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Jeremiah 6:16-7:10
English Standard Version
Jeremiah 6:16-7:10
English Standard Version
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for (A)the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
(B)and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 (C)I set watchmen over you, saying,
‘Pay attention to (D)the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, (E)‘We will not pay attention.’
18 Therefore hear, O nations,
and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,
(F)the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
and as for my law, they have rejected it.
20 (G)What use to me is (H)frankincense that comes from (I)Sheba,
or sweet cane from a distant land?
(J)Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.
21 Therefore thus says the Lord:
(K)‘Behold, I will lay before this people
stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble;
fathers and sons together,
neighbor and friend shall perish.’”
22 Thus says the Lord:
(L)“Behold, a people is coming (M)from the north country,
a great nation is stirring from (N)the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They lay hold on bow and javelin;
they are (O)cruel and have no mercy;
(P)the sound of them is like the roaring sea;
they ride on horses,
set in array as a man for battle,
against you, O daughter of Zion!”
24 We have heard the report of it;
(Q)our hands fall helpless;
anguish has taken hold of us,
(R)pain as of a woman in labor.
25 Go not out into the field,
nor walk on the road,
for the enemy has a sword;
(S)terror is on every side.
26 O daughter of my people, (T)put on sackcloth,
and (U)roll in ashes;
(V)make mourning as for an only son,
most bitter lamentation,
for suddenly the destroyer
will come upon us.
27 “I have made you (W)a tester of metals among my people,
that you may know and (X)test their ways.
28 (Y)They are all stubbornly rebellious,
(Z)going about with slanders;
they are (AA)bronze and iron;
all of them act corruptly.
29 The (AB)bellows blow fiercely;
the lead is consumed by the fire;
(AC)in vain the refining goes on,
for the wicked are not removed.
30 (AD)Rejected silver they are called,
for the Lord has rejected them.”
Evil in the Land
7 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 (AE)“Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (AF)Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4 (AG)Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’
5 “For if you truly (AH)amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly (AI)execute justice one with another, 6 if you (AJ)do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, (AK)or shed innocent blood in this place, (AL)and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7 (AM)then I will let you dwell in this place, (AN)in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.
8 “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 9 (AO)Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, (AP)swear falsely, (AQ)make offerings to Baal, (AR)and go after other gods that you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, (AS)which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?
Jeremiah 6:16-7:10
New International Version
Jeremiah 6:16-7:10
New International Version
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,(A)
ask where the good way(B) is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest(C) for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen(D) over you and said,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’(E)
But you said, ‘We will not listen.’(F)
18 Therefore hear, you nations;
you who are witnesses,
observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth:(G)
I am bringing disaster(H) on this people,
the fruit of their schemes,(I)
because they have not listened to my words(J)
and have rejected my law.(K)
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba(L)
or sweet calamus(M) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;(N)
your sacrifices(O) do not please me.”(P)
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“I will put obstacles before this people.
Parents and children alike will stumble(Q) 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;(R)
a great nation is being stirred up
from the ends of the earth.(S)
23 They are armed with bow and spear;
they are cruel and show no mercy.(T)
They sound like the roaring sea(U)
as they ride on their horses;(V)
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, Daughter Zion.(W)”
24 We have heard reports about them,
and our hands hang limp.(X)
Anguish(Y) has gripped us,
pain like that of a woman in labor.(Z)
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.(AA)
26 Put on sackcloth,(AB) my people,
and roll in ashes;(AC)
mourn with bitter wailing(AD)
as for an only son,(AE)
for suddenly the destroyer(AF)
will come upon us.
27 “I have made you a tester(AG) of metals
and my people the ore,
that you may observe
and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels,(AH)
going about to slander.(AI)
They are bronze and iron;(AJ)
they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely
to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining(AK) goes on in vain;
the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver,(AL)
because the Lord has rejected them.”(AM)
False Religion Worthless
7 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Stand(AN) at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message:
“‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. 3 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways(AO) and your actions, and I will let you live(AP) in this place. 4 Do not trust(AQ) in deceptive(AR) words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” 5 If you really change(AS) your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,(AT) 6 if you do not oppress(AU) the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood(AV) in this place, and if you do not follow other gods(AW) to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land(AX) I gave your ancestors(AY) for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting(AZ) in deceptive(BA) words that are worthless.
9 “‘Will you steal(BB) and murder,(BC) commit adultery(BD) and perjury,[a](BE) burn incense to Baal(BF) and follow other gods(BG) you have not known, 10 and then come and stand(BH) before me in this house,(BI) which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?(BJ)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 7:9 Or and swear by false gods
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.