Message at the Temple Gate

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, (A)Stand at the gate of the Lords house and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the Lord!’” This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “(B)Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you live in this place. (C)Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘[a]This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ For (D)if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly (E)practice justice between a person and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the [b](F)orphan, or the widow, and do not shed (G)innocent blood in this place, nor (H)follow other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you (I)live in this place, in the (J)land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

“Behold, you are trusting in (K)deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, [c](L)offer sacrifices to Baal, and follow (M)other gods that you have not known, 10 then (N)come and stand before Me in (O)this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are saved!’—so that you may do all these abominations? 11 Has (P)this house, which is called by My name, become a (Q)den of robbers in your sight? Behold, (R)I Myself have seen it,” declares the Lord.

12 “But go now to My place which was in (S)Shiloh, where I (T)made My name dwell at the beginning, and (U)see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things,” declares the Lord, “and I spoke to you, (V)speaking again and again, but you did not listen, and I (W)called you but you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the (X)house which is called by My name, (Y)in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your fathers, just as I (Z)did to Shiloh. 15 I will (AA)hurl you out of My sight, just as I have hurled out all your brothers, all the [d]descendants of (AB)Ephraim.

16 “As for you, (AC)do not pray for this people, and do not lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not plead with Me; for I am not listening to you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The [e]children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make sacrificial cakes for the queen of heaven; and they (AD)pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to (AE)provoke Me to anger. 19 (AF)Are they provoking Me?” declares the Lord. “Is it not themselves instead, to their [f]own (AG)shame?” 20 Therefore this is what the Lord [g]God says: “Behold, My (AH)anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on human and animal life, and on the (AI)trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched.”

21 This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Add your (AJ)burnt offerings to your sacrifices and (AK)eat flesh. 22 For I did not (AL)speak to your fathers, or command them on the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 But this is [h]what I commanded them, saying, ‘(AM)Obey My voice, and (AN)I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you shall walk [i]entirely in the way which I command you, so that it may (AO)go well for you.’ 24 Yet they (AP)did not obey or incline their ear, but walked by their own advice and in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and they [j](AQ)went backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have (AR)sent you all My servants the prophets, sending them daily, again and again. 26 Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but (AS)stiffened their neck; they (AT)did more evil than their fathers.

27 “So you shall (AU)speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will (AV)not answer you. 28 And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that (AW)did not obey the voice of the Lord their God or accept discipline; [k](AX)trustworthiness has perished and has been eliminated from their mouth.

29 (AY)Cut off [l]your hair and throw it away,
And (AZ)take up a song of mourning on the bare heights;
For the Lord has (BA)rejected and forsaken
The generation of His wrath.’

30 For the sons of Judah have done that which is evil in My sight,” declares the Lord. “They have (BB)put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 31 They have (BC)built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, to (BD)burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I (BE)did not command, and it did not come into My [m]mind.

32 (BF)Therefore, behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be called Topheth, or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of the Slaughter; for they will (BG)bury in Topheth [n]because there is no other place. 33 The (BH)dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth; and no one will frighten them away. 34 Then I will (BI)eliminate from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride; for the (BJ)land will become a site of ruins.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 7:4 Lit They are
  2. Jeremiah 7:6 Or fatherless
  3. Jeremiah 7:9 Or burn incense
  4. Jeremiah 7:15 Lit seed
  5. Jeremiah 7:18 Lit sons
  6. Jeremiah 7:19 Lit their faces’
  7. Jeremiah 7:20 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  8. Jeremiah 7:23 Lit the word
  9. Jeremiah 7:23 Lit in all the way
  10. Jeremiah 7:24 Lit were
  11. Jeremiah 7:28 Or faithfulness
  12. Jeremiah 7:29 Lit your crown
  13. Jeremiah 7:31 Lit heart
  14. Jeremiah 7:32 Or until there is no place left

The Devar that came to Yirmeyah from Hashem, saying,

Stand at the Sha’ar Beis Hashem, and preach there this word, and say, Hear the Devar Hashem, all ye of Yehudah, that enter in at these She’arim (Gates) l’hishta’chavot (to worship, to prostrate before) Hashem.

Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, Elohei Yisroel, Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will cause you to dwell in makom hazeh (this place).

Trust ye not in divrei hasheker (lying words, words of falsehood), saying, This is the Heikhal Hashem, the Heikhal Hashem, the Heikhal Hashem.

For if ye throughly amend your ways and your deeds; if ye throughly dispense mishpat between an ish and his re’a (neighbor);

If ye oppress not the ger, the yatom, and the almanah, and shed not dahm naki (innocent blood) in this place, neither walk after elohim acherim to your hurt;

Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in HaAretz that I gave to Avoteichem, l’min olam v’ad olam (from forever to forever).

Hinei, ye trust in divrei sheker (lying words), that are worthless.

Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear l’sheker (falsely), and burn ketoret unto Ba’al, and walk after elohim acherim whom ye know not;

10 And come and stand before Me in HaBeis Hazeh, which is called by Shmi, and say, We are delivered l’ma’an (in order to) do all these to’evot (abominations)?

11 Is HaBeis Hazeh, which is called by Shmi, become a me’arah paritzim (a cave, a den of robbers, criminals) in your eyes? Hinei, even I have been watching, saith Hashem.

12 But go ye now unto My Makom (Place) which was in Shiloh, where I made dwell Shmi barishonah (at the first), and see what I did to it because of the ra’at Ami Yisroel (the wickedness of My people Israel).

13 And now, because ye have done all these ma’asim, saith Hashem, and I spoke unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye paid not heed; and I called you, but ye answered not;

14 Therefore will I do unto this Beis, which is called by Shmi, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to Avoteichem, as I have done to Shiloh.

15 And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your achim, even the whole zera Ephrayim.

16 Therefore pray not thou on behalf of HaAm Hazeh, neither lift up plea nor tefillah for them, neither make intercession to Me; for I will not hear thee.

17 Seest thou not what they do in the towns of Yehudah and in the chutzot (streets of) Yerushalayim?

18 The banim gather wood, and the avot kindle the eish, and the nashim knead their batzek (dough), to make cakes to the Malkat HaShomayim (Queen of Heaven), and to pour out nesakhim (drink offerings) unto elohim acherim, that they may provoke Me to anger.

19 Do they provoke Me to anger? saith Hashem; are they not provoking themselves, even to boshet (shame) on their own faces?

20 Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Hinei, Mine anger and My fury shall be poured out upon Hamakom Hazeh (this place), upon haadam, and upon behemah, and upon the etz hasadeh, and upon the pri ha’adamah; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.

21 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, Elohei Yisroel; Add your olot unto your zevakhim, and eat basar.

22 For I spoke not unto Avoteichem, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of Eretz Mitzrayim, concerning olah or zevach;

23 But this thing I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be for you Elohim (your G-d), and ye shall be My people; and walk ye in kol HaDerech that I have commanded you, l’ma’an (in order that) it may go well with you.

24 But they paid heed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the inclinations of the stubbornness of their lev harah (evil heart), and went backward, and not forward.

25 Since the day that Avoteichem came forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim unto this day I have even sent unto you all My servants the Nevi’im, daily rising up early and sending them;

26 Yet they paid heed not unto Me, nor inclined their ear, but stiffened stubbornly their neck; they did more evil than their Avot.

27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these devarim unto them; but they will not pay heed to thee; thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.

28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a Goy (Nation) that obeyeth not the voice of Hashem Elohav, nor respondeth to musar; haemunah (the faith) is lost, and is cut off from their mouth.

29 Cut off thine hair, O Yerushalayim, and throw it away, and take up a kinah (lamentation) on barren heights; for Hashem hath rejected and abandoned the dor evrato (the generation of His wrath).

30 For the Bnei Yehudah have done rah in My sight, saith Hashem; they have set their shikkutzim (abominations) in the Beis which is called by Shmi, to make it tameh.

31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Gey Ben Hinnom, to burn their banim and their banot in the eish; which I commanded them not, neither entered it into My mind.

32 Therefore, hinei, the yamim are coming, saith Hashem, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the Gey Ben Hinnom, but the Gey Haharegah (Valley of Slaughter); for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no room.

33 And the nivlat HaAm Hazeh (carcass of this people) shall be food for the oph HaShomayim, and for the behemat ha’aretz; and none shall frighten them away.

34 Then will I cause to cease from the towns of Yehudah, and from the chutzot Yerushalayim, the sound of joy, and the sound of simchah, the sound of the Choson (Bridegroom) and the sound of the Kallah (Bride); for HaAretz shall be desolate.

False Religion Worthless

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Stand(A) 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. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways(B) and your actions, and I will let you live(C) in this place. Do not trust(D) in deceptive(E) words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” If you really change(F) your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,(G) if you do not oppress(H) the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood(I) in this place, and if you do not follow other gods(J) to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land(K) I gave your ancestors(L) for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting(M) in deceptive(N) words that are worthless.

“‘Will you steal(O) and murder,(P) commit adultery(Q) and perjury,[a](R) burn incense to Baal(S) and follow other gods(T) you have not known, 10 and then come and stand(U) before me in this house,(V) which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?(W) 11 Has this house,(X) which bears my Name, become a den of robbers(Y) to you? But I have been watching!(Z) declares the Lord.

12 “‘Go now to the place in Shiloh(AA) where I first made a dwelling(AB) for my Name,(AC) and see what I did(AD) to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke(AE) to you again and again,(AF) but you did not listen;(AG) I called(AH) you, but you did not answer.(AI) 14 Therefore, what I did to Shiloh(AJ) I will now do to the house that bears my Name,(AK) the temple(AL) you trust in, the place I gave to you and your ancestors. 15 I will thrust you from my presence,(AM) just as I did all your fellow Israelites, the people of Ephraim.’(AN)

16 “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea(AO) or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen(AP) to you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven.(AQ) They pour out drink offerings(AR) to other gods to arouse(AS) my anger. 19 But am I the one they are provoking?(AT) declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?(AU)

20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign(AV) Lord says: My anger(AW) and my wrath will be poured(AX) out on this place—on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land—and it will burn and not be quenched.(AY)

21 “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices(AZ) and eat(BA) the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands(BB) about burnt offerings and sacrifices,(BC) 23 but I gave them this command:(BD) Obey(BE) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.(BF) Walk in obedience to all(BG) I command you, that it may go well(BH) with you. 24 But they did not listen(BI) or pay attention;(BJ) instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.(BK) They went backward(BL) and not forward. 25 From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again(BM) I sent you my servants(BN) the prophets.(BO) 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention.(BP) They were stiff-necked(BQ) and did more evil than their ancestors.’(BR)

27 “When you tell(BS) them all this, they will not listen(BT) to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.(BU) 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction.(BV) Truth(BW) has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

29 “‘Cut off(BX) your hair and throw it away; take up a lament(BY) on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned(BZ) this generation that is under his wrath.

The Valley of Slaughter

30 “‘The people of Judah have done evil(CA) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols(CB) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled(CC) it. 31 They have built the high places of Topheth(CD) in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(CE) to burn their sons and daughters(CF) in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.(CG) 32 So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter,(CH) for they will bury(CI) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. 33 Then the carcasses(CJ) of this people will become food(CK) for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.(CL) 34 I will bring an end to the sounds(CM) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom(CN) in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,(CO) for the land will become desolate.(CP)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 7:9 Or and swear by false gods