Jeremiah 5
English Standard Version
Jerusalem Refused to Repent
5 (A)Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
look and take note!
Search her squares to see
(B)if you can find a man,
one who does justice
and seeks truth,
(C)that I may pardon her.
2 (D)Though they say, “As the Lord lives,”
(E)yet they swear falsely.
3 O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
(F)You have struck them down,
but they felt no anguish;
you have consumed them,
but they refused to take correction.
(G)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;
(H)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.”
(I)But they all alike had broken the yoke;
they had burst the bonds.
6 Therefore (J)a lion from the forest shall strike them down;
a (K)wolf from the desert shall devastate them.
(L)A leopard is watching their cities;
everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,
because their transgressions are many,
their (M)apostasies are great.
7 (N)“How can I pardon you?
Your children have forsaken me
(O)and have sworn by those who are no gods.
(P)When I fed them to the full,
(Q)they committed adultery
(R)and trooped to the houses of whores.
8 They were well-fed, lusty stallions,
(S)each neighing (T)for his neighbor's wife.
9 (U)Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord;
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?
10 (V)“Go up through her vine rows and destroy,
(W)but make not a full end;
strip away her branches,
for they are not the Lord's.
11 (X)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;
(Y)no disaster will come upon us,
(Z)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, (AA)I am making my words in your mouth (AB)a fire,
and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.
15 (AC)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,
(AD)nor can you understand what they say.
16 (AE)Their quiver is like (AF)an open tomb;
they are all mighty warriors.
17 (AG)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 (AH)fortified cities in which you trust
they shall beat down with the sword.”
18 “But even in those days, declares the Lord, (AI)I will not make a full end of you. 19 And when your people say, (AJ)‘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, (AK)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, (AL)O foolish and senseless people,
(AM)who have eyes, but see not,
who have ears, but hear not.
22 (AN)Do you not fear me? declares the Lord.
Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand (AO)as the boundary for the sea,
a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass;
though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
though (AP)they roar, they cannot pass over it.
23 (AQ)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,
(AR)who gives the rain in its season,
the autumn rain and the spring rain,
and keeps for us
(AS)the weeks appointed for the harvest.’
25 (AT)Your iniquities have turned these away,
and your sins have kept good from you.
26 For wicked men are found among my people;
(AU)they lurk like fowlers lying in wait.[a]
(AV)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 (AW)they have grown fat and sleek.
They know no bounds in deeds of evil;
(AX)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 (AY)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 (AZ)horrible thing
has happened in the land:
31 (BA)the prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests rule at their direction;
(BB)my people love to have it so,
but what will you do when the end comes?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 5:26 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Jeremiah 5
New American Standard Bible
Jerusalem’s Godlessness
5 “(A)Roam about through the streets of Jerusalem,
And look and take notice.
And seek in her public squares,
If you can (B)find a person,
(C)If there is one who does justice, who seeks honesty,
Then I will forgive [a]her.
2 And (D)although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’
Certainly they swear falsely.”
3 Lord, do (E)Your eyes not look for honesty?
You have (F)struck them,
But they did not [b]weaken;
You have consumed them,
But they (G)refused to accept discipline.
They have (H)made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to repent.
4 Then I said, “They are only the poor,
They are foolish;
For they (I)do not know the way of the Lord
Or the judgment of their God.
5 I will go to the great
And speak to them,
For (J)they know the way of the Lord
And the judgment of their God.”
But together they too have (K)broken the yoke
And burst the restraints.
6 Therefore (L)a lion from the forest will kill them,
A (M)wolf of the deserts will destroy them,
A (N)leopard is watching their cities.
Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces,
Because their (O)wrongdoings are many,
Their apostasies are numerous.
7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your sons have forsaken Me
And (P)sworn by those who are (Q)not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
They (R)committed adultery
And stayed at the prostitute’s house.
8 They were well-fed lusty horses,
Each one neighing at his (S)neighbor’s wife.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the Lord,
“And (T)shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?
10 “Go up through her vine rows and destroy,
But do not execute a complete destruction;
Strip away her branches,
For they are not the Lord’s.
11 For the (U)house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord.
12 They have (V)lied about the Lord
And said, “[c](W)Not He;
Misfortune will (X)not come upon us,
(Y)Nor will we see sword or famine.
13 The (Z)prophets are as wind,
And the word is not in them.
So it will be done to them!”
Judgment Proclaimed
14 Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of armies says:
“Because you have spoken this word,
Behold, I am (AA)making My words fire in your mouth,
And this people wood, and it will consume them.
15 Behold, I am (AB)bringing a nation against you from far away, you house of Israel,” declares the Lord.
“It is an enduring nation,
It is an ancient nation,
A nation whose (AC)language you do not know,
Nor can you understand what they say.
16 Their (AD)quiver is like an (AE)open grave,
All of them are warriors.
17 They will (AF)devour your harvest and your food;
They will devour your sons and your daughters;
They will devour your flocks and your herds;
They will devour your (AG)vines and your fig trees;
They will demolish your (AH)fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not make a complete destruction of you. 19 And it shall come about (AI)when [d]they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you have abandoned Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will (AJ)serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob
And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21 ‘Now hear this, you foolish and [e]senseless people,
Who have (AK)eyes but do not see,
Who have ears but do not hear.
22 Do you not (AL)fear Me?’ declares the Lord.
‘Do you not tremble in My presence?
For I have (AM)placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
An eternal limit, and it will not cross over it.
Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, they will not cross over it.
23 But this people has a (AN)stubborn and rebellious heart;
They have turned aside and departed.
24 They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear the Lord our God,
Who (AO)gives rain in its season,
Both (AP)the autumn rain and the spring rain,
Who keeps for us
The (AQ)appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25 Your (AR)wrongdoings have turned these away,
And your sins have kept good away from you.
26 For wicked people are found among My people,
They (AS)watch like fowlers [f]lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch people.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of (AT)deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.
28 They are (AU)fat, they are sleek,
They also [g]excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the [h](AV)orphan, so that they may be successful;
And they do not [i]defend the rights of the poor.
29 (AW)Shall I not punish them for these things?’ declares the Lord,
‘Or shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?’
30 “An appalling and (AX)horrible thing
Has happened in the land:
31 The (AY)prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule [j]on their own authority;
And My people (AZ)love it this way!
But what will you do [k]when the end comes?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 5:1 I.e., Jerusalem
- Jeremiah 5:3 Or become sick
- Jeremiah 5:12 Lit He is not
- Jeremiah 5:19 Or you
- Jeremiah 5:21 Lit without heart
- Jeremiah 5:26 Perhaps, crouching down
- Jeremiah 5:28 Lit pass over; or overlook deeds
- Jeremiah 5:28 Or fatherless
- Jeremiah 5:28 Lit judge
- Jeremiah 5:31 Lit over their own hands
- Jeremiah 5:31 Lit at the end of it
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
