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Jeremiah 8-14
New King James Version
Jeremiah 8-14
New King James Version
Jeremiah Mourns for His People
8 “At that time,” says the Lord, “they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves. 2 They shall spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served and after which they have walked, which they have sought and (A)which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered (B)nor buried; they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. 3 Then (C)death shall be chosen rather than life by all the [a]residue of those who remain of this evil family, who remain in all the places where I have driven them,” says the Lord of hosts.
The Peril of False Teaching
4 “Moreover you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“Will they fall and not rise?
Will one turn away and not return?
5 Why has this people (D)slidden back,
Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding?
(E)They hold fast to deceit,
(F)They refuse to return.
6 (G)I listened and heard,
But they do not speak aright.
(H)No man repented of his wickedness,
Saying, ‘What have I done?’
Everyone turned to his own course,
As the horse rushes into the battle.
7 “Even (I)the stork in the heavens
Knows her appointed times;
And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow
Observe the time of their coming.
But (J)My people do not know the judgment of the Lord.
8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise,
(K)And the law of the Lord is with us’?
Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
9 (L)The wise men are ashamed,
They are dismayed and taken.
Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord;
So (M)what wisdom do they have?
10 Therefore (N)I will give their wives to others,
And their fields to those who will inherit them;
Because from the least even to the greatest
Everyone is given to (O)covetousness;
From the prophet even to the priest
Everyone deals falsely.
11 For they have (P)healed the hurt of the daughter of My people [b]slightly,
Saying, (Q)‘Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.
12 Were they (R)ashamed when they had committed abomination?
No! They were not at all ashamed,
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
In the time of their punishment
They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.
13 “I will surely [c]consume them,” says the Lord.
“No grapes shall be (S)on the vine,
Nor figs on the (T)fig tree,
And the leaf shall fade;
And the things I have given them shall (U)pass away from them.” ’ ”
14 “Why do we sit still?
(V)Assemble yourselves,
And let us enter the fortified cities,
And let us be silent there.
For the Lord our God has put us to silence
And given us (W)water[d] of gall to drink,
Because we have sinned against the Lord.
15 “We (X)looked for peace, but no good came;
And for a time of health, and there was trouble!
16 The snorting of His horses was heard from (Y)Dan.
The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of His (Z)strong ones;
For they have come and devoured the land and all that is in it,
The city and those who dwell in it.”
17 “For behold, I will send serpents among you,
Vipers which cannot be (AA)charmed,
And they shall bite you,” says the Lord.
The Prophet Mourns for the People
18 I would comfort myself in sorrow;
My heart is faint in me.
19 Listen! The voice,
The cry of the daughter of my people
From (AB)a far country:
“Is not the Lord in Zion?
Is not her King in her?”
“Why have they provoked Me to anger
With their carved images—
With foreign idols?”
20 “The harvest is past,
The summer is ended,
And we are not saved!”
21 (AC)For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt.
I am (AD)mourning;
Astonishment has taken hold of me.
22 Is there no (AE)balm in Gilead,
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no recovery
For the health of the daughter of my people?
Disobedience Brings God’s Judgment
9 Oh, (AF)that my head were waters,
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For the slain of the daughter of my people!
2 Oh, that I had in the wilderness
A lodging place for travelers;
That I might leave my people,
And go from them!
For (AG)they are all adulterers,
An assembly of treacherous men.
3 “And like their bow (AH)they have bent their tongues for lies.
They are not valiant for the truth on the earth.
For they proceed from (AI)evil to evil,
And they (AJ)do not know Me,” says the Lord.
4 “Everyone(AK) take heed to his [e]neighbor,
And do not trust any brother;
For every brother will utterly supplant,
And every neighbor will (AL)walk with slanderers.
5 Everyone will (AM)deceive his neighbor,
And will not speak the truth;
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They weary themselves to commit iniquity.
6 Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they refuse to know Me,” says the Lord.
7 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Behold, (AN)I will refine them and [f]try them;
(AO)For how shall I deal with the daughter of My people?
8 Their tongue is an arrow shot out;
It speaks (AP)deceit;
One speaks (AQ)peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth,
But [g]in his heart he [h]lies in wait.
9 (AR)Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the Lord.
“Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?”
10 I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains,
And (AS)for the [i]dwelling places of the wilderness a lamentation,
Because they are burned up,
So that no one can pass through;
Nor can men hear the voice of the cattle.
(AT)Both the birds of the heavens and the beasts have fled;
They are gone.
11 “I will make Jerusalem (AU)a heap of ruins, (AV)a den of jackals.
I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.”
12 (AW)Who is the wise man who may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does the land perish and burn up like a wilderness, so that no one can pass through?
13 And the Lord said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have (AX)not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, 14 but they have (AY)walked according to the [j]dictates of their own hearts and after the Baals, (AZ)which their fathers taught them,” 15 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will (BA)feed them, this people, (BB)with wormwood, and give them [k]water of gall to drink. 16 I will (BC)scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. (BD)And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them.”
The People Mourn in Judgment
17 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Consider and call for (BE)the mourning women,
That they may come;
And send for skillful wailing women,
That they may come.
18 Let them make haste
And take up a wailing for us,
That (BF)our eyes may run with tears,
And our eyelids gush with water.
19 For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion:
‘How we are plundered!
We are greatly ashamed,
Because we have forsaken the land,
Because we have been cast out of (BG)our dwellings.’ ”
20 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O women,
And let your ear receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And everyone her neighbor a lamentation.
21 For death has come through our windows,
Has entered our palaces,
To kill off (BH)the children—[l]no longer to be outside!
And the young men—[m]no longer on the streets!
22 Speak, “Thus says the Lord:
‘Even the carcasses of men shall fall (BI)as refuse on the open field,
Like cuttings after the harvester,
And no one shall gather them.’ ”
23 Thus says the Lord:
(BJ)“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his (BK)might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24 But (BL)let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, [n]judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
(BM)For in these I delight,” says the Lord.
25 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that (BN)I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the (BO)farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are (BP)uncircumcised in the heart.”
Idols and the True God
10 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says the Lord:
(BQ)“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are [o]futile;
For (BR)one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They (BS)fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.
5 They are upright, like a palm tree,
And (BT)they cannot speak;
They must be (BU)carried,
Because they cannot go by themselves.
Do not be afraid of them,
For (BV)they cannot do evil,
Nor can they do any good.”
6 Inasmuch as there is none (BW)like You, O Lord
(You are great, and Your name is great in might),
7 (BX)Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For this is Your rightful due.
For (BY)among all the wise men of the nations,
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
8 But they are altogether (BZ)dull-hearted and foolish;
A wooden idol is a [p]worthless doctrine.
9 Silver is beaten into plates;
It is brought from Tarshish,
And (CA)gold from Uphaz,
The work of the craftsman
And of the hands of the metalsmith;
Blue and purple are their clothing;
They are all (CB)the work of skillful men.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
He is (CC)the living God and the (CD)everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
11 Thus you shall say to them: (CE)“The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth (CF)shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”
12 He (CG)has made the earth by His power,
He has (CH)established the world by His wisdom,
And (CI)has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.
13 (CJ)When He utters His voice,
There is a [q]multitude of waters in the heavens:
(CK)“And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”
14 (CL)Everyone is (CM)dull-hearted, without knowledge;
(CN)Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image;
(CO)For his molded image is falsehood,
And there is no breath in them.
15 They are futile, a work of errors;
In the time of their punishment they shall perish.
16 (CP)The Portion of Jacob is not like them,
For He is the Maker of all things,
And (CQ)Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;
(CR)The Lord of hosts is His name.
The Coming Captivity of Judah
18 For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will (CT)throw out at this time
The inhabitants of the land,
And will distress them,
(CU)That they may find it so.”
19 (CV)Woe is me for my hurt!
My wound is severe.
But I say, (CW)“Truly this is an infirmity,
And (CX)I must bear it.”
20 (CY)My tent is plundered,
And all my cords are broken;
My children have gone from me,
And they are (CZ)no more.
There is no one to pitch my tent anymore,
Or set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become dull-hearted,
And have not sought the Lord;
Therefore they shall not prosper,
And all their flocks shall be (DA)scattered.
22 Behold, the noise of the report has come,
And a great commotion out of the (DB)north country,
To make the cities of Judah desolate, a (DC)den of jackals.
23 O Lord, I know the (DD)way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
24 O Lord, (DE)correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
25 (DF)Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, (DG)who do not know You,
And on the families who do not call on Your name;
For they have eaten up Jacob,
(DH)Devoured him and consumed him,
And made his dwelling place desolate.
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: (DI)“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, (DJ)from the iron furnace, saying, (DK)‘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 (DL)oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them (DM)‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is this day.” ’ ”
And I answered and said, [s]“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 (DN)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, (DO)rising early and exhorting, saying, “Obey My voice.” 8 (DP)Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but (DQ)everyone [t]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, (DR)“A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to (DS)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 [u]escape; and (DT)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 (DU)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 (DV)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 (DW)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(DX) has My beloved to do in My house,
Having (DY)done lewd deeds with many?
And (DZ)the holy flesh has passed from you.
When you do evil, then you (EA)rejoice.
16 The Lord called your name,
(EB)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, (EC)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, (ED)and let us cut him off from (EE)the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”
20 But, O Lord of hosts,
You who judge righteously,
(EF)Testing the [v]mind and the heart,
Let me see Your (EG)vengeance on them,
For to You I have revealed my cause.
21 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of (EH)Anathoth who seek your life, saying, (EI)‘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 (EJ)die by famine; 23 and there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth, even (EK)the year of their punishment.’ ”
Jeremiah’s Question
12 Righteous (EL)are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;
Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
(EM)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.
(EN)You are near in their mouth
But far from their [w]mind.
3 But You, O Lord, (EO)know me;
You have seen me,
And You have (EP)tested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for (EQ)the day of slaughter.
4 How long will (ER)the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
(ES)The beasts and birds are consumed,
(ET)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 (EU)the [x]floodplain of the Jordan?
6 For even (EV)your brothers, the house of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you;
Yes, they have called [y]a multitude after you.
(EW)Do not believe them,
Even though they speak [z]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 (EX)hated it.
9 My [aa]heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture;
The vultures all around are against her.
Come, assemble all the beasts of the field,
(EY)Bring them to devour!
10 “Many (EZ)rulers[ab] have destroyed (FA)My vineyard,
They have (FB)trodden My portion underfoot;
They have made My [ac]pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it (FC)desolate;
Desolate, it mourns to Me;
The whole land is made desolate,
Because (FD)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 (FE)They have sown wheat but reaped thorns;
They have [ad]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 (FF)touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will (FG)pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15 (FH)Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them (FI)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, (FJ)to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be (FK)established in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not (FL)obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.
Symbol of the Linen Sash
13 Thus the Lord said to me: “Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it [ae]around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I got a [af]sash according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist.
3 And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, 4 “Take the [ag]sash that you acquired, which is [ah]around your waist, and arise, go to the [ai]Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.
6 Now it came to pass after many days that the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the [aj]sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord: ‘In this manner (FM)I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great (FN)pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who (FO)refuse to hear My words, who (FP)follow[ak] the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. 11 For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that (FQ)they may become My people, (FR)for renown, for praise, and for (FS)glory; but they would (FT)not hear.’
Symbol of the Wine Bottles
12 “Therefore you shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Every bottle shall be filled with wine.” ’
“And they will say to you, ‘Do we not certainly know that every bottle will be filled with wine?’
13 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land—even the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—(FU)with drunkenness! 14 And (FV)I will dash them [al]one against another, even the fathers and the sons together,” says the Lord. “I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy, but will destroy them.” ’ ”
Pride Precedes Captivity
15 Hear and give ear:
Do not be proud,
For the Lord has spoken.
16 (FW)Give glory to the Lord your God
Before He causes (FX)darkness,
And before your feet stumble
On the dark mountains,
And while you are (FY)looking for light,
He turns it into (FZ)the shadow of death
And makes it dense darkness.
17 But if you will not hear it,
My soul will (GA)weep in secret for your pride;
My eyes will weep bitterly
And run down with tears,
Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
18 Say to (GB)the king and to the queen mother,
“Humble yourselves;
Sit down,
For your rule shall collapse, the crown of your glory.”
19 The cities of the South shall be shut up,
And no one shall open them;
Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it;
It shall be wholly carried away captive.
20 Lift up your eyes and see
Those who come from the (GC)north.
Where is the flock that was given to you,
Your beautiful sheep?
21 What will you say when He punishes you?
For you have taught them
To be chieftains, to be head over you.
Will not (GD)pangs seize you,
Like a woman in [am]labor?
22 And if you say in your heart,
(GE)“Why have these things come upon me?”
For the greatness of your iniquity
(GF)Your skirts have been uncovered,
Your heels [an]made bare.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?
Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.
24 “Therefore I will (GG)scatter them (GH)like stubble
That passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
25 (GI)This is your lot,
The portion of your measures from Me,” says the Lord,
“Because you have forgotten Me
And trusted in (GJ)falsehood.
26 Therefore (GK)I will uncover your skirts over your face,
That your shame may appear.
27 I have seen your adulteries
And your lustful (GL)neighings,
The lewdness of your harlotry,
Your abominations (GM)on the hills in the fields.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
Will you still not be made clean?”
Sword, Famine, and Pestilence
14 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts.
2 “Judah mourns,
And (GN)her gates languish;
They (GO)mourn for the land,
And (GP)the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.
3 Their nobles have sent their lads for water;
They went to the cisterns and found no water.
They returned with their vessels empty;
They were (GQ)ashamed and confounded
(GR)And covered their heads.
4 Because the ground is parched,
For there was (GS)no rain in the land,
The plowmen were ashamed;
They covered their heads.
5 Yes, the deer also gave birth in the field,
But [ao]left because there was no grass.
6 And (GT)the wild donkeys stood in the desolate heights;
They sniffed at the wind like jackals;
Their eyes failed because there was no grass.”
7 O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us,
Do it (GU)for Your name’s sake;
For our backslidings are many,
We have sinned against You.
8 (GV)O the Hope of Israel, his Savior in time of trouble,
Why should You be like a stranger in the land,
And like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?
9 Why should You be like a man astonished,
Like a mighty one (GW)who cannot save?
Yet You, O Lord, (GX)are in our midst,
And we are called by Your name;
Do not leave us!
10 Thus says the Lord to this people:
(GY)“Thus they have loved to wander;
They have not restrained their feet.
Therefore the Lord does not accept them;
(GZ)He will remember their iniquity now,
And punish their sins.”
11 Then the Lord said to me, (HA)“Do not pray for this people, for their good. 12 (HB)When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and (HC)when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But (HD)I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.”
13 (HE)Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you [ap]assured (HF)peace in this place.’ ”
14 And the Lord said to me, (HG)“The prophets prophesy lies in My name. (HH)I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, [aq]divination, a worthless thing, and the (HI)deceit of their heart. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, (HJ)and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’—‘By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed! 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; (HK)they will have no one to bury them—them nor their wives, their sons nor their daughters—for I will pour their wickedness on them.’
17 “Therefore you shall say this word to them:
(HL)‘Let my eyes flow with tears night and day,
And let them not cease;
(HM)For the virgin daughter of my people
Has been broken with a mighty stroke, with a very severe blow.
18 If I go out to (HN)the field,
Then behold, those slain with the sword!
And if I enter the city,
Then behold, those sick from famine!
Yes, both prophet and (HO)priest go about in a land they do not know.’ ”
The People Plead for Mercy
19 (HP)Have You utterly rejected Judah?
Has Your soul loathed Zion?
Why have You stricken us so that (HQ)there is no healing for us?
(HR)We looked for peace, but there was no good;
And for the time of healing, and there was trouble.
20 We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness
And the iniquity of our (HS)fathers,
For (HT)we have sinned against You.
21 Do not abhor us, for Your name’s sake;
Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory.
(HU)Remember, do not break Your covenant with us.
22 (HV)Are there any among (HW)the idols of the nations that can cause (HX)rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
(HY)Are You not He, O Lord our God?
Therefore we will wait for You,
Since You have made all these.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 8:3 remnant
- Jeremiah 8:11 Superficially
- Jeremiah 8:13 Or take them away
- Jeremiah 8:14 Bitter or poisonous water
- Jeremiah 9:4 friend
- Jeremiah 9:7 test
- Jeremiah 9:8 Inwardly he
- Jeremiah 9:8 sets his ambush
- Jeremiah 9:10 Or pastures
- Jeremiah 9:14 stubbornness or imagination
- Jeremiah 9:15 Bitter or poisonous water
- Jeremiah 9:21 Lit. from outside
- Jeremiah 9:21 Lit. from the square
- Jeremiah 9:24 justice
- Jeremiah 10:3 Lit. vanity
- Jeremiah 10:8 vain teaching
- Jeremiah 10:13 Or noise
- Jeremiah 10:17 Or you who dwell under siege
- 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 13:1 Lit. upon your loins
- Jeremiah 13:2 waistband
- Jeremiah 13:4 waistband
- Jeremiah 13:4 Lit. upon your loins
- Jeremiah 13:4 Heb. Perath
- Jeremiah 13:7 waistband
- Jeremiah 13:10 walk in the stubbornness or imagination
- Jeremiah 13:14 Lit. a man against his brother
- Jeremiah 13:21 childbirth
- Jeremiah 13:22 Lit. suffer violence
- Jeremiah 14:5 abandoned her young
- Jeremiah 14:13 true
- Jeremiah 14:14 Telling the future by signs and omens
Jeremiah 8-14
New International Version
Jeremiah 8-14
New International Version
8 “‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones(A) of the people of Jerusalem will be removed(B) from their graves. 2 They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served(C) and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.(D) They will not be gathered up or buried,(E) but will be like dung lying on the ground.(F) 3 Wherever I banish them,(G) all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life,(H) declares the Lord Almighty.’
Sin and Punishment
4 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘When people fall down, do they not get up?(I)
When someone turns away,(J) do they not return?
5 Why then have these people turned away?
Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;(K)
they refuse to return.(L)
6 I have listened(M) attentively,
but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent(N) of their wickedness,
saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course(O)
like a horse charging into battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know(P)
the requirements of the Lord.
8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise,
for we have the law(Q) of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?
9 The wise(R) will be put to shame;
they will be dismayed(S) and trapped.(T)
Since they have rejected the word(U) of the Lord,
what kind of wisdom(V) do they have?
10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.(W)
From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;(X)
prophets(Y) and priests alike,
all practice deceit.(Z)
11 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
when there is no peace.(AA)
12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame(AB) at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when they are punished,(AC)
says the Lord.(AD)
13 “‘I will take away their harvest,
declares the Lord.
There will be no grapes on the vine.(AE)
There will be no figs(AF) on the tree,
and their leaves will wither.(AG)
What I have given them
will be taken(AH) from them.[a]’”
14 Why are we sitting here?
Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities(AI)
and perish there!
For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish
and given us poisoned water(AJ) to drink,
because we have sinned(AK) against him.
15 We hoped for peace(AL)
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.(AM)
16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses(AN)
is heard from Dan;(AO)
at the neighing of their stallions
the whole land trembles.(AP)
They have come to devour(AQ)
the land and everything in it,
the city and all who live there.
17 “See, I will send venomous snakes(AR) among you,
vipers that cannot be charmed,(AS)
and they will bite you,”
declares the Lord.
18 You who are my Comforter[b] in sorrow,
my heart is faint(AT) within me.
19 Listen to the cry of my people
from a land far away:(AU)
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
Is her King(AV) no longer there?”
20 “The harvest is past,
the summer has ended,
and we are not saved.”
21 Since my people are crushed,(AZ) I am crushed;
I mourn,(BA) and horror grips me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead?(BB)
Is there no physician(BC) there?
Why then is there no healing(BD)
for the wound of my people?
9 [c]1 Oh, that my head were a spring of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears!(BE)
I would weep(BF) day and night
for the slain of my people.(BG)
2 Oh, that I had in the desert(BH)
a lodging place for travelers,
so that I might leave my people
and go away from them;
for they are all adulterers,(BI)
a crowd of unfaithful(BJ) people.
3 “They make ready their tongue
like a bow, to shoot lies;(BK)
it is not by truth
that they triumph[d] in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
they do not acknowledge(BL) me,”
declares the Lord.
4 “Beware of your friends;(BM)
do not trust anyone in your clan.(BN)
For every one of them is a deceiver,[e](BO)
and every friend a slanderer.(BP)
5 Friend deceives friend,(BQ)
and no one speaks the truth.(BR)
They have taught their tongues to lie;(BS)
they weary themselves with sinning.
6 You[f] live in the midst of deception;(BT)
in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”
declares the Lord.
7 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says:
“See, I will refine(BU) and test(BV) them,
for what else can I do
because of the sin of my people?
8 Their tongue(BW) is a deadly arrow;
it speaks deceitfully.
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,(BX)
but in their hearts they set traps(BY) for them.(BZ)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(CA) myself
on such a nation as this?”
10 I will weep and wail for the mountains
and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands.(CB)
They are desolate and untraveled,
and the lowing of cattle is not heard.
The birds(CC) have all fled
and the animals are gone.
11 “I will make Jerusalem a heap(CD) of ruins,
a haunt of jackals;(CE)
and I will lay waste the towns of Judah(CF)
so no one can live there.”(CG)
12 Who is wise(CH) enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?
13 The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.(CI) 14 Instead, they have followed(CJ) the stubbornness of their hearts;(CK) they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” 15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food(CL) and drink poisoned water.(CM) 16 I will scatter them among nations(CN) that neither they nor their ancestors have known,(CO) and I will pursue them with the sword(CP) until I have made an end of them.”(CQ)
17 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Consider now! Call for the wailing women(CR) to come;
send for the most skillful of them.
18 Let them come quickly
and wail over us
till our eyes overflow with tears
and water streams from our eyelids.(CS)
19 The sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
‘How ruined(CT) we are!
How great is our shame!
We must leave our land
because our houses are in ruins.’”
20 Now, you women, hear the word of the Lord;
open your ears to the words of his mouth.(CU)
Teach your daughters how to wail;
teach one another a lament.(CV)
21 Death has climbed in through our windows(CW)
and has entered our fortresses;
it has removed the children from the streets
and the young men(CX) from the public squares.
22 Say, “This is what the Lord declares:
“‘Dead bodies will lie
like dung(CY) on the open field,
like cut grain behind the reaper,
with no one to gather them.’”
23 This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom(CZ)
or the strong boast of their strength(DA)
or the rich boast of their riches,(DB)
24 but let the one who boasts boast(DC) about this:
that they have the understanding to know(DD) me,
that I am the Lord,(DE) who exercises kindness,(DF)
justice and righteousness(DG) on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.
25 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh(DH)— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the wilderness in distant places.[g](DI) For all these nations are really uncircumcised,(DJ) and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.(DK)”
God and Idols(DL)
10 Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. 2 This is what the Lord says:
“Do not learn the ways of the nations(DM)
or be terrified by signs(DN) in the heavens,
though the nations are terrified by them.
3 For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman(DO) shapes it with his chisel.(DP)
4 They adorn it with silver(DQ) and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter.(DR)
5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
their idols cannot speak;(DS)
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.(DT)
Do not fear them;
they can do no harm(DU)
nor can they do any good.”(DV)
6 No one is like you,(DW) Lord;
you are great,(DX)
and your name is mighty in power.
7 Who should not fear(DY) you,
King of the nations?(DZ)
This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations
and in all their kingdoms,
there is no one like you.
8 They are all senseless(EA) and foolish;(EB)
they are taught by worthless wooden idols.(EC)
9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish(ED)
and gold from Uphaz.
What the craftsman and goldsmith have made(EE)
is then dressed in blue and purple—
all made by skilled workers.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God,(EF) the eternal King.(EG)
When he is angry,(EH) the earth trembles;(EI)
the nations cannot endure his wrath.(EJ)
11 “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish(EK) from the earth and from under the heavens.’”[h]
12 But God made(EL) the earth(EM) by his power;
he founded the world by his wisdom(EN)
and stretched out the heavens(EO) by his understanding.
13 When he thunders,(EP) the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning(EQ) with the rain(ER)
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.(ES)
14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is shamed(ET) by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;(EU)
they have no breath in them.
15 They are worthless,(EV) the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.
16 He who is the Portion(EW) of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the Maker of all things,(EX)
including Israel, the people of his inheritance(EY)—
the Lord Almighty is his name.(EZ)
Coming Destruction
17 Gather up your belongings(FA) to leave the land,
you who live under siege.
18 For this is what the Lord says:
“At this time I will hurl(FB) out
those who live in this land;
I will bring distress(FC) on them
so that they may be captured.”
19 Woe to me because of my injury!
My wound(FD) is incurable!
Yet I said to myself,
“This is my sickness, and I must endure(FE) it.”
20 My tent(FF) is destroyed;
all its ropes are snapped.
My children are gone from me and are no more;(FG)
no one is left now to pitch my tent
or to set up my shelter.
21 The shepherds(FH) are senseless(FI)
and do not inquire of the Lord;(FJ)
so they do not prosper(FK)
and all their flock is scattered.(FL)
22 Listen! The report is coming—
a great commotion from the land of the north!(FM)
It will make the towns of Judah desolate,(FN)
a haunt of jackals.(FO)
Jeremiah’s Prayer
23 Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own;
it is not for them to direct their steps.(FP)
24 Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure—
not in your anger,(FQ)
or you will reduce me to nothing.(FR)
25 Pour out your wrath on the nations(FS)
that do not acknowledge you,
on the peoples who do not call on your name.(FT)
For they have devoured(FU) Jacob;
they have devoured him completely
and destroyed his homeland.(FV)
The Covenant Is Broken
11 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the terms of this covenant(FW) 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(FX) 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,(FY) out of the iron-smelting furnace.(FZ)’ I said, ‘Obey(GA) me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people,(GB) and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore(GC) to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’(GD)—the land you possess today.”
I answered, “Amen,(GE) Lord.”
6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim(GF) all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow(GG) them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again,(GH) saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention;(GI) instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(GJ) So I brought on them all the curses(GK) of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.(GL)’”
9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy(GM) among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors,(GN) who refused to listen to my words.(GO) They have followed other gods(GP) to serve them.(GQ) Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant(GR) I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster(GS) they cannot escape.(GT) Although they cry(GU) out to me, I will not listen(GV) 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,(GW) but they will not help them at all when disaster(GX) strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods(GY) as you have towns;(GZ) and the altars you have set up to burn incense(HA) to that shameful(HB) god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’
14 “Do not pray(HC) for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen(HD) 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(HE) avert your punishment?(HF)
When you engage in your wickedness,
then you rejoice.[i]”
16 The Lord called you a thriving olive tree(HG)
with fruit beautiful in form.
But with the roar of a mighty storm
he will set it on fire,(HH)
and its branches will be broken.(HI)
17 The Lord Almighty, who planted(HJ) you, has decreed disaster(HK) for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused(HL) my anger by burning incense to Baal.(HM)
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;(HN) I did not realize that they had plotted(HO) against me, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,(HP)
that his name be remembered(HQ) no more.”
20 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously(HR)
and test the heart(HS) and mind,(HT)
let me see your vengeance(HU) on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth(HV) who are threatening to kill you,(HW) saying, “Do not prophesy(HX) in the name of the Lord or you will die(HY) by our hands”— 22 therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men(HZ) will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23 Not even a remnant(IA) will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.(IB)”
Jeremiah’s Complaint
12 You are always righteous,(IC) Lord,
when I bring a case(ID) before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:(IE)
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?(IF)
Why do all the faithless live at ease?
2 You have planted(IG) them, and they have taken root;
they grow and bear fruit.(IH)
You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts.(II)
3 Yet you know me, Lord;
you see me and test(IJ) my thoughts about you.
Drag them off like sheep(IK) to be butchered!
Set them apart for the day of slaughter!(IL)
4 How long will the land lie parched(IM)
and the grass in every field be withered?(IN)
Because those who live in it are wicked,
the animals and birds have perished.(IO)
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[j] in safe country,
how will you manage in the thickets(IP) by[k] the Jordan?
6 Your relatives, members of your own family—
even they have betrayed you;
they have raised a loud cry against you.(IQ)
Do not trust them,
though they speak well of you.(IR)
7 “I will forsake(IS) my house,
abandon(IT) my inheritance;
I will give the one I love(IU)
into the hands of her enemies.(IV)
8 My inheritance has become to me
like a lion(IW) in the forest.
She roars at me;
therefore I hate her.(IX)
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.(IY)
10 Many shepherds(IZ) will ruin my vineyard
and trample down my field;
they will turn my pleasant field
into a desolate wasteland.(JA)
11 It will be made a wasteland,(JB)
parched and desolate before me;(JC)
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(JD) of the Lord(JE) will devour(JF)
from one end of the land to the other;(JG)
no one will be safe.(JH)
13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns;
they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.(JI)
They will bear the shame of their harvest
because of the Lord’s fierce anger.”(JJ)
14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance(JK) I gave my people Israel, I will uproot(JL) them from their lands and I will uproot(JM) the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion(JN) and will bring(JO) each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn(JP) well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’(JQ)—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal(JR)—then they will be established among my people.(JS) 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy(JT) it,” declares the Lord.
A Linen Belt
13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” 2 So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist.
3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time:(JU) 4 “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath[l](JV) and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” 5 So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.(JW)
6 Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” 7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride(JX) of Jerusalem. 10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen(JY) to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts(JZ) and go after other gods(KA) to serve and worship them,(KB) will be like this belt—completely useless!(KC) 11 For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown(KD) and praise and honor.(KE) But they have not listened.’(KF)
Wineskins
12 “Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every wineskin should be filled with wine.’ And if they say to you, ‘Don’t we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’ 13 then tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to fill with drunkenness(KG) all who live in this land, including the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets and all those living in Jerusalem. 14 I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the Lord. I will allow no pity(KH) or mercy or compassion(KI) to keep me from destroying(KJ) them.’”
Threat of Captivity
15 Hear and pay attention,
do not be arrogant,
for the Lord has spoken.(KK)
16 Give glory(KL) to the Lord your God
before he brings the darkness,
before your feet stumble(KM)
on the darkening hills.
You hope for light,
but he will turn it to utter darkness
and change it to deep gloom.(KN)
17 If you do not listen,(KO)
I will weep in secret
because of your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly,
overflowing with tears,(KP)
because the Lord’s flock(KQ) will be taken captive.(KR)
18 Say to the king(KS) and to the queen mother,(KT)
“Come down from your thrones,
for your glorious crowns(KU)
will fall from your heads.”
19 The cities in the Negev will be shut up,
and there will be no one to open them.
All Judah(KV) will be carried into exile,
carried completely away.
20 Look up and see
those who are coming from the north.(KW)
Where is the flock(KX) that was entrusted to you,
the sheep of which you boasted?
21 What will you say when the Lord sets over you
those you cultivated as your special allies?(KY)
Will not pain grip you
like that of a woman in labor?(KZ)
22 And if you ask yourself,
“Why has this happened to me?”(LA)—
it is because of your many sins(LB)
that your skirts have been torn off(LC)
and your body mistreated.(LD)
23 Can an Ethiopian[m] change his skin
or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
who are accustomed to doing evil.(LE)
24 “I will scatter you like chaff(LF)
driven by the desert wind.(LG)
25 This is your lot,
the portion(LH) I have decreed for you,”
declares the Lord,
“because you have forgotten(LI) me
and trusted in false gods.(LJ)
26 I will pull up your skirts over your face
that your shame may be seen(LK)—
27 your adulteries and lustful neighings,
your shameless prostitution!(LL)
I have seen your detestable acts
on the hills and in the fields.(LM)
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
How long will you be unclean?”(LN)
Drought, Famine, Sword
14 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:(LO)
2 “Judah mourns,(LP)
her cities languish;
they wail for the land,
and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
3 The nobles send their servants for water;
they go to the cisterns
but find no water.(LQ)
They return with their jars unfilled;
dismayed and despairing,
they cover their heads.(LR)
4 The ground is cracked
because there is no rain in the land;(LS)
the farmers are dismayed
and cover their heads.
5 Even the doe in the field
deserts her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.(LT)
6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights(LU)
and pant like jackals;
their eyes fail
for lack of food.”(LV)
7 Although our sins testify(LW) against us,
do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.(LX)
For we have often rebelled;(LY)
we have sinned(LZ) against you.
8 You who are the hope(MA) of Israel,
its Savior(MB) in times of distress,(MC)
why are you like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who stays only a night?
9 Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
like a warrior powerless to save?(MD)
You are among(ME) us, Lord,
and we bear your name;(MF)
do not forsake(MG) us!
10 This is what the Lord says about this people:
“They greatly love to wander;
they do not restrain their feet.(MH)
So the Lord does not accept(MI) them;
he will now remember(MJ) their wickedness
and punish them for their sins.”(MK)
11 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray(ML) for the well-being of this people. 12 Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry;(MM) though they offer burnt offerings(MN) and grain offerings,(MO) I will not accept(MP) them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword,(MQ) famine(MR) and plague.”(MS)
13 But I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! The prophets(MT) keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine.(MU) Indeed, I will give you lasting peace(MV) in this place.’”
14 Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies(MW) in my name. I have not sent(MX) them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions,(MY) divinations,(MZ) idolatries[n] and the delusions of their own minds. 15 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ Those same prophets will perish(NA) by sword and famine.(NB) 16 And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury(NC) them, their wives, their sons and their daughters.(ND) I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.(NE)
17 “Speak this word to them:
“‘Let my eyes overflow with tears(NF)
night and day without ceasing;
for the Virgin(NG) Daughter, my people,
has suffered a grievous wound,
a crushing blow.(NH)
18 If I go into the country,
I see those slain by the sword;
if I go into the city,
I see the ravages of famine.(NI)
Both prophet and priest
have gone to a land they know not.(NJ)’”
19 Have you rejected Judah completely?(NK)
Do you despise Zion?
Why have you afflicted us
so that we cannot be healed?(NL)
We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.(NM)
20 We acknowledge(NN) our wickedness, Lord,
and the guilt of our ancestors;(NO)
we have indeed sinned(NP) against you.
21 For the sake of your name(NQ) do not despise us;
do not dishonor your glorious throne.(NR)
Remember your covenant(NS) with us
and do not break it.
22 Do any of the worthless idols(NT) of the nations bring rain?(NU)
Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
Therefore our hope is in you,
for you are the one who does all this.(NV)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Jeremiah 8:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Jeremiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-26 is numbered 9:1-25.
- Jeremiah 9:3 Or lies; / they are not valiant for truth
- Jeremiah 9:4 Or a deceiving Jacob
- Jeremiah 9:6 That is, Jeremiah (the Hebrew is singular)
- Jeremiah 9:26 Or wilderness and who clip the hair by their foreheads
- Jeremiah 10:11 The text of this verse is in Aramaic.
- 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
- Jeremiah 13:4 Or possibly to the Euphrates; similarly in verses 5-7
- Jeremiah 13:23 Hebrew Cushite (probably a person from the upper Nile region)
- Jeremiah 14:14 Or visions, worthless divinations
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.