Jeremiah 5:6-15

English Standard Version

⁶ Therefore ^(A)a lion from the forest shall strike them down;
    a ^(B)wolf from the desert shall devastate them.
^(C)A leopard is watching their cities;
    everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,
because their transgressions are many,
    their ^(D)apostasies are great.

^7 (E)“How can I pardon you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    ^(F)and have sworn by those who are no gods.
^(G)When I fed them to the full,
    ^(H)they committed adultery
    ^(I)and trooped to the houses of whores.
⁸ They were well-fed, lusty stallions,
    ^(J)each neighing ^(K)for his neighbor's wife.
^9 (L)Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord;
    and shall I not avenge myself
    on a nation such as this?

^10 (M)“Go up through her vine rows and destroy,
    ^(N)but make not a full end;
strip away her branches,
    for they are not the Lord's.
^11 (O)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;
^(P)no disaster will come upon us,
    ^(Q)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!’”