Chronological
The Lord and the Idols
10 ·Family [L House] of Israel, ·listen to what [L hear the word that] the Lord says to you. 2 This is what he says:
“Don’t ·live like the people from [L learn the way/path of] other nations,
and don’t be ·afraid of [terrified by] special signs in the ·sky [heavens; C astrology],
even though the other nations are ·afraid [terrified] of them.
3 The ·customs [statutes; ordinances; requirements] of other people are ·worth nothing [meaningless; useless; L a breath].
·Their idols are just wood cut from the forest [L A tree from the forest is cut down],
shaped by a ·worker [craftsman] with his ·chisel [or ax; or adze; or blade].
4 They decorate their idols with silver and gold.
With hammers and nails they fasten them down
so they ·won’t fall over [can’t move].
5 Their idols are like scarecrows in ·melon [or cucumber] fields;
they cannot talk.
Since they cannot walk,
they must be carried.
Do not be afraid of those idols,
because they can’t hurt you,
and they ·can’t help you either [have no power to do good; Is. 40:18–20; 41:7, 29; 44:6–23; 46:5–7].”
6 Lord, there is no one like you.
You are great,
and your name is great and powerful.
7 ·Everyone should respect [L Who does not fear…?] you, King of the nations;
·you deserve respect [for it is your due].
Of all the wise people among the nations
and in all the kingdoms,
·none of them is as wise as you [L there is none like you].
8 Those wise people are stupid and foolish.
Their ·teachings [instructions] come from ·worthless [meaningless; useless] ·wooden idols [L pieces of wood].
9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish [C Tarshish may have been in Spain (Tartessus) or an island in the eastern Mediterranean; Jonah 1:3]
and gold from Uphaz [C high quality],
so the idols are made by craftsmen and ·goldsmiths [smelters].
They put blue and purple clothes on the idols.
All these things are made by skilled workers.
10 But the Lord is the only true God.
He is the only living God, the King forever.
The earth ·shakes [trembles] when he is angry,
and the nations cannot ·stand up to [endure] his anger.
11 “Tell them this message: ‘These gods did not make heaven and earth; they will ·be destroyed and disappear [perish] from heaven and earth [C this verse is in Aramaic, indicating it was a well known saying].’”
12 God made the earth by his power.
He used his wisdom to ·build [L establish] the world
and his understanding to stretch out the ·skies [heavens].
13 When he ·thunders [L gives forth his voice], the waters in the ·skies [heavens] ·roar [are in tumult].
He makes ·clouds [or mist] rise ·in the sky all over the earth [L from the ends of the earth].
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
14 People are so stupid and know so little.
·Goldsmiths [Smelters] are ·made ashamed [humiliated] by their idols,
because those ·statues are only false gods [L images are false].
They have no breath in them.
15 They are ·worth nothing [useless; meaningless; L a breath]; ·people make fun of them [laughable; a derision].
When they are judged, they will ·be destroyed [perish].
16 But Jacob’s [C another name for Israel] Portion [C referring to the Lord; God gives himself to Israel] is not like ·the idols [L these].
He ·made [L formed] everything,
and ·he chose Israel to be his special people [L Israel is the tribe of his inheritance].
The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is his name.
Destruction Is Coming
17 ·Get everything you own [L Gather your goods] ·and prepare to leave [or from the ground],
you people who are ·trapped by your enemies [L under siege].
18 This is what the Lord says:
“At this time I will ·throw [L sling] out the people who live in this land.
I will bring ·trouble [distress] to them
so that they may be ·captured [L squeezed].”
19 ·How terrible it will be for me [Woe to me] because of my ·injury [fracture].
My wound ·cannot be healed [is severe].
Yet I told myself,
“This is my ·sickness [or punishment]; I must ·suffer through [endure] it.”
20 My tent is ·ruined [destroyed; desolated],
and all its ropes are broken.
My children have gone away and left me.
No one is left to ·put up [stretch out] my tent again
or to set up ·a shelter for me [L my curtains].
21 The shepherds are stupid
and don’t ·ask the Lord for advice [L seek the Lord].
So they do not have success,
and all their flocks are scattered.
22 Listen! The news is coming.
A ·loud noise [great commotion] comes from the north [C the Babylonian army]
to make the towns of Judah an ·empty desert [desolation]
and a ·home [haunt] for wild dogs [jackals]!
Jeremiah’s Prayer
23 Lord, I know that ·our lives don’t really belong to us [L his way/path does not belong to people].
·We can’t control our own lives [L People as they walk cannot establish their steps].
24 Lord, ·correct [teach; instruct] me, but be ·fair [just].
Don’t punish me in your anger,
or you will ·destroy me [L make me dwindle].
25 Pour out your anger on other nations
that do not know you
and do not pray to you.
Those nations have ·destroyed [consumed] the people of Jacob.
They have ·eaten [consumed] them up completely
and ·destroyed [desolated] their homeland.
The Agreement Is Broken
11 These are the words that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah: 2 “Listen to the words of this ·agreement [covenant; treaty] and tell them to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the person who does not ·obey [listen to] the words of this ·agreement [covenant; treaty] 4 that I ·made with [L commanded] your ·ancestors [fathers] when I brought them out of Egypt [Ex. 19–24]. Egypt was like a furnace for melting iron!’ I told them, ‘·Obey me [L Listen to my voice] and do everything I command you. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5 Then I will ·keep [confirm] the ·promise [oath] I made to your ·ancestors [fathers] to give them a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8].’ ·And you are living in that country today [L …as it is today].”
I answered, “·Amen [So be it], Lord.”
6 The Lord said to me, “·Announce [Proclaim] ·this message [L all these words] in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the words of this ·agreement [covenant; treaty] and ·obey [L do] them. 7 I warned your ·ancestors [fathers] to obey me when I brought them out of Egypt [Ex. 12–15]. I have warned them again and again to this very day: “·Obey me [L Listen to my voice]!” 8 But your ·ancestors [fathers] did not ·listen [obey] or ·pay attention [L bend their ear] to me. They ·were stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted [L walked in the stubborness of their evil hearts]. So I made all the ·curses [L words] of this ·agreement [covenant; treaty] come upon them [Deut. 28:15–68]. I commanded them to obey the ·agreement [covenant; agreement], but they did not.’”
9 Then the Lord said to me, “I know the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem have made ·secret plans [a conspiracy]. 10 They have ·gone back [returned] to the ·same sins their ancestors did [iniquity of their fathers of old]. ·Their ancestors [L They] refused to listen to my ·message [L words] and ·followed and worshiped [L went after and served] other gods instead [Ex. 20:3]. The ·families [L house] of Israel and [L the house of] Judah have broken the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I ·made [L cut] with their ·ancestors [fathers]. 11 So this is what the Lord says: ‘I will soon bring ·a disaster [harm; evil] on them [C the people of Judah] which they will not be able to escape. They will cry to me for help, but I will not listen to them. 12 The ·people living in the towns [L towns] of Judah and the ·city [L inhabitants] of Jerusalem will ·pray [L cry for help] to ·their idols [L the gods] to whom they burn incense. But ·those idols [L they] will not be able to ·help [save them] when ·disaster [harm; evil] comes. 13 Look, people of Judah, you have as many ·idols [L gods] as there are towns in Judah. You have built as many altars to burn incense to that shameful god Baal as there are streets in Jerusalem.’
14 “As for you [C Jeremiah], don’t pray for these people or cry out for them or ask anything for them. I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their ·trouble [disaster; harm; evil].
15 “What is my beloved [C Judah; 12:7; Deut. 33:12; Ps. 60:5; 108:6; 127:2; Is. 5:1] doing in my ·Temple [L house]
when she makes many evil plans [C their idolatry cancels their right to be there]?
Do you think ·animal sacrifices [L sacred meat] will stop your ·punishment [disaster; harm; evil]?
Can you then be happy?”
16 The Lord called you “a ·leafy [green] olive tree,
with beautiful fruit and shape [Hos. 14:6].”
But with the roar of a ·strong storm [tempest]
he will set that tree on fire,
and its branches will be burned up.
17 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], who planted you, has announced that ·disaster [harm; evil] will come to you. This is because the ·families [L houses] of Israel and Judah have done evil and have made him angry by burning incense to Baal.
Evil Plans Against Jeremiah
18 The Lord ·showed [L made known to] me that people were making plans against me. Because he showed me what they were doing [C their evil deeds], I knew they were against me. 19 Before this, I was like a gentle lamb waiting to be ·butchered [slaughtered; Is. 53:7; John 1:29, 36]. I did not know they had made plans against me, saying:
“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit.
Let’s ·kill him [L cut him off from the land of the living] so ·people will forget him [L his name will no longer be remembered].”
20 But, Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], you ·are a fair judge [judge righteously].
You know how to test peoples’ ·hearts and minds [motives and thoughts].
I have ·told you what I have against them [committed my cause to you].
So let me see you give them the ·punishment [revenge] they deserve.
21 So the Lord speaks about the people from Anathoth [C Jeremiah’s hometown; 1:1; 12:6] who ·plan to kill Jeremiah [L seek your life] and say, “Don’t prophesy in the name of the Lord, or ·we will kill you [L you will die by our hand]!” 22 So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “I will soon punish the men [C from Anathoth]. Their young men will die ·in war [L by the sword]. Their sons and daughters will die from ·hunger [famine]. 23 ·No one from the city of Anathoth will be left alive [L They will have no remnant], because I will cause ·a disaster [harm; evil] to happen to them that year.”
Jeremiah’s First Complaint
12 Lord, when I bring ·my case to [charges against] you,
you are ·always right [righteous].
But I want to ·ask you about the justice you give [put my case to you].
Why ·are evil people [L is the way/path of the wicked] successful?
Why do ·dishonest [treasonous; treacherous] people ·have such easy lives [thrive; Job; Ps. 73; Eccl. 7:15–18; 8:10–12]?
2 You ·have put the evil people here
like plants with strong roots [L plant them; they take root].
They grow and produce fruit [17:7–8].
·With their mouths they speak well of you [L You are near in their mouths],
but ·their hearts are really far away from you [L far from their hearts/thoughts].
3 But you know ·my heart [L me], Lord.
You see me and test my ·thoughts [L heart] about you [1:5; Ps. 139].
Drag the evil people away like sheep to be ·butchered [slaughtered].
·Set them aside [C Consecrate them] for the day of killing.
4 How much longer will the land ·stay dried up [L mourn]
and the grass in every field be ·dead [dry]?
The animals and birds in the land ·have died [L are swept away],
because the people are evil.
Yes, they are even saying,
“God does not see what happens to us.”
The Lord’s Answer to Jeremiah
5 “If you ·get tired while racing against people [L raced with foot-runners and got tired],
how can you ·race against [compete with] horses?
·If you stumble in a country that is safe, [or You feel confident in a country that is safe, but…]
what will you do in the thick thornbushes along the Jordan River?
6 Even your own brothers and ·members of your own family [L the house of your father]
are ·making plans against [betraying] you.
They are crying out against you.
Don’t trust them,
even when they say nice things to you!
7 “I have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] ·Israel [L my house; Ezek. 8:1—11:25];
I have ·left [cast off] my ·people [L inheritance].
I have given the people I love [C Judah]
·over to [L into the palm of] their enemies.
8 My ·people [L inheritance] have become to me
like a lion in the forest.
They ·roar [L give forth their voice] at me,
so I hate them.
9 My people have become to me
like a ·speckled bird [or hyena’s lair] attacked on all sides by ·hawks [birds of prey].
Go, gather the ·wild animals [L beasts of the field].
Bring them to get something to eat.
10 Many shepherds [C the leaders of Judah] have ruined my vineyards
and trampled ·the plants in my field [L my portion].
They have turned my ·beautiful [precious; coveted; treasured] ·field [L portion]
into an empty ·desert [wilderness].
11 They have turned ·my field [L it] into ·a desert [desolation]
that is ·wilted [desolate] and ·dead [L mourns].
The whole country is ·an empty desert [desolate],
because no one ·who lives there cares [L sets it on heart].
12 ·Many soldiers [L Destroyers] have marched over those barren hills.
·The Lord is using the armies to punish that land [L The sword of the Lord devours]
from one end to the other.
·No one is safe [L There is no peace for all flesh].
13 The people have planted wheat,
but they have harvested only thorns.
They have worked hard until they were very tired,
but they have nothing for all their work.
They are ashamed of their poor harvest,
because the Lord’s terrible anger has caused this.”
14 This is what the Lord said to me: “Here is what I will do to all my wicked neighbors [C like Edom; Ps. 137:7; Obad. 10–14] who ·take [L touch] the ·land [L inheritance] I ·gave my people Israel [L made my people Israel inherit]. I will ·pull them up and throw them out of [L uproot them from] their land. And I will ·pull up [uproot] the ·people [L house] of Judah from among them. 15 But after I ·pull them up [uproot them; 1:10], I will ·feel sorry for [have compassion on] them again. I will ·bring [restore] each person back to his own ·property [inheritance] and to his own land. 16 I want them to learn their lessons well. In the past they taught my people to swear by Baal’s name. But if they will now learn to swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives…’ I will ·allow them to rebuild [build them up] among my people. 17 But if a nation will not listen to my message, I will ·pull it up [uproot] completely and destroy it,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah’s Linen Belt
13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen ·belt [loincloth; underwear; C priests like Jeremiah wore linen undergarments; Ex. 28:39; 39:27–29; Ezek. 44:17–18] and put it around your ·waist [loins]. Don’t let the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] ·get wet [be washed; be brought into water].”
2 So I bought a ·linen belt [loincloth; underwear], just as the Lord told me, and put it around my ·waist [loins]. 3 Then the Lord spoke his word to me a second time: 4 “Take the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] you bought and ·are wearing [L is on your loins], and go to Perath [C the name of the Euphrates River or a town near Jerusalem with a similar name (Josh. 18:23)]. Hide the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] there in a crack in the rocks.” 5 So I went to Perath and hid the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] there, just as the Lord ·told [commanded] me.
6 ·Many days later [L At the end of many days] the Lord said to me, “Now go to Perath [v. 4] and get the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] I ·told [commanded] you to hide there.” 7 So I went to Perath and dug up the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] and took it from where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined; it was good for nothing.
8 Then the Lord spoke his word to me. 9 This is what the Lord said: “In the same way I will ·ruin [destroy; rot away] the pride of the people of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These evil people refuse to listen to my ·warnings [L words]. They ·stubbornly do only what they want to do [L follow/go after their stubborn hearts], and they ·follow [L go after] other gods to serve and ·worship [bow down to] them. So they will become like this ·linen belt [loincloth; underwear]—good for nothing. 11 As a ·belt [loincloth; underwear] ·is wrapped tightly around [clings to] a person’s ·waist [loins], I ·wrapped the families of Israel and Judah around [L caused all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah to cling to] me,” says the Lord. “I did that so they would be my people and bring fame, praise, and ·honor [splendor] to me. But my people would not listen.
Warnings About Leather Wine Bags
12 “Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: All ·leather bags for holding wine [wineskins] should be filled with wine.’ People will say to you: ‘·Of course, we know [L Do we not know that…?] all wine bags should be filled with wine.’ 13 Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will ·make everyone in this land like a drunken person [L fill with drunkenness all who live in this land; C they will drink from the “cup of God’s wrath” (25:15–18)]—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests and the prophets, and all the people who live in Jerusalem. 14 I will make them smash against one another, fathers and sons alike, says the Lord. I will not feel sorry or have pity on them or show ·mercy [compassion] that would stop me from destroying them.’”
Threat of Slavery
15 Listen and ·pay attention [L give ear].
Don’t ·be too proud [exalt yourself],
because the Lord has spoken to you.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings darkness
and before ·you slip and fall [L your feet stumble]
on the dark hills.
You hope for light,
but he will turn it into thick darkness;
he will change it into deep gloom [Amos 5:18–20].
17 If you don’t listen to him,
I will cry secretly
because of your pride.
I will cry painfully,
and my eyes will ·overflow [run down] with tears,
because the ·Lord’s people [L the flock of the Lord] will be ·captured [exiled].
18 Tell this to the king and the queen mother [L perhaps Jehoiachin and his mother Nehushta who went into exile in 597 bc (22:26; 29:2; 2 Kin. 24:8–17)]
“Come down from your thrones,
because your ·beautiful [splendid; glorious] crowns
·have fallen [or will fall] from your heads.”
19 The cities of ·southern Judah [L the Negev] are ·locked [shut] up,
and no one can open them.
All Judah will be ·taken as captives to a foreign land [exiled; C to Babylon];
they will ·be carried away [exiled] completely [C the exile in 597 bc was a precursor to the more complete one in 586 bc].
20 Look up and see [C addressed to queen mother]
the people coming from the north [C the Babylonian army].
Where is the flock ·God gave you to care for [L given to you],
·the flock you bragged about [L your splendid flock; C the people of Judah]?
21 What will you say when ·they [or God] appoint as your ·heads [rulers]
those you had thought were your ·friends [allies]?
Won’t ·you have much pain and trouble [L pain seize you],
like a woman giving birth to a baby [4:31; 6:24; 22:23; 30:6; 48:41; 49:22, 24; 50:43]?
22 You might ·ask yourself [L say in your heart],
“Why has this happened to me?”
It happened because of your many ·sins [iniquities].
Because of your ·sins [iniquities], your skirt was torn off
and your ·body [L heel; C euphemism for genitals] has been ·treated badly [violated].
23 Can a person from ·Cush [Ethiopia] change ·his skin [L its color]?
Can a leopard change his spots?
In the same way, you [C Jerusalem] cannot change and do good,
because you are accustomed to doing evil.
24 “I will scatter you like chaff that is ·blown away [driven] by the ·desert [wilderness] wind.
25 This is ·what will happen to you [L your lot];
·this is your part in my plans [L the portion decreed for you],” says the Lord.
“Because you forgot me
and ·trusted [had confidence] in ·false gods [falsehood; lies],
26 I will pull your skirts up over your face
so everyone will see your ·shame [humiliation; Nah. 3:6].
27 I have seen the terrible things you have done:
your acts of adultery and your ·snorting [neighing; C like a horse in heat],
your prostitution,
your ·hateful [abominable; detestable] acts
on the hills and in the fields [C where they had shrines to false gods].
·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] you, Jerusalem.
How long will you continue being unclean?”
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