take warning, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away(GG) 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(GH) 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(GI) to me?
Their ears are closed[a](GJ)
so they cannot hear.(GK)
The word(GL) of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath(GM) of the Lord,
and I cannot hold it in.(GN)
“Pour it out on the children in the street
and on the young men(GO) gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
and the old, those weighed down with years.(GP)
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,(GQ)
together with their fields and their wives,(GR)
when I stretch out my hand(GS)
against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord.
13 “From the least to the greatest,
all(GT) are greedy for gain;(GU)
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.(GV)
14 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
when there is no peace.(GW)
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.(GX)
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish(GY) them,”
says the Lord.
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,(GZ)
ask where the good way(HA) is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest(HB) for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen(HC) over you and said,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’(HD)
But you said, ‘We will not listen.’(HE)
18 Therefore hear, you nations;
you who are witnesses,
observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth:(HF)
I am bringing disaster(HG) on this people,
the fruit of their schemes,(HH)
because they have not listened to my words(HI)
and have rejected my law.(HJ)
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba(HK)
or sweet calamus(HL) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;(HM)
your sacrifices(HN) do not please me.”(HO)
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“I will put obstacles before this people.
Parents and children alike will stumble(HP) 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;(HQ)
a great nation is being stirred up
from the ends of the earth.(HR)
23 They are armed with bow and spear;
they are cruel and show no mercy.(HS)
They sound like the roaring sea(HT)
as they ride on their horses;(HU)
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, Daughter Zion.(HV)”
24 We have heard reports about them,
and our hands hang limp.(HW)
Anguish(HX) has gripped us,
pain like that of a woman in labor.(HY)
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.(HZ)
26 Put on sackcloth,(IA) my people,
and roll in ashes;(IB)
mourn with bitter wailing(IC)
as for an only son,(ID)
for suddenly the destroyer(IE)
will come upon us.
27 “I have made you a tester(IF) of metals
and my people the ore,
that you may observe
and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels,(IG)
going about to slander.(IH)
They are bronze and iron;(II)
they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely
to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining(IJ) goes on in vain;
the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver,(IK)
because the Lord has rejected them.”(IL)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 6:10 Hebrew uncircumcised
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
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.