Beginning

10 The house of Israel, hear ye the word which the Lord spake on you. (The house of Israel, hear ye the word which the Lord spoke against you.)

² The Lord saith these things, Do not ye learn after the ways of heathen men, and do not ye dread of the signs of heaven, which signs heathen men dread. (The Lord saith these things, Do not ye learn after the ways of the heathen, and do not ye fear the signs of the heavens, which signs the heathen fear.)

³ For the laws of peoples be vain (For the religions, or the customs, of the peoples, or of the nations, be empty and futile), for why the work of [the] hands of a craftsman hath cut down with an ax a tree of the forest.

⁴ He made it fair with silver and gold; (and) with nails and hammers he joined it together, that it be not loosed [atwain].

⁵ Idols be made in the likeness of a palm tree, and shall not speak; those shall be taken and be borne (about), for those may not go; therefore do not ye dread those, for they may neither do evil, neither well. (These idols be made straight and tall like a palm tree, but they cannot speak; they must be picked up and carried about, for they cannot walk; and so do not ye fear them, for they can do neither good nor evil to you/for you.)

⁶ Lord, none is like thee (Lord, there is no one like thee); thou art great, and thy name is great in strength.

⁷ A! thou king of folks, who shall not dread thee? for why honour is thine among all wise men of heathen men, and in all the realms of them none is like thee. (O! thou King of nations, who shall not fear thee? for honour is thine among all the wise of the heathen, and in all their kingdoms there is no one like thee.)

⁸ They shall be proved unwise and fools together; the teaching of their vanity is a tree. (They shall be proved altogether unwise and foolish; their empty and futile teaching is from a piece of wood.)

⁹ Silver wrapped is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz (Silver beaten into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Ophir); it is the work of a craftsman, and of the hand(s) of a worker in metal; jacinth and purple be the clothing of them; all these things be the work of workmen.

¹⁰ Forsooth the Lord is very God; he is God living, and a king everlasting; the earth shall be moved together of his indignation, and heathen men shall not (be able to) suffer the menacing of him. (For the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, and the everlasting King; the earth shall be altogether shaken by his indignation, and the heathen shall not be able to suffer his threats.)

¹¹ Therefore thus ye shall say to them, Gods that made not heaven and earth, perish from the earth, and from these things that be under heaven. (And so ye shall say this to them, The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth, shall perish from the earth, and from these things that be under the heavens.)

¹² He is God, that maketh the earth in his strength, that maketh ready the world in his wisdom, and stretcheth forth (the) heavens by his prudence. (He is God, who maketh the earth by his strength, who prepareth the world by his wisdom, and who stretcheth forth the heavens by his prudence, or by his knowledge.)

¹³ At his voice he giveth the multitude of waters in (the) heaven(s), and he raiseth [up] mists from the ends of (the) earth; he maketh lightnings into rain, and leadeth out wind of his treasures/of his treasuries (and leadeth forth the wind from his storehouses).

¹⁴ Each man is made a fool of [his] knowing, each craftsman is shamed in a graven image; for why that that he welled together is false, and no spirit is in them. (Each person is made a fool by his knowledge, each craftsman is shamed by a carved, or a cast, idol; for what he welded together is false, and no breath, or life, is in them.)

¹⁵ Those be vain (They be empty and futile), and a work worthy of scorn; those shall perish in the time of their visitation.

¹⁶ The part of Jacob is not like these, for he that formed all things is God of Jacob, and Israel is the rod of his heritage; the Lord of hosts is name to him. (The portion of Jacob is not like these, for he who formed all things is the God of Jacob, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name.)

¹⁷ Thou that dwellest in besieging, gather from the land thy shame; (Thou who livest under siege, gather up thy goods from the land;)

¹⁸ for the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall cast away far the dwellers of the land in this while; and I shall give tribulation to them, so that they be not found. (for the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall cast far away the inhabitants of the land at this time; and I shall give them so much trouble, that they shall never be found again.)

¹⁹ Woe to me on my sorrow, my wound is full evil; forsooth I said, Plainly this is my sickness, and I shall bear it. (Woe to me for my sorrow, my wound is very bad; but I said, Truly this is my plight, and I shall bear it.)

²⁰ My tabernacle is destroyed, all my ropes be broken; my sons went out from me, and be not; none is that shall stretch forth more my tent, and shall raise [up] my skins. (My tent is destroyed, all my ropes be broken; my sons and daughters went out from me, and now be not; there is no longer anyone who shall stretch forth my tent, and shall raise up my curtains.)

²¹ For the shepherds did follily, and sought not the Lord (For the shepherds of the people did foolishly, and did not seek the Lord); therefore they understood not, and all the flock of them is scattered.

²² Lo! the voice of hearing cometh, and a great moving together from the land of the north, that it set the cities of Judah into wilderness, and a dwelling place of dragons. (Lo! tidings come, and then a great tumult from the land of the north, that shall turn the cities of Judah into a wilderness, and into a dwelling place for dragons, or for jackals.)

²³ Lord, I know, that the way of a man is not of him(self), neither it is of a man that he go, and (ad)dress his steps. (Lord, I know, that the way of a person is not their own choosing, nor is it for anyone that they can go, and direct their own steps.)

²⁴ Lord, chastise thou me; nevertheless in doom, and not in thy strong vengeance, lest peradventure thou drive me to nought. (Lord, discipline, or correct, thou me; nevertheless with justice/in judgement, and not with thy strong vengeance, lest perhaps thou drive me down to nothing.)

²⁵ Pour out thine indignation on heathen men that knew not thee, and on provinces that called not thy name to help; for they ate Jacob, and devoured him, and wasted him, and destroyed the honour of him. (Pour out thy indignation upon the heathen who do not know thee, and upon the provinces that did not call on thy name for help; for they ate up Jacob, and devoured him, and wasted him, and destroyed his honour.)

11 The word that was made of the Lord to Jeremy, and said, (The word of the Lord that was made to Jeremiah, and said,)

² Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak ye to the men of Judah, and to the dwellers of Jerusalem; (Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak ye to the people of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;)

³ and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Cursed be the man that heareth not the words of this covenant, (and thou shalt say to them, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Cursed be the person who would not listen to, or obey, the words of this covenant,)

⁴ which I commanded to your fathers, in the day in which I led them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace; and I said, Hear ye my voice, and do ye all things which I commanded to you, and ye shall be into a people to me, and I shall be into God to you;

⁵ that I raise (up) the oath which I swore to your fathers, that I should give to them a land flowing with milk and honey, as this day is (as it is this day). And I answered, and said, Amen, Lord.

⁶ And the Lord said to me, Cry thou [out] all these words in the cities of Judah, and without[forth] Jerusalem, and say thou, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do ye them;

⁷ for I witnessing have witnessed to your fathers, in the day in which I led them out of the land of Egypt, unto this day; I rose (up) early, and witnessed, and said, Hear ye my voice.

⁸ And they heard not, neither bowed down their ear, but they went forth each man in the shrewdness of his evil heart (But they would not listen, or obey, nor bowed down their ear, but they went forth each person in the depravity of their own evil heart); and I brought in on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded that they should do, and they did not.

⁹ And the Lord said to me, Swearing together is found in the men of Judah, and in the dwellers of Jerusalem; (And the Lord said to me, Conspiracy, or plotting together, is found among the people of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem;)

¹⁰ they turned again to the former wickednesses of their fathers, that would not hear my words; and therefore these men went after alien gods, for to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah made void my covenant, which I made with the fathers of them. (they returned to the former wickednesses of their forefathers, who would not listen to, or obey, my words; and so these people went after strange, or foreign, gods, to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah made void my covenant, which I had made with their forefathers.)

¹¹ Wherefore the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall bring in on them evils, of which they shall not be able to go out (from which they shall not be able to escape); and they shall cry to me, and I shall not hear them.

¹² And the cities of Judah and the dwellers of Jerusalem shall go, and shall cry to them to which they offer sacrifices; and they shall not save them in the time of their torment. (And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall go, and shall cry to them to which they offer sacrifices; but they shall not save them in their time of torment.)

¹³ For thou, Judah, thy gods were by the number of thy cities, and thou settedest altars of shame, by the number of the ways of Jerusalem, altars to offer sacrifices to Baalim (altars to offer sacrifices to Baal).

¹⁴ Therefore do not thou pray for this people, and take thou not (up) praising and prayer for them; for I shall not hear (them) in the time of the cry of them to me, in the time of the torment of them.

¹⁵ What is it, that my darling doeth many great trespasses in mine house? whether holy fleshes shall do away from thee thy malice, in which thou hast glory? (What right hath my darling to be in my House, she who doeth so many great trespasses? shall holy flesh do away from thee thy malice, in which thou hast so much glory?)

¹⁶ The Lord called thy name an olive tree, fair, full of fruit, shapely; at the voice of a great speech, fire burnt on high therein, and the bushes thereof be burnt. (Once the Lord called thee an olive tree, yea, beautiful, full of fruit, and shapely; but now, at the sound of a great shout, fire shall burn on high there, and its bushes shall be burned down.)

¹⁷ And the Lord of hosts that planted thee, spake evil on thee, for the evils of the house of Israel, and of the house of Judah, which they did to themselves, and offered to Baalim, to stir me to wrath. (And the Lord of hosts who planted thee, spoke evil against thee, for the evils of the house of Israel, and of the house of Judah, which they did to themselves, when they stirred me to anger, by offering to Baal.)

¹⁸ Forsooth, Lord, thou showedest to me, and I knew; thou showedest to me the studies of them. (But, Lord, thou hast shown me, and so I knew; yea, thou hast shown me their deeds.)

¹⁹ And I am as a mild lamb, which is borne to slain sacrifice; and I knew not, that they thought counsels on me, and said, Send we a tree into the bread of him, and raze we him away from the land of livers, and his name be no more had in mind. (And I am like a meek lamb, which is carried to the slain sacrifice; and I knew not that they thought up plans against me, and said, Destroy we the tree with its fruit, and raze we him down from the land of the living, and his name shall no longer be remembered.)

²⁰ But thou, Lord of hosts, that deemest justly, and provest reins and hearts, see I thy vengeance of them; for to thee I showed my cause. (But thou, Lord of hosts, who judgest justly, and provest reins and hearts, let me see thy vengeance against them; for I have shown my cause to thee/for I have made my case to thee.)

²¹ Therefore the Lord saith these things to the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, and say, Thou shalt not prophesy in the name of the Lord, and thou shalt not die in our hands. (And so the Lord saith these things to those people of Anathoth, who seek thy life, and say, Prophesy thou no more in the name of the Lord, and then thou shalt not die by our hands.)

²² Therefore the Lord of hosts saith these things, Lo! I shall visit on them; the young men of them shall die by sword, the sons of them, and the daughters of them, shall die for hunger; (And so the Lord of hosts saith these things, Lo! I shall punish them; their young men shall die by the sword, and their sons, and their daughters, shall die by hunger;)

²³ and no remnants, either children left, shall be of them; for I shall bring in evil on the men of Anathoth, the year of the visitation of them. (and there shall be no remnant, or any children, left of them; for I shall bring in evil upon the people of Anathoth, yea, the time of their punishment.)

12 Forsooth, Lord, thou art just; if I dispute with thee, nevertheless I shall speak (about) just things to thee. Why hath the way of wicked men prosperity? It is well to all men that break the law, and do wickedly? (But, Lord, thou art just; and if I dispute with thee, nevertheless I shall speak about just things with thee. Why hath the ways of the wicked prospered? Why is it well with all those who break the law, and who do wickedly?)

² Thou hast planted them, and they sent (out) root; they increase, and make fruit; thou art nigh to the mouth of them, and far from the reins of them.

³ And thou, Lord, hast known me, thou hast seen me, and hast proved mine heart with thee. Gather thou them together as a flock to slain sacrifice, and hallow thou them in the day of slaying.

⁴ How long shall the earth mourn, and each herb of the field shall be dried, for the malice of them that dwell therein? A beast is wasted, and a bird, for they said, The Lord shall not see our last things. (How long shall the land mourn, and the grass on each field shall be dried up, because of the malice of those who live there? Yea, a beast is destroyed, and also a bird, because those people said, The Lord shall not see what we do.)

⁵ If thou travailest running with footmen, how shalt thou be able to strive with horses? but when thou art secure in the land of peace, what shalt thou do in the pride of Jordan? (what shalt thou do in the thickets of the Jordan River?)

⁶ For why both thy brethren and the house of thy father, yea, they fought against thee, and cried with full voice after thee; believe thou not to them, when they speak goods to thee (do not thou believe them, when they say their fine words to thee).

⁷ I have left mine house, I have forsaken mine heritage; I gave my loved soul into the hands of enemies thereof. (I have left my house, I have abandoned my inheritance; I gave the beloved of my soul into the hands of their enemies.)

⁸ Mine heritage is made as a lion in the wood to me; it gave voice against me, therefore I hated it. (My inheritance is made like a lion in the woods to me; they gave voice against me, and so I hated them.)

⁹ Whether mine heritage is (like) a bird of diverse colours to me? whether it is (like) a bird dyed throughout? All beasts of the field, come ye, be ye gathered together; haste ye for to devour. (Is my inheritance like but a bird of diverse colours to me? is it like but a bird dyed throughout? All the beasts of the field, come ye, be ye gathered together; hasten ye to devour!/hasten ye to the feast!)

¹⁰ Many shepherds destroyed my vinery, defouled my part, gave my desirable portion into desert of wilderness; (Many shepherds destroyed my vineyard, and defiled my portion, yea, they turned my desirable portion into a desert of wilderness;)

¹¹ they setted it into scattering, and it mourned on me (and it mourned for me); all the land is desolate by desolation, for none is that again-thinketh (on it) in (his) heart.

¹² All (the) destroyers of the land came on all the ways of (the) desert, for the sword of the Lord shall devour from the last part of the land unto the last part thereof; no peace is to all flesh (no flesh shall have any peace).

¹³ They sowed wheat, and reaped thorns; they took heritage, and it shall not profit to them. Ye shall be shamed of your fruits, for the wrath of the strong vengeance of the Lord. (They sowed wheat, and reaped thorns; they took hold of their inheritance, but it shall not profit them. Ye shall be shamed by your fruits/Ye shall be ashamed of your fruits, because of the anger of the strong vengeance of the Lord.)

¹⁴ The Lord saith these things against all my worst neighbours, that touch the heritage which I parted to my people Israel (who touch the inheritance which I gave to my people Israel), Lo! I shall draw them out of their land, and I shall draw the house of Judah out of the midst of them.

¹⁵ And when I shall draw out those Jews, I shall turn again, and have mercy on them; and I shall lead them again, a man to his heritage, and a man into his land. (But after I shall draw out those Jews, I shall return, and have mercy on them; and I shall lead them again, each person to his own inheritance, and to his own land.)

¹⁶ And it shall be, if they that be taught learn the ways of my people, that they swear in my name, The Lord liveth, as they taught my people to swear in Baal, they shall be builded in the midst of my people. (And it shall be, if they who be taught learn the ways of my people, that they swear in my name, As the Lord liveth, like they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up, or shall flourish and prosper, in the midst of my people.)

¹⁷ That if they hear not, I shall draw out that folk by drawing out and perdition, saith the Lord. (But if they will not listen, or obey, then I shall draw out that nation, or that people, by drawing out and perdition, saith the Lord.)

13 The Lord saith these things to me, Go, and take in possession to thee a linen breech-girdle; and thou shalt put it on thy loins, and thou shalt not bear it into water.

² And I took in possession a breech-girdle, by the word of the Lord; and I putted about my loins (and I put it about my loins).

³ And the word of the Lord was made to me in the second time, and said,

⁴ Take the breech-girdle, which thou haddest in possession, which is about thy loins; and rise thou, and go to Euphrates (and rise thou, and go to the Euphrates River), and hide thou it there, in the hole of a stone.

⁵ And I went, and hid it in Euphrates (and hid it by the Euphrates River), as the Lord commanded to me.

⁶ And it was done after full many days, the Lord said to me, Rise thou, and go to Euphrates (Rise thou, and go to the Euphrates River), and take from thence the breech-girdle, which I commanded to thee, that thou shouldest hide it there.

⁷ And I went to Euphrates, and digged out, and I took the breech-girdle from the place, where I had hid it; and lo! the breech-girdle was rotten, so that it was not able to any use. (And I went to the Euphrates River, and dug it out, and I took the breech-girdle from the place, where I had hidden it; and lo! the breech-girdle was rotten, so that now it was good for nothing.)

⁸ And the word of the Lord was made to me, and said,

⁹ The Lord saith these things, So I shall make rotten the pride of Judah, and the much pride of Jerusalem,

¹⁰ and this worst people, that will not hear my words, and go in the shrewdness of their heart; and they went after alien gods, to serve them, and to worship them; and they shall be as this breech-girdle, which is not able to any use. (and this worst people, who will not listen to, or obey, my words, and who go in the depravity of their hearts; and they went after strange, or foreign, gods, to serve them, and to worship them; and they shall be like this breech-girdle, which now is good for nothing.)

¹¹ For as a breech-girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so I joined fast to me all the house of Israel, and all the house of Judah, saith the Lord, that they should be to me into a people, and into name, and into praising, and into glory; and they heard not. (For like a breech-girdle cleaveth to a man’s loins, so I securely joined to me all the house of Israel, and all the house of Judah, saith the Lord, so that they would be my people, and they would bring praises, and glory, to my name; but they would not listen to, or obey, me.)

¹² Therefore thou shalt say to them this word, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Each pottle shall be filled of wine. And they shall say to thee, Whether we know not, that each pottle shall be filled of wine? (And so thou shalt say this word to them, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Each bottle, or each wine jar, shall be filled with wine. And they shall say to thee, Do we not know, that each bottle, or each wine jar, shall be filled with wine?)

¹³ And thou shalt say to them, The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall fill with drunkenness all the dwellers of this land, and the kings of the generation of David, that sit on his throne, and the priests, and prophets, and all the dwellers of Jerusalem. (And thou shalt say to them, The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings who be descended from David, who sit on his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.)

¹⁴ And I shall scatter them, a man from his brother, and the fathers and sons together, saith the Lord; I shall not spare, and I shall not grant, neither I shall do mercy, that I lose not them. (And then I shall destroy them, a man and his brother, and the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord; I shall not spare anyone, and I shall not grant anyone a reprieve, nor shall I have any mercy, so that I do not destroy them.)

¹⁵ Hear ye, and perceive with ears (Hear ye, and listen); do not ye be raised [up], for the Lord spake.

¹⁶ Give ye glory to your Lord God, before that it wax dark, and before that your feet hurt at [the] dark hills; ye shall abide light, and he shall set it into the shadow of death, and into darkness. (Give ye glory to the Lord your God, before that it grow dark, and before that your feet stumble on the dark hills; ye shall wait for the light, but he shall turn it into the shadow of death, and into darkness.)

¹⁷ That if ye hear not this, my soul shall weep in hid place for the face of pride; it weeping shall weep, and mine eye shall cast out a tear, for the flock of the Lord is taken. (And if ye do not listen to this, my soul shall weep in a hidden place because of thy pride; it weeping shall weep, and my eyes shall cast out tears, for the flock of the Lord is carried away captive.)

¹⁸ Say thou to the king, and to the lady, Be ye meeked, sit ye, for the crown of your glory shall go down from your head. (Say thou to the king, and to the queen, Be ye humbled, sit ye, for your glorious crowns shall go down from off your heads.)

¹⁹ The cities of the south be closed, and none is that openeth; all Judah is translated by perfect passing over, either going out of their land. (The cities of the south be besieged, and there is no one who can help them; all the people of Judah have been carried away captive.)

²⁰ Raise ye (up) your eyes, and see ye, what men come from the north; where is the flock which is given to thee, thy noble sheep?

²¹ What shalt thou say, when he shall visit thee? for thou hast taught them against thee, and thou hast taught against thine head. Whether sorrows have not taken thee, as a woman travailing of child? (What shalt thou say, when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be thy leaders, but now they be against thee. Shall sorrows not take hold of thee, like a woman in labour?)

²² That if thou sayest in thine heart, Why came these things to me? for the multitude of thy wickedness thy shamefuller things be showed, thy feet be defouled. (And if thou sayest in thy heart, Why did these things come to me? I shall answer, Because of the multitude of thy wickedness, thy shameful things be shown, and thy feet be defiled.)

²³ If a man of Ethiopia may change his skin (colour), either a leopard may change his diversities, and ye may do well, when ye have learned evil. (Only if a man of Ethiopia can change his skin colour, or if a leopard can change his spots, then can ye still do good, after all the evil that ye have learned.)

²⁴ And I shall sow them abroad, as stubble which is ravished, or taken away, of the wind in desert. (And so I shall sow them abroad, like stubble which is robbed, or is taken away, by the wind in the desert.)

²⁵ This is thy lot, and the part of thy measure of me, saith the Lord; for thou forgettedest me, and trustedest in a leasing. (This is thy lot, and the portion of thy measure from me, saith the Lord; for thou hast forgotten me, and hast trusted in lies.)

²⁶ Wherefore and I made naked thine hips against thy face, and thy shame appeared, (And so I made thy hips naked before thy face, and thy shameful things appeared,)

²⁷ thine adulteries, and thine neighing, and the felony of thy fornication on (the) little hills in the field; (yea,) I saw thine abominations. Jerusalem, woe to thee, thou shalt not be cleansed after me till yet (Jerusalem, woe to thee, if thou shalt not be cleansed by now, then when shall it be?).