False Religion Worthless

7 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “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. ³ 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. ⁴ 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!” ⁵ If you really change^(F) your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,^{(G) 6} 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, ⁷ then I will let you live in this place, in the land^(K) I gave your ancestors^(L) for ever and ever. ⁸ But look, you are trusting^(M) in deceptive^(N) words that are worthless.

⁹ “‘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)

Jeremiah Threatened With Death

26 Early in the reign of Jehoiakim^(A) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: ² “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard^(B) of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord.^(C) Tell^(D) them everything I command you; do not omit^(E) a word. ³ Perhaps they will listen and each will turn^(F) from their evil ways. Then I will relent^(G) and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. ⁴ Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen^(H) to me and follow my law,^(I) which I have set before you, ⁵ and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened^(J)), ⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh^(K) and this city a curse^[a](L) among all the nations of the earth.’”

⁷ The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸ But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded^(M) him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized^(N) him and said, “You must die!^{(O) 9} Why do you prophesy in the Lord’s name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?”^(P) And all the people crowded^(Q) around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

¹⁰ When the officials^(R) of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the Lord and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate^(S) of the Lord’s house. ¹¹ Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man should be sentenced to death^(T) because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!”^(U)

¹² Then Jeremiah said to all the officials^(V) and all the people: “The Lord sent me to prophesy^(W) against this house and this city all the things you have heard.^{(X) 13} Now reform^(Y) your ways and your actions and obey^(Z) the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent^(AA) and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ As for me, I am in your hands;^(AB) do with me whatever you think is good and right. ¹⁵ Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood^(AC) on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words^(AD) in your hearing.”

¹⁶ Then the officials^(AE) and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death!^(AF) He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

¹⁷ Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, ¹⁸ “Micah^(AG) of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says:

¹⁹ “Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah^(AL) fear the Lord and seek^(AM) his favor? And did not the Lord relent,^(AN) so that he did not bring the disaster^(AO) he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster^(AP) on ourselves!”

²⁰ (Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim^(AQ) was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. ²¹ When King Jehoiakim^(AR) and all his officers and officials^(AS) heard his words, the king was determined to put him to death.^(AT) But Uriah heard of it and fled^(AU) in fear to Egypt. ²² King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan^(AV) son of Akbor to Egypt, along with some other men. ²³ They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword^(AW) and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.)^(AX)

²⁴ Furthermore, Ahikam^(AY) son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.