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Jeremiah 11-12
New King James Version
Jeremiah 11-12
New King James Version
The Broken Covenant
11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3 and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: (A)“Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, (B)from the iron furnace, saying, (C)‘Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 that I may establish the (D)oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them (E)‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is this day.” ’ ”
And I answered and said, [a]“So be it, Lord.”
6 Then the Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: ‘Hear the words of this covenant (F)and do them. 7 For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, until this day, (G)rising early and exhorting, saying, “Obey My voice.” 8 (H)Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but (I)everyone [b]followed the dictates of his evil heart; therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which they have not done.’ ”
9 And the Lord said to me, (J)“A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to (K)the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.”
11 Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to [c]escape; and (L)though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and (M)cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. 13 For according to the number of your (N)cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.
14 “So (O)do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.
15 “What(P) has My beloved to do in My house,
Having (Q)done lewd deeds with many?
And (R)the holy flesh has passed from you.
When you do evil, then you (S)rejoice.
16 The Lord called your name,
(T)Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit.
With the noise of a great tumult
He has kindled fire on it,
And its branches are broken.
17 “For the Lord of hosts, (U)who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal.”
Jeremiah’s Life Threatened
18 Now the Lord gave me knowledge of it, and I know it; for You showed me their doings. 19 But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, (V)and let us cut him off from (W)the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”
20 But, O Lord of hosts,
You who judge righteously,
(X)Testing the [d]mind and the heart,
Let me see Your (Y)vengeance on them,
For to You I have revealed my cause.
21 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of (Z)Anathoth who seek your life, saying, (AA)‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, lest you die by our hand’— 22 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall (AB)die by famine; 23 and there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth, even (AC)the year of their punishment.’ ”
Jeremiah’s Question
12 Righteous (AD)are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;
Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
(AE)Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;
They grow, yes, they bear fruit.
(AF)You are near in their mouth
But far from their [e]mind.
3 But You, O Lord, (AG)know me;
You have seen me,
And You have (AH)tested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for (AI)the day of slaughter.
4 How long will (AJ)the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
(AK)The beasts and birds are consumed,
(AL)For the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,
Then how can you contend with horses?
And if in the land of peace,
In which you trusted, they wearied you,
Then how will you do in (AM)the [f]floodplain of the Jordan?
6 For even (AN)your brothers, the house of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you;
Yes, they have called [g]a multitude after you.
(AO)Do not believe them,
Even though they speak [h]smooth words to you.
7 “I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage;
I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.
8 My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest;
It cries out against Me;
Therefore I have (AP)hated it.
9 My [i]heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture;
The vultures all around are against her.
Come, assemble all the beasts of the field,
(AQ)Bring them to devour!
10 “Many (AR)rulers[j] have destroyed (AS)My vineyard,
They have (AT)trodden My portion underfoot;
They have made My [k]pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it (AU)desolate;
Desolate, it mourns to Me;
The whole land is made desolate,
Because (AV)no one takes it to heart.
12 The plunderers have come
On all the desolate heights in the wilderness,
For the sword of the Lord shall devour
From one end of the land to the other end of the land;
No flesh shall have peace.
13 (AW)They have sown wheat but reaped thorns;
They have [l]put themselves to pain but do not profit.
But be ashamed of your harvest
Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”
14 Thus says the Lord: “Against all My evil neighbors who (AX)touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will (AY)pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15 (AZ)Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them (BA)and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. 16 And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, (BB)to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be (BC)established in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not (BD)obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 11:5 Heb. Amen
- Jeremiah 11:8 walked in the stubbornness or imagination
- Jeremiah 11:11 Lit. go out
- Jeremiah 11:20 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys
- Jeremiah 12:2 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys
- Jeremiah 12:5 Or thicket
- Jeremiah 12:6 Or abundantly
- Jeremiah 12:6 Lit. good
- Jeremiah 12:9 inheritance
- Jeremiah 12:10 Lit. shepherds or pastors
- Jeremiah 12:10 desired portion of land
- Jeremiah 12:13 Or strained
Jeremiah 11-12
New International Version
Jeremiah 11-12
New International Version
The Covenant Is Broken
11 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the terms of this covenant(A) and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed(B) is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4 the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt,(C) out of the iron-smelting furnace.(D)’ I said, ‘Obey(E) me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people,(F) and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore(G) to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’(H)—the land you possess today.”
I answered, “Amen,(I) Lord.”
6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim(J) all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow(K) them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again,(L) saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention;(M) instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(N) So I brought on them all the curses(O) of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.(P)’”
9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy(Q) among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors,(R) who refused to listen to my words.(S) They have followed other gods(T) to serve them.(U) Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant(V) I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster(W) they cannot escape.(X) Although they cry(Y) out to me, I will not listen(Z) to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense,(AA) but they will not help them at all when disaster(AB) strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods(AC) as you have towns;(AD) and the altars you have set up to burn incense(AE) to that shameful(AF) god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’
14 “Do not pray(AG) for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen(AH) when they call to me in the time of their distress.
15 “What is my beloved doing in my temple
as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes?
Can consecrated meat(AI) avert your punishment?(AJ)
When you engage in your wickedness,
then you rejoice.[a]”
16 The Lord called you a thriving olive tree(AK)
with fruit beautiful in form.
But with the roar of a mighty storm
he will set it on fire,(AL)
and its branches will be broken.(AM)
17 The Lord Almighty, who planted(AN) you, has decreed disaster(AO) for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused(AP) my anger by burning incense to Baal.(AQ)
Plot Against Jeremiah
18 Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter;(AR) I did not realize that they had plotted(AS) against me, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,(AT)
that his name be remembered(AU) no more.”
20 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously(AV)
and test the heart(AW) and mind,(AX)
let me see your vengeance(AY) on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth(AZ) who are threatening to kill you,(BA) saying, “Do not prophesy(BB) in the name of the Lord or you will die(BC) by our hands”— 22 therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men(BD) will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23 Not even a remnant(BE) will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.(BF)”
Jeremiah’s Complaint
12 You are always righteous,(BG) Lord,
when I bring a case(BH) before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:(BI)
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?(BJ)
Why do all the faithless live at ease?
2 You have planted(BK) them, and they have taken root;
they grow and bear fruit.(BL)
You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts.(BM)
3 Yet you know me, Lord;
you see me and test(BN) my thoughts about you.
Drag them off like sheep(BO) to be butchered!
Set them apart for the day of slaughter!(BP)
4 How long will the land lie parched(BQ)
and the grass in every field be withered?(BR)
Because those who live in it are wicked,
the animals and birds have perished.(BS)
Moreover, the people are saying,
“He will not see what happens to us.”
God’s Answer
5 “If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble[b] in safe country,
how will you manage in the thickets(BT) by[c] the Jordan?
6 Your relatives, members of your own family—
even they have betrayed you;
they have raised a loud cry against you.(BU)
Do not trust them,
though they speak well of you.(BV)
7 “I will forsake(BW) my house,
abandon(BX) my inheritance;
I will give the one I love(BY)
into the hands of her enemies.(BZ)
8 My inheritance has become to me
like a lion(CA) in the forest.
She roars at me;
therefore I hate her.(CB)
9 Has not my inheritance become to me
like a speckled bird of prey
that other birds of prey surround and attack?
Go and gather all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.(CC)
10 Many shepherds(CD) will ruin my vineyard
and trample down my field;
they will turn my pleasant field
into a desolate wasteland.(CE)
11 It will be made a wasteland,(CF)
parched and desolate before me;(CG)
the whole land will be laid waste
because there is no one who cares.
12 Over all the barren heights in the desert
destroyers will swarm,
for the sword(CH) of the Lord(CI) will devour(CJ)
from one end of the land to the other;(CK)
no one will be safe.(CL)
13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns;
they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.(CM)
They will bear the shame of their harvest
because of the Lord’s fierce anger.”(CN)
14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance(CO) I gave my people Israel, I will uproot(CP) them from their lands and I will uproot(CQ) the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion(CR) and will bring(CS) each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn(CT) well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’(CU)—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal(CV)—then they will be established among my people.(CW) 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy(CX) it,” declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 11:15 Or Could consecrated meat avert your punishment? / Then you would rejoice
- Jeremiah 12:5 Or you feel secure only
- Jeremiah 12:5 Or the flooding of
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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.