Jeremiah 11:6-17

English Standard Version

⁶ And the Lord said to me, ^(A)“Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ^(B)Hear the words of this covenant and do them. ⁷ For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, ^(C)warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, ^(D)Obey my voice. ^8 (E)Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, ^(F)but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all ^(G)the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.”

⁹ Again the Lord said to me, ^(H)“A conspiracy exists among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ They have turned back to ^(I)the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. ^(J)They have gone after other gods to serve them. ^(K)The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers. ¹¹ Therefore, thus says the Lord, Behold, I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. ^(L)Though they cry to me, I will not listen to them. ¹² Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ^(M)will go and cry to the gods to whom they make offerings, ^(N)but they cannot save them in the time of their trouble. ^13 (O)For your gods have become as many as your cities, O Judah, and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to shame, ^(P)altars to make offerings to Baal.

¹⁴ “Therefore ^(Q)do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, ^(R)for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble. ^15 (S)What right has my beloved in my house, ^(T)when she has done many vile deeds? Can even sacrificial flesh avert your doom? ^(U)Can you then exult? ¹⁶ The Lord once called you ^(V)‘a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.’ But ^(W)with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and ^(X)its branches will be consumed. ¹⁷ The Lord of hosts, ^(Y)who planted you, has decreed disaster against you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, ^(Z)provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal.”