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Jeremiah 1-9
New International Reader's Version

1 These are the words Jeremiah received from the Lord. Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah. Jeremiah was one of the priests at Anathoth. That’s a town in the territory of Benjamin. 2 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It came in the 13th year that Josiah was king over Judah. Josiah was the son of Amon. 3 After Josiah, his son Jehoiakim was king over Judah. The Lord’s message also came to Jeremiah during the whole time Jehoiakim ruled. The Lord continued to speak to Jeremiah while Zedekiah was king over Judah. He did this until the fifth month of the 11th year of Zedekiah’s rule. That’s when the people of Jerusalem were forced to leave their country. Zedekiah was the son of Josiah. Here is what Jeremiah said.

The Lord Appoints Jeremiah to Speak for Him

4 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,

5 “Before I formed you in your mother’s body I chose you.
    Before you were born I set you apart to serve me.
    I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”

6 “You are my Lord and King,” I said. “I don’t know how to speak. I’m too young.”

7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I’m too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to. You must say everything I command you to say. 8 Do not be afraid of the people I send you to. I am with you. I will save you,” announces the Lord.

9 Then the Lord reached out his hand. He touched my mouth and spoke to me. He said, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 Today I am appointing you to speak to nations and kingdoms. I give you authority to pull them up by the roots and tear them down. I give you authority to destroy them and crush them. I give you authority to build them up and plant them.”

11 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

“The branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly. I am watching to see that my word comes true.”

13 Another message from the Lord came to me. The Lord asked me, “What do you see?”

“A pot that has boiling water in it,” I answered. “It’s leaning toward us from the north.”

14 The Lord said to me, “Something very bad will be poured out on everyone who lives in this land. It will come from the north. 15 I am about to send for all the armies in the northern kingdoms,” announces the Lord.

“Their kings will come to Jerusalem.
    They will set up their thrones at the very gates of the city.
They will attack all the walls that surround the city.
    They will go to war against all the towns of Judah.
16 I will judge my people.
    They have done many evil things.
    They have deserted me.
They have burned incense to other gods.
    They have worshiped the gods
    their own hands have made.

17 “So get ready! Stand up! Tell them everything I command you to. Do not let them terrify you. If you do, I will terrify you in front of them. 18 Today I have made you like a city that has a high wall around it. I have made you like an iron pillar and a bronze wall. Now you can stand up against the whole land. You can stand against the kings and officials of Judah. You can stand against its priests and its people. 19 They will fight against you. But they will not win the battle over you. I am with you. I will save you,” announces the Lord.

Israel Deserts the Lord

2 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2 “Go. Announce my message to the people in Jerusalem. I want everyone to hear it. Tell them,

“Here is what the Lord says.

“ ‘I remember how faithful you were to me when you were young.
    You loved me as if you were my bride.
You followed me through the desert.
    Nothing had been planted there.
3 Your people were holy to me.
    They were the first share of my harvest.
All those who destroyed them were held guilty.
    And trouble came to their enemies,’ ”
    announces the Lord.

4 People of Jacob, hear the Lord’s message.
    Listen, all you tribes of Israel.

5 The Lord says,

“What did your people of long ago find wrong with me?
    Why did they wander so far away from me?
They worshiped worthless statues of gods.
    Then they themselves became worthless.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?
    He brought us up out of Egypt.
He led us through a dry and empty land.
    He guided us through deserts and deep valleys.
It was a land of total darkness where there wasn’t any rain.
    No one lived or traveled there.’
7 But I brought you into a land that has rich soil.
    I gave you its fruit and its finest food.
In spite of that, you made my land impure.
    You turned it into something I hate.
8 The priests did not ask,
    ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who taught my law did not know me.
    The leaders refused to obey me.
The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal.
    They worshiped worthless statues of gods.

9 “So I am bringing charges against you again,”
    announces the Lord.
    “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Go over to the coasts of Cyprus and look.
    Send people to the land of Kedar and have them look closely.
    See if there has ever been anything like this.
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
    Actually, they are not even gods at all.
But my people have traded away their glorious God.
    They have traded me for worthless statues of gods.
12 Sky above, be shocked over this.
    Tremble with horror,”
    announces the Lord.
13 “My people have sinned twice.
They have deserted me,
    even though I am the spring of water that gives life.
And they have dug their own wells.
    But those wells are broken.
    They can’t hold any water.
14 Are you people of Israel servants?
    You were not born as slaves, were you?
    Then why have you been carried off like stolen goods?
15 Lions have roared.
    They have growled at you.
They have destroyed your land.
    Your towns are burned and deserted.
16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
    have cracked your skulls.
17 Haven’t you brought this on yourselves?
    I am the Lord your God, but you deserted me.
    You left me even while I was leading you.
18 Why do you go to Egypt
    to drink water from the Nile River?
Why do you go to Assyria
    to drink from the Euphrates River?
19 You will be punished because you have sinned.
    You will be corrected for turning away from me.
I am the Lord your God.
    If you desert me, bad things will happen to you.
If you do not respect me, you will suffer bitterly.
    I want you to understand that,”
    announces the Lord who rules over all.

20 “Long ago you broke off the yoke I put on you.
    You tore off the ropes I tied you up with.
    You said, ‘I won’t serve you!’
In fact, on every high hill
    you lay down like a prostitute.
    You worshiped other gods under every green tree.
21 You were like a good vine when I planted you.
    You were a healthy plant.
Then how did you turn against me?
    How did you become a bad, wild vine?
22 You might wash yourself with soap.
    You might use plenty of strong soap.
    But I can still see the stains your guilt covers you with,”
    announces the Lord and King.
23 “You say, ‘I am “clean.”
    I haven’t followed the gods that are named Baal.’
How can you say that?
    Remember how you acted in the valley.
Consider what you have done.
    You are like a female camel running quickly here and there.
24 You are like a wild donkey that lives in the desert.
    She smells the wind when she longs for a mate.
    Who can hold her back?
The males that run after her do not need to wear themselves out.
    At mating time they will easily find her.
25 Do not run after other gods
    until your sandals are worn out and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!
    I love those gods.
    I must go after them.’

26 “A thief is dishonored when he is caught.
    And you people of Israel are filled with shame.
Your kings and officials are dishonored.
    So are your priests and your prophets.
27 You say to a piece of wood, ‘You are my father.’
    You say to a stone, ‘You are my mother.’
You have turned your backs to me.
    You refuse to look at me.
But when you are in trouble, you say,
    ‘Come and save us!’
28 Then where are the gods you made for yourselves?
    Let them come when you are in trouble!
    Let them save you if they can!
Judah, you have as many gods
    as you have towns.

29 “Why do you bring charges against me?
    All of you have refused to obey me,”
    announces the Lord.
30 “I punished your people. But it did not do them any good.
    They did not pay attention when they were corrected.
You have killed your prophets by swords.
    You have swallowed them up like a hungry lion.

31 “You who are now living, consider my message. I am saying,

“Have I been like a desert to Israel?
    Have I been like a land of deep darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to wander.
    We won’t come to you anymore’?
32 Does a young woman forget all about her jewelry?
    Does a bride forget her wedding jewels?
But my people have forgotten me
    more days than anyone can count.
33 You are very skilled at chasing after love!
    Even the worst of women can learn from how you act.
34 The blood of those you have killed is on your clothes.
    You have destroyed poor people who were not guilty.
    You did not catch them in the act of breaking in.
In spite of all this,
35     you say, ‘I’m not guilty of doing anything wrong.
    The Lord isn’t angry with me.’
But I will judge you.
    That’s because you say, ‘I haven’t sinned.’
36 Why do you keep on
    changing your ways so much?
Assyria did not help you.
    And Egypt will not help you either.
37 So you will also leave Egypt
    with your hands tied together above your heads.
I have turned my back on those you trust.
    They will not help you.

3 “Suppose a man divorces his wife.
    What if she then marries another man?
Should her first husband return to her again?
    If he does, won’t the land become completely ‘unclean’?
People of Israel, you have lived like a prostitute.
    You have loved many other gods.
    So do you think you can return to me now?”
    announces the Lord.
2 “Look up at the bare hilltops.
    Is there any place where you have not worshiped other gods?
    You have been unfaithful to me like a wife committing adultery.
By the side of the road you sat waiting for lovers.
    You sat there like someone who wanders in the desert.
You have made the land impure.
    You are like a sinful prostitute.
3 So I have held back the showers.
    I have kept the spring rains from falling.
But you still have the bold face of a prostitute.
    You refuse to blush with shame.
4 You have just now called out to me.
    You said,
‘My Father, you have been my friend
    ever since I was young.
5 Will you always be angry with me?
    Will your anger continue forever?’
This is how you talk.
    But you do all the evil things you can.”

Israel Is Not Faithful to the Lord

6 During the time Josiah was king, the Lord spoke to me. He said, “Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have not been faithful to me. They have committed adultery with other gods. They worshiped them on every high hill and under every green tree. 7 I thought that after they had done all this, they would return to me. But they did not. Their sister nation Judah saw them doing this. And they were not faithful to me either. 8 I gave Israel their letter of divorce. I sent them away because they were unfaithful to me so many times. But I saw that their sister nation Judah did not have any respect for me. They were not faithful to me either. They also went out and committed adultery with other gods. 9 Israel was not faithful to me, but that did not bother them at all. They made the land ‘unclean.’ They worshiped gods that were made out of stone and wood. 10 In spite of all this, their sister nation Judah did not come back to me. They were not faithful to me either. They did not return with all their heart. They only pretended to,” announces the Lord.

11 The Lord said to me, “Israel and Judah have not been faithful to me. But Israel was not as bad as Judah was. 12 Go. Announce this message to the people in the north. Tell them,

“ ‘Israel, you have not been faithful,’ announces the Lord.
    ‘Return to me. Then I will do good things for you again.
That’s because I am faithful,’ announces the Lord.
    ‘I will not be angry with you forever.
13 Admit that you are guilty of doing what is wrong.
    You have refused to obey me.
    I am the Lord your God.
You have committed adultery with other gods.
You worshiped them under every green tree.
    And you have not obeyed me,’ ”
    announces the Lord.

14 “You people have not been faithful,” announces the Lord. “Return to me. I am your husband. I will choose one of you from each town. I will choose two from each territory. And I will bring you to the city of Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds who are dear to my heart. Their knowledge and understanding will help them lead you. 16 In those days there will be many more of you in the land,” announces the Lord. “Then people will not talk about the ark of the covenant of the Lord anymore. It will never enter their minds. They will not remember it. The ark will not be missed. And another one will not be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord. All the nations will gather together there. They will go there to honor me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts want them to do. 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel. Together they will come from a land in the north. They will come to the land I gave to your people of long ago. I wanted them to have it as their very own.

19 “I myself said,

“ ‘I would gladly treat you like my children.
    I would give you a pleasant land.
    It is the most beautiful land any nation could have.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father.’
    I hoped you would always obey me.
20 But you people are like a woman who is not faithful to her husband.
    Israel, you have not been faithful to me,”
    announces the Lord.

21 A cry is heard on the bare hilltops.
    The people of Israel are weeping and begging for help.
That’s because their lives are so twisted.
    They’ve forgotten the Lord their God.

22 “You have not been faithful,”
    says the Lord.
“Return to me. I will heal you.
    Then you will not turn away from me anymore.”

“Yes,” the people say. “We will come to you.
    You are the Lord our God.
23 The gods we worship on the hills
    and mountains are useless.
You are the Lord our God.
    You are the only one who can save us.
24 From our earliest years shameful gods have harmed us.
    They have eaten up everything our people of long ago worked for.
They have eaten up our flocks and herds.
    They’ve destroyed our sons and daughters.
25 Let us lie down in our shame.
    Let our dishonor cover us.
You are the Lord our God. But we have sinned against you.
    We and our people of long ago have sinned.
We haven’t obeyed you
    from our earliest years until now.”

4 “If you, Israel, will return,” announces the Lord,
    “then return to me.
Put the statues of your gods out of my sight.
    I hate them.
    Stop going astray.
2 Make all your promises in my name.
    When you promise say, ‘You can be sure that the Lord is alive.’
    Be truthful, fair and honest when you make these promises.
Then the nations will ask for blessings from me.
    And they will boast about me.”

3 Here is what the Lord is telling the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He says,

“Your hearts are as hard as a field
    that has not been plowed.
So change your ways and produce good crops.
    Do not plant seeds among thorns.
4 People of Judah and you who live in Jerusalem, obey me.
    Do not let your hearts be stubborn.
If you do, my anger will blaze out against you.
    It will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done.
    No one will be able to put it out.

Trouble Will Come From the North

5 “Announce my message in Judah.
    Tell it in Jerusalem.
    Say, ‘Blow trumpets all through the land!’
Give a loud shout and say,
    ‘Gather together!
    Let’s run to cities that have high walls around them!’
6 Warn everyone to go to Zion!
    Run for safety! Do not wait!
I am bringing trouble from the north.
    Everything will be totally destroyed.”

7 Lions have come out of their dens.
    Those who destroy nations have begun to march out.
They have left their place
    to destroy your land completely.
Your towns will be broken to pieces.
    No one will live in them.
8 So put on the clothes of sadness.
    Mourn and weep over what has happened.
The Lord hasn’t turned
    his great anger away from us.

9 “A dark day is coming,” announces the Lord.
    “The king and his officials will lose hope.
The priests will be shocked.
    And the prophets will be terrified.”

10 Then I said, “You are my Lord and King. You have completely tricked the people of Judah and Jerusalem! You have told them, ‘You will have peace and rest.’ But swords are pointed at our throats!”

11 At that time the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be warned. They will be told, “A hot and dry wind is coming, my people. It is blowing toward you from the bare hilltops in the desert. But it does not separate straw from grain. 12 It is much too strong for that. The wind is coming from me. I am making my decision against you.”

13 Look! Our enemies are approaching like the clouds.
    Their chariots are coming like a strong wind.
Their horses are faster than eagles.
    How terrible it will be for us!
    We’ll be destroyed!
14 People of Jerusalem, wash your sins from your hearts and be saved.
    How long will you hold on to your evil thoughts?
15 A voice is speaking all the way from the city of Dan.
    From the hills of Ephraim it announces
    that trouble is coming.
16 “Tell the nations.
    Make an announcement concerning Jerusalem.
Say, ‘An army will attack Judah.
    It is coming from a land far away.
It will shout a war cry
    against the cities of Judah.
17 It will surround them like people who guard a field.
    Judah has refused to obey me,’ ”
    announces the Lord.
18 “The army will attack you
    because of your conduct and actions.
This is how you will be punished.
    It will be so bitter!
    It will cut deep down into your hearts!”

19 I’m suffering! I’m really suffering!
    I’m hurting badly.
My heart is suffering so much!
    It’s pounding inside me.
    I can’t keep silent.
I’ve heard the sound of trumpets.
    I’ve heard the battle cry.
20 One trouble follows another.
    The whole land is destroyed.
In an instant my tents are gone.
    My home disappears in a moment.
21 How long must I look at our enemy’s battle flag?
    How long must I hear the sound of the trumpets?

22 The Lord says, “My people are foolish.
    They do not know me.
They are children who do not have any sense.
    They have no understanding at all.
They are skilled in doing what is evil.
    They do not know how to do what is good.”

23 I looked at the earth.
    It didn’t have any shape. And it was empty.
I looked at the sky.
    Its light was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains.
    They were shaking.
    All the hills were swaying.
25 I looked. And there weren’t any people.
    Every bird in the sky had flown away.
26 I looked. And the fruitful land had become a desert.
    All its towns were destroyed.
    The Lord had done all this because of his great anger.

27 The Lord says,

“The whole land will be destroyed.
    But I will not destroy it completely.
28 So the earth will be filled with sadness.
    The sky above will grow dark.
I have spoken, and I will not take pity on them.
    I have made my decision, and I will not change my mind.”

29 People can hear the sound of horsemen.
    Men armed with bows are coming.
    The people in every town run away.
Some of them go into the bushes.
    Others climb up among the rocks.
All the towns are deserted.
    No one is living in them.

30 What are you doing, you who are destroyed?
    Why do you dress yourself in bright red clothes?
    Why do you put on jewels of gold?
Why do you put makeup on your eyes?
    You make yourself beautiful for no reason at all.
Your lovers hate you.
    They want to kill you.

31 I hear a cry like the cry of a woman having a baby.
    I hear a groan like someone having her first child.
It’s the cry of the people of Zion struggling to breathe.
    They reach out their hands and say,
“Help us! We’re fainting!
    Murderers are about to kill us!”

No One Is Honest

5 The Lord says, “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem.
    Look around.
    Think about what you see.
Search through the market.
    See if you can find one honest person who tries to be truthful.
    If you can, I will forgive this city.
2 They make their promises in my name.
    They say, ‘You can be sure that the Lord is alive.’
    But their promises can’t be trusted.”

3 Lord, don’t your eyes look for truth?
    You struck down your people.
    But they didn’t feel any pain.
You crushed them.
    But they refused to be corrected.
They made their faces harder than stone.
    They refused to turn away from their sins.
4 I thought, “The people of
    Jerusalem are foolish.
They don’t know how the Lord wants them to live.
    They don’t know what their God requires of them.
5 So I will go to the leaders.
    I’ll speak to them.
They should know how the Lord wants them to live.
    They must know what their God requires of them.”
But all of them had broken off the yoke the Lord had put on them.
    They had torn off the ropes he had tied them up with.
6 So a lion from the forest will attack them.
    A wolf from the desert will destroy them.
A leopard will hide and wait near their towns.
    It will tear to pieces anyone who dares to go out.
Again and again they have refused to obey the Lord.
    They have turned away from him many times.

7 The Lord says, “Jerusalem, why should I forgive you?
    Your people have deserted me.
They have made their promises in the names of gods
    that are not really gods at all.
I supplied everything they needed.
    But they committed adultery.
    Large crowds went to the houses of prostitutes.
8 Your people are like stallions that have plenty to eat.
    Their sinful desires are out of control.
    Each of them goes after another man’s wife.
9 Shouldn’t I punish them for this?”
    announces the Lord.
“Shouldn’t I pay back the nation
    that does these things?

10 “Armies of Babylon, go through their vineyards and destroy them.
    But do not destroy them completely.
Strip off their branches.
    These people do not belong to me.
11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah
    have not been faithful to me at all,”
    announces the Lord.

12 They have told lies about the Lord.
    They said, “He won’t do anything!
No harm will come to us.
    We will never see war or be hungry.
13 The prophets are nothing but wind.
    Their message doesn’t come from the Lord.
    So let what they say will happen be done to them.”

14 The Lord God rules over all. He says to me,

“The people have spoken these words.
    So my words will be like fire in your mouth.
I will make the people like wood.
    And the fire will burn them up.”

15 “People of Israel, listen to me,”
    announces the Lord.
“I am bringing against you
    a nation from far away.
It is an old nation. And it will last for a long time.
    Its people speak a language you do not know.
    You can’t understand what they are saying.
16 The bags they carry their arrows in are like an open grave.
    All their soldiers are mighty.
17 They will eat up your crops and your food.
    They will strike down your sons and daughters.
They will kill your sheep and cattle.
    They will destroy your vines and fig trees.
You trust in your cities that have high walls around them.
    But the people in them will be killed by swords.

18 “In spite of that, even in those days I will not destroy you completely,” announces the Lord. 19 “ ‘Jeremiah,’ the people will ask, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ Then you will tell them, ‘You have deserted the Lord. You have served other gods in your own land. So now you will serve another nation in a land that is not your own.’

20 “Here is what I want you to announce
    to the people of Jacob.
Tell it in Judah.
    Tell them I say,
21 ‘Listen to this, you foolish people,
    who do not have any sense.
You have eyes, but you do not see.
    You have ears, but you do not hear.
22 Shouldn’t you have respect for me?’
    announces the Lord.
    ‘Shouldn’t you tremble with fear in front of me?
I made the sand to hold the ocean back.
    It will do that forever.
    The ocean can’t go past it.
The waves might roll, but they can’t sweep over it.
    They might roar, but they can’t go across it.
23 But you people have stubborn hearts.
    You refuse to obey me.
You have turned away from me.
    You have gone astray.
24 You do not say to yourselves,
    “Let us have respect for the Lord our God.
He sends rain in the fall and the spring.
    He promises us that the harvest will come
    at the same time each year.”
25 But the things you have done wrong
    have robbed you of these gifts.
Your sins have kept these good things
    far away from you.’

26 “Jeremiah, some of my people are evil.
    They hide and wait just as people hide to catch birds.
    They set traps for people.
27 A hunter uses tricks to fill his cage with birds.
    And my people have filled their houses with a lot of goods.
They have become rich and powerful.
28     They have grown fat and heavy.
    There is no limit to the evil things they do.
In court they do not seek justice.
    They don’t protect the rights of children whose fathers have died.
    They do not stand up for poor people.
29 Shouldn’t I punish them for this?”
    announces the Lord.
“Shouldn’t I pay back the
    nation that does these things?

30 “Something horrible and shocking
    has happened in the land.
31 The prophets prophesy lies.
    The priests rule by their own authority.
And my people love it this way.
    But what will you do in the end?”

The Babylonians Will Attack Jerusalem

6 The Lord says, “People of Benjamin, run for safety!
    Run away from Jerusalem!
Blow trumpets in the city of Tekoa!
    Warn everyone in Beth Hakkerem!
Horrible trouble is coming from the north.
    The Babylonians will destroy everything with awful power.
2 I will destroy the city of Zion,
    even though it is very beautiful.
3 Shepherds will come against it with their flocks.
    They will set up their tents around it.
    All of them will take care of their own sheep.”

4 The Babylonians say, “Prepare for battle against Judah!
    Get up! Let’s attack them at noon!
But the daylight is fading.
    The shadows of evening are getting longer.
5 So get up! Let’s attack them at night!
    Let’s destroy their strongest forts!”

6 The Lord who rules over all speaks to the Babylonians. He says,

“Cut down some trees.
    Use the wood to build ramps against Jerusalem’s walls.
I must punish that city.
    It is filled with people who treat others badly.
7 Wells keep giving fresh water.
    And Jerusalem keeps on sinning.
Its people are always fighting and causing trouble.
    When I look at them,
    I see nothing but sickness and wounds.
8 Jerusalem, listen to my warning.
    If you do not, I will turn away from you.
Your land will become a desert.
    No one will be able to live there.”

9 The Lord rules over all. He says to me,

“People gather the few grapes left on a vine.
    So let Israel’s enemies gather the few people left alive in the land
Look carefully at the branches again.
    Do this like someone who gathers the last few grapes.”

10 Who can I speak to? Who can I warn?
    Who will even listen to me?
Their ears are closed
    so they can’t hear.
The Lord’s message displeases them.
    They don’t take any delight in it.
11 But the Lord’s anger burns inside me.
    I can no longer hold it in.

The Lord says to me, “Pour out my anger on the children in the street.
    Pour it out on the young men who are gathered together.
Husband and wife alike will be caught in it.
    So will those who are very old.
12 I will reach out my hand
    against those who live in the land,”
    announces the Lord.
“Then their houses will be turned over to others.
    So will their fields and their wives.
13 Everyone wants to get richer and richer,
    from the least important of them to the most important.
Prophets and priests alike
    try to fool everyone they can.
14 They bandage the wounds of my people
    as if they were not very deep.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say.
    But there isn’t any peace.
15 Are they ashamed of their hateful actions?
    No. They do not feel any shame at all.
    They do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall like others who have already fallen.
    They will be brought down when I punish them,”
    says the Lord.

16 The Lord tells the people of Judah,

“Stand where the roads cross, and look around.
    Ask where the old paths are.
Ask for the good path, and walk on it.
    Then your hearts will find rest in me.
    But you said, ‘We won’t walk on it.’
17 I appointed prophets to warn you. I said,
    ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpets!’
    But you said, ‘We won’t listen.’
18 So pay attention, you nations.
    You are witnesses for me.
    Watch what will happen to my people.
19 Earth, pay attention.
    I am going to bring trouble on them.
    I will punish them because of the evil things they have done.
They have not listened to my words.
    They have said no to my law.
20 What do I care about incense from the land of Sheba?
    Why should I bother with sweet-smelling cane from a land far away?
I do not accept your burnt offerings.
    Your sacrifices do not please me.”

21 So the Lord says,

“I will bring an army against the people of Judah.
    Parents and children alike will trip and fall.
    Neighbors and friends will die.”

22 The Lord says to Jerusalem,

“Look! An army is coming
    from the land of the north.
I am stirring up a great nation.
    Its army is coming from a land that is very far away.
23 Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.
    They are mean. They do not show any mercy at all.
They come riding in on their horses.
    They sound like the roaring ocean.
They are lined up for battle.
    They are marching out
    to attack you, city of Zion.”

24 We have heard reports about them.
    And our hands can’t help us.
We are suffering greatly.
    It’s like the pain of a woman having a baby.
25 Don’t go out to the fields.
    Don’t walk on the roads.
Our enemies have swords.
    And there is terror on every side.
26 My people, put on the clothes of sadness.
    Roll among the ashes.
Mourn with bitter weeping
    just as you would mourn for an only son.
The one who is going to destroy us
    will come suddenly.

27 The Lord says to me, “I have made you like one who tests metals.
    My people are the ore.
I want you to watch them
    and test the way they live.
28 All of them are used to disobeying me.
    They go around telling lies about others.
They are like bronze mixed with iron.
    All of them do very sinful things.
29 The fire is made very hot
    so the lead will burn away.
But it is impossible to make these people pure.
    Those who are evil are not removed.
30 They are like silver that is thrown away.
    That is because I have not accepted them.”

Worshiping Other Gods Is Worthless

7 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. The Lord said, 2 “Stand at the gate of my house. Announce my message to the people there. Say,

“ ‘Listen to the Lord’s message, all you people of Judah. You always come through these gates to worship the Lord. 3 The God of Israel is speaking to you. He is the Lord who rules over all. He says, “Change the way you live and act. Then I will let you live in this place. 4 Do not trust in lies. Do not say, ‘This is the temple of the Lord! This is the temple of the Lord! This is the temple of the Lord!’ 5 You must really change the way you live and act. Treat one another fairly. 6 Do not treat outsiders or widows badly in this place. Do not take advantage of children whose fathers have died. Do not kill those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. Do not worship other gods. That will only bring harm to you. 7 If you obey me, I will let you live in this place. It is the land I gave your people of long ago. It was promised to them for ever and ever. 8 But look! You are trusting in worthless lies.

9 “ ‘ “You continue to steal and commit murder. You commit adultery. You tell lies in court. You burn incense to Baal. You worship other gods you didn’t know before. 10 Then you come and stand in front of me. You keep coming to this house where I have put my Name. You say, ‘We are safe.’ You think you are safe when you do so many things I hate. 11 My Name is in this house. But you have made it a den for robbers! I have been watching you!” announces the Lord.

12 “ ‘ “Go now to the town of Shiloh. Go to the place where I first made a home for my Name. See what I did to it because of the evil things my people Israel were doing. 13 I spoke to you again and again,” announces the Lord. “I warned you while you were doing all these things. But you did not listen. I called out to you. But you did not answer. 14 So what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house where my Name is. It is the temple you trust in. It is the place I gave to you and your people of long ago. 15 But I will throw you out of my land. That is exactly what I did to the people of Ephraim. And they are your relatives.” ’

16 “Jeremiah, do not pray for these people. Do not make any appeal or request for them. Do not beg me. I will not listen to you. 17 Don’t you see what they are doing? They are worshiping other gods in the towns of Judah. They are offering sacrifices to them in the streets of Jerusalem. 18 The children go out and gather wood. The fathers light the fire. The women mix the dough. They make flat cakes of bread to offer to the female god called the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods. That makes me very angry. 19 But am I the one they are hurting?” announces the Lord. “Aren’t they only harming themselves? They should be ashamed of it.”

20 So the Lord and King says, “I will pour out my burning anger on this place. It will strike people and animals alike. It will destroy the trees in the fields and the crops in your land. It will burn, and no one will be able to put it out.”

21 The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “Go ahead! Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices. Eat the meat yourselves! 22 When I brought your people out of Egypt, I spoke to them. But I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 I also gave them another command. I said, ‘Obey me. Then I will be your God. And you will be my people. Live the way I command you to live. Then things will go well with you.’ 24 But they did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. They went backward and not forward. 25 Again and again I sent my servants the prophets to you. They came to you day after day. They prophesied from the time your people left Egypt until now. 26 But your people of long ago did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They did more evil things than their people who lived before them.

27 “Jeremiah, when you tell them all this, they will not listen to you. When you call out to them, they will not answer. 28 So say to them, ‘You are a nation that has not obeyed the Lord your God. You did not pay attention when you were corrected. Truth has died out. You do not tell the truth anymore.’ ”

29 The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem, “Cut off your hair. Throw it away. Sing a song of sadness on the bare hilltops. I am very angry with you. I have turned my back on you. I have deserted you.

The Valley of Death

30 “The people of Judah have done what is evil in my eyes,” announces the Lord. “They have set up statues of their gods. They have worshiped them in the house where my Name is. They have made my house ‘unclean.’ I hate those statues. 31 The people have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. There they worship other gods. And there they sacrifice their children in the fire. That is something I did not command. It did not even enter my mind. 32 So watch out!” announces the Lord. “The days are coming when people will not call it Topheth anymore. And they will not call it the Valley of Ben Hinnom either. Instead, they will call it the Valley of Death. They will bury the dead bodies of some people in Topheth. But they will run out of room. 33 Then they will not be able to bury the bodies of other people there. So the bodies will become food for birds and wild animals. And no one will scare them away. 34 I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness. The voices of brides and grooms will not be heard anymore. There will be no sounds of joy in the towns of Judah. And there will be no joy in the streets of Jerusalem. The land will become a desert.

8 “At that time the tombs will be opened,” announces the Lord. “The bones of the kings and officials of Judah will be brought out. The bones of the priests and prophets will be removed. So will the bones of the people of Jerusalem. 2 They will lie outside under the sun, moon and all the stars. All these people had loved and served these things. They had followed them and worshiped them. They had asked them for advice. So the bones of these people will not be gathered up or buried again. Instead, they will be like human waste lying there on the ground. 3 Everyone left alive in this evil nation will want to die rather than live. That is what they will long for in the lands where I force them to go.” The Lord who rules over all announces this.

The Lord Punishes His Sinful People

4 “Jeremiah, tell them, ‘The Lord says,

“ ‘ “When people fall down, don’t they get up again?
    When someone turns away, don’t they come back?
5 Then why have the people of Jerusalem turned away from me?
    Why do they always turn away?
They keep on telling lies.
    They refuse to come back to me.
6 I have listened carefully.
    But they do not say what is right.
They refuse to turn away from their sins.
    None of them says, ‘What have I done?’
Each of them goes their own way.
    They are like horses charging into battle.
7 Storks know when to fly south.
    So do doves, swifts and thrushes.
But my people do not know
    what I require them to do.

8 “ ‘ “How can you people say, ‘We are wise.
    We have the law of the Lord’?
Actually, the teachers of the law have told lies about it.
    Their pens have not written what is true.
9 Those who think they are wise will be put to shame.
    They will become terrified. They will be trapped.
They have not accepted my message.
    So what kind of wisdom do they have?
10 I will give their wives to other men.
    I will give their fields to new owners.
Everyone wants to get richer and richer.
    Everyone is greedy, from the least important to the most important.
Prophets and priests alike
    try to fool everyone they can.
11 They bandage the wounds of my people
    as if they were not very deep.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say.
    But there isn’t any peace.
12 Are they ashamed of their hateful actions?
    No. They do not feel any shame at all.
    They do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall like others who have already fallen.
    They will be brought down when I punish them,”
    says the Lord.

13 “ ‘ “I will take away their harvest,”
    announces the Lord.
    “There will not be any grapes on the vines.
The trees will not bear any figs.
    The leaves on the trees will dry up.
What I have given my people
    will be taken away from them.” ’ ”

14 Why are we sitting here?
    Let’s gather together!
Let’s run to the cities that have high walls around them!
    Let’s die there!
The Lord our God has sentenced us to death.
    He has given us poisoned water to drink.
    That’s because we’ve sinned against him.
15 We hoped peace would come.
    But nothing good has happened to us.
We hoped we would finally be healed.
    But there is only terror.
16 When our enemy’s horses snort,
    the noise is heard all the way from the city of Dan.
When their stallions neigh,
    the whole land trembles with fear.
They have come to destroy
    the land and everything in it.
    The city and everyone who lives there will be destroyed.

17 “People of Judah, I will send poisonous snakes among you.
    No one will be able to charm them.
    And they will bite you,”
    announces the Lord.

18 Lord, my heart is weak inside me.
    You comfort me when I’m sad.
19 Listen to the cries of my people
    from a land far away.
They cry out, “Isn’t the Lord in Zion?
    Isn’t its King there anymore?”

The Lord says, “Why have they made me so angry
    by worshiping their wooden gods?
Why have they made me angry
    with their worthless statues
    of gods from other lands?”

20 The people say, “The harvest is over.
    The summer has ended.
    And we still haven’t been saved.”

21 My people are crushed, so I am crushed.
    I mourn, and I am filled with horror.
22 Isn’t there any healing lotion in Gilead?
    Isn’t there a doctor there?
Then why doesn’t someone heal
    the wounds of my people?

9 I wish my head were a spring of water!
    I wish my eyes were a fountain of tears!
I would weep day and night
    for my people who have been killed.
2 I wish I had somewhere to go in the desert
    where a traveler could stay!
Then I could leave my people.
    I could get away from them.
All of them commit adultery by worshiping other gods.
    They aren’t faithful to the Lord.

3 “They get ready to use
    their tongues like bows,”
    announces the Lord.
“Their mouths shoot out lies like arrows.
    They tell lies to gain power in the land.
They go from one sin to another.
    They do not pay any attention to me.
4 Be on guard against your friends.
    Do not trust the members of your own family.
Every one of them cheats.
    Every friend tells lies.
5 One friend cheats another.
    No one tells the truth.
They have taught their tongues how to lie.
    They wear themselves out sinning.
6 Jeremiah, you live among people who tell lies.
    When they lie, they refuse to pay any attention to me,”
    announces the Lord.

7 So the Lord who rules over all says,

“I will put them through the fire to test them.
    What else can I do?
    My people are so sinful!
8 Their tongues are like deadly arrows.
    They tell lies.
With their mouths all of them speak kindly to their neighbors.
    But in their hearts they set traps for them.
9 Shouldn’t I punish them for this?”
    announces the Lord.
“Shouldn’t I pay back the nation
    that does these things?”

10 I will cry and mourn over the mountains.
    I will sing a song of sadness about the desert grasslands.
They are dry and empty. No one travels through them.
    The mooing of cattle isn’t heard there.
The birds have flown away.
    All the animals are gone.

11 The Lord says, “I will knock down all of Jerusalem’s buildings.
    I will make it a home for wild dogs.
The towns of Judah will be completely destroyed.
    No one will be able to live in them.”

12 Who is wise enough to understand these things? Who has been taught by the Lord? Who can explain them? Why has the land been destroyed so completely? Why has it become like a desert that no one can go across?

13 The Lord answered me, “Because my people have turned away from my law. I gave it to them. But they have not kept it. They have not obeyed me. 14 Instead, they have done what their stubborn hearts wanted them to do. They have worshiped the gods that are named Baal. They have done what their people have taught them to do through the years.” 15 So now the Lord who rules over all speaks. He is the God of Israel. He says, “I will make these people eat bitter food. I will make them drink poisoned water. 16 I will scatter them among the nations. They and their people before them didn’t know about these nations. With swords I will chase these people. I will hunt them down until I have destroyed them.”

17 The Lord rules over all. He says,

“Here is something I want you to think about.
    Send for the women who mourn for the dead.
    Send for the most skilled among them.”

18 Let them come quickly
    and weep for us.
Let them cry until tears flow from our eyes.
    Let them weep until water pours out of our eyes.
19 People are heard weeping in Zion.
    They are saying, “We are destroyed!
    We are filled with shame!
We must leave our land.
    Our houses have been torn down.”

20 You women, hear the Lord’s message.
    Listen to what he’s saying.
Teach your daughters how to mourn for the dead.
    Teach one another a song of sadness.
21 Death has climbed in through our windows.
    It has entered our forts.
Death has removed the children from the streets.
    It has taken the young men out of the market.

Listen to Jeremiah 1-9
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Jeremiah 1-9
New International Version

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth(A) in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the Lord came(B) to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah(C) son of Amon king of Judah, 3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim(D) son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah(E) son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.(F)

The Call of Jeremiah

4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb(G) I knew[a](H) you,
    before you were born(I) I set you apart;(J)
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.(K)”

6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak;(L) I am too young.”(M)

7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid(N) of them, for I am with you(O) and will rescue(P) you,” declares the Lord.(Q)

9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched(R) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.(S) 10 See, today I appoint you over nations(T) and kingdoms to uproot(U) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”(V)

11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”(W)

“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching[b](X) to see that my word is fulfilled.”

13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”(Y)

“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”

14 The Lord said to me, “From the north(Z) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
    in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
    and against all the towns of Judah.(AA)
16 I will pronounce my judgments(AB) on my people
    because of their wickedness(AC) in forsaking me,(AD)
in burning incense to other gods(AE)
    and in worshiping(AF) what their hands have made.(AG)

17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say(AH) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified(AI) by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you(AJ) a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome(AK) you, for I am with you(AL) and will rescue(AM) you,” declares the Lord.

Israel Forsakes God

2 The word(AN) of the Lord came to me: 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what the Lord says:

“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,(AO)
    how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,(AP)
    through a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy(AQ) to the Lord,(AR)
    the firstfruits(AS) of his harvest;
all who devoured(AT) her were held guilty,(AU)
    and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the Lord.

4 Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
    all you clans of Israel.

5 This is what the Lord says:

“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
    that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols(AV)
    and became worthless(AW) themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
    who brought us up out of Egypt(AX)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
    through a land of deserts(AY) and ravines,(AZ)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
    a land where no one travels(BA) and no one lives?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land
    to eat its fruit and rich produce.(BB)
But you came and defiled my land
    and made my inheritance detestable.(BC)
8 The priests did not ask,
    ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;(BD)
    the leaders(BE) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,(BF)
    following worthless idols.(BG)

9 “Therefore I bring charges(BH) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
    “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus(BI) and look,
    send to Kedar[c](BJ) and observe closely;
    see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
    (Yet they are not gods(BK) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious(BL) God
    for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
    and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken(BM) me,
    the spring of living water,(BN)
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14 Is Israel a servant, a slave(BO) by birth?
    Why then has he become plunder?
15 Lions(BP) have roared;
    they have growled at him.
They have laid waste(BQ) his land;
    his towns are burned(BR) and deserted.(BS)
16 Also, the men of Memphis(BT) and Tahpanhes(BU)
    have cracked your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourselves(BV)
    by forsaking(BW) the Lord your God
    when he led you in the way?
18 Now why go to Egypt(BX)
    to drink water from the Nile[d]?(BY)
And why go to Assyria(BZ)
    to drink water from the Euphrates?(CA)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
    your backsliding(CB) will rebuke(CC) you.
Consider then and realize
    how evil and bitter(CD) it is for you
when you forsake(CE) the Lord your God
    and have no awe(CF) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke(CG)
    and tore off your bonds;(CH)
    you said, ‘I will not serve you!’(CI)
Indeed, on every high hill(CJ)
    and under every spreading tree(CK)
    you lay down as a prostitute.(CL)
21 I had planted(CM) you like a choice vine(CN)
    of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
    into a corrupt,(CO) wild vine?
22 Although you wash(CP) yourself with soap(CQ)
    and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.(CR)
23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;(CS)
    I have not run after the Baals’?(CT)
See how you behaved in the valley;(CU)
    consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
    running(CV) here and there,
24 a wild donkey(CW) accustomed to the desert,(CX)
    sniffing the wind in her craving—
    in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
    at mating time they will find her.
25 Do not run until your feet are bare
    and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!(CY)
    I love foreign gods,(CZ)
    and I must go after them.’(DA)

26 “As a thief is disgraced(DB) when he is caught,
    so the people of Israel are disgraced—
they, their kings and their officials,
    their priests(DC) and their prophets.(DD)
27 They say to wood,(DE) ‘You are my father,’
    and to stone,(DF) ‘You gave me birth.’
They have turned their backs(DG) to me
    and not their faces;(DH)
yet when they are in trouble,(DI) they say,
    ‘Come and save(DJ) us!’
28 Where then are the gods(DK) you made for yourselves?
    Let them come if they can save you
    when you are in trouble!(DL)
For you, Judah, have as many gods
    as you have towns.(DM)

29 “Why do you bring charges against me?
    You have all(DN) rebelled against me,”
declares the Lord.
30 “In vain I punished your people;
    they did not respond to correction.(DO)
Your sword has devoured your prophets(DP)
    like a ravenous lion.

31 “You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord:

“Have I been a desert to Israel
    or a land of great darkness?(DQ)
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
    we will come to you no more’?(DR)
32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
    a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten(DS) me,
    days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing(DT) love!
    Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
34 On your clothes is found
    the lifeblood(DU) of the innocent poor,
    though you did not catch them breaking in.(DV)
Yet in spite of all this
35     you say, ‘I am innocent;(DW)
    he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment(DX) on you
    because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’(DY)
36 Why do you go about so much,
    changing(DZ) your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt(EA)
    as you were by Assyria.
37 You will also leave that place
    with your hands on your head,(EB)
for the Lord has rejected those you trust;
    you will not be helped(EC) by them.

3 “If a man divorces(ED) his wife
    and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
    Would not the land be completely defiled?(EE)
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers(EF)—
    would you now return to me?”(EG)
declares the Lord.
2 “Look up to the barren heights(EH) and see.
    Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside(EI) you sat waiting for lovers,
    sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land(EJ)
    with your prostitution(EK) and wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld,(EL)
    and no spring rains(EM) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen(EN) look of a prostitute;
    you refuse to blush with shame.(EO)
4 Have you not just called to me:
    ‘My Father,(EP) my friend from my youth,(EQ)
5 will you always be angry?(ER)
    Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
    but you do all the evil you can.”

Unfaithful Israel

6 During the reign of King Josiah,(ES) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless(ET) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree(EU) and has committed adultery(EV) there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister(EW) Judah saw it.(EX) 8 I gave faithless Israel(EY) her certificate of divorce(EZ) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;(FA) she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land(FB) and committed adultery(FC) with stone(FD) and wood.(FE) 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return(FF) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,(FG)” declares the Lord.(FH)

11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous(FI) than unfaithful(FJ) Judah.(FK) 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:(FL)

“‘Return,(FM) faithless(FN) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’(FO) declares the Lord,
    ‘I will not be angry(FP) forever.
13 Only acknowledge(FQ) your guilt—
    you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods(FR)
    under every spreading tree,(FS)
    and have not obeyed(FT) me,’”
declares the Lord.

14 “Return,(FU) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.(FV) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds(FW) after my own heart,(FX) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark(FY) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;(FZ) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne(GA) of the Lord, and all nations(GB) will gather in Jerusalem to honor(GC) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(GD) 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,(GE) and together(GF) they will come from a northern(GG) land to the land(GH) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.

19 “I myself said,

“‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
    and give you a pleasant land,(GI)
    the most beautiful inheritance(GJ) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’(GK)
    and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
    so you, Israel, have been unfaithful(GL) to me,”
declares the Lord.

21 A cry is heard on the barren heights,(GM)
    the weeping(GN) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
    and have forgotten(GO) the Lord their God.

22 “Return,(GP) faithless people;
    I will cure(GQ) you of backsliding.”(GR)

“Yes, we will come to you,
    for you are the Lord our God.
23 Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills(GS)
    and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
    is the salvation(GT) of Israel.
24 From our youth shameful(GU) gods have consumed
    the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
    their sons and daughters.
25 Let us lie down in our shame,(GV)
    and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned(GW) against the Lord our God,
    both we and our ancestors;(GX)
from our youth(GY) till this day
    we have not obeyed(GZ) the Lord our God.”

4 “If you, Israel, will return,(HA)
    then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(HB) out of my sight
    and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
    you swear,(HC) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(HD)
then the nations will invoke blessings(HE) by him
    and in him they will boast.(HF)”

3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:

“Break up your unplowed ground(HG)
    and do not sow among thorns.(HH)
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
    circumcise your hearts,(HI)
    you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(HJ) will flare up and burn like fire(HK)
    because of the evil(HL) you have done—
    burn with no one to quench(HM) it.

Disaster From the North

5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim(HN) in Jerusalem and say:
    ‘Sound the trumpet(HO) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
    ‘Gather together!
    Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(HP)
6 Raise the signal(HQ) to go to Zion!
    Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(HR) from the north,(HS)
    even terrible destruction.”

7 A lion(HT) has come out of his lair;(HU)
    a destroyer(HV) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
    to lay waste(HW) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(HX)
    without inhabitant.
8 So put on sackcloth,(HY)
    lament(HZ) and wail,
for the fierce anger(IA) of the Lord
    has not turned away from us.

9 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “the king and the officials will lose heart,(IB)
the priests will be horrified,
    and the prophets will be appalled.”(IC)

10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(ID) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(IE) when the sword is at our throats!”

11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(IF) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(IG) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(IH) against them.”

13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(II)
    his chariots(IJ) come like a whirlwind,(IK)
his horses(IL) are swifter than eagles.(IM)
    Woe to us! We are ruined!(IN)
14 Jerusalem, wash(IO) the evil from your heart and be saved.(IP)
    How long(IQ) will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(IR)
    proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(IS)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
    proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(IT)
    raising a war cry(IU) against the cities of Judah.(IV)
17 They surround(IW) her like men guarding a field,
    because she has rebelled(IX) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(IY)
    have brought this on you.(IZ)
This is your punishment.
    How bitter(JA) it is!
    How it pierces to the heart!”

19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(JB)
    I writhe in pain.(JC)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
    My heart pounds(JD) within me,
    I cannot keep silent.(JE)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(JF)
    I have heard the battle cry.(JG)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(JH)
    the whole land lies in ruins.(JI)
In an instant my tents(JJ) are destroyed,
    my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle standard(JK)
    and hear the sound of the trumpet?(JL)

22 “My people are fools;(JM)
    they do not know me.(JN)
They are senseless children;
    they have no understanding.(JO)
They are skilled in doing evil;(JP)
    they know not how to do good.”(JQ)

23 I looked at the earth,
    and it was formless and empty;(JR)
and at the heavens,
    and their light(JS) was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains,
    and they were quaking;(JT)
    all the hills were swaying.
25 I looked, and there were no people;
    every bird in the sky had flown away.(JU)
26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;(JV)
    all its towns lay in ruins(JW)
    before the Lord, before his fierce anger.(JX)

27 This is what the Lord says:

“The whole land will be ruined,(JY)
    though I will not destroy(JZ) it completely.
28 Therefore the earth will mourn(KA)
    and the heavens above grow dark,(KB)
because I have spoken and will not relent,(KC)
    I have decided and will not turn back.(KD)”

29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(KE)
    every town takes to flight.(KF)
Some go into the thickets;
    some climb up among the rocks.(KG)
All the towns are deserted;(KH)
    no one lives in them.

30 What are you doing,(KI) you devastated one?
    Why dress yourself in scarlet
    and put on jewels(KJ) of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?(KK)
    You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers(KL) despise you;
    they want to kill you.(KM)

31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,(KN)
    a groan as of one bearing her first child—
the cry of Daughter Zion(KO) gasping for breath,(KP)
    stretching out her hands(KQ) and saying,
“Alas! I am fainting;
    my life is given over to murderers.”(KR)

Not One Is Upright

5 “Go up and down(KS) the streets of Jerusalem,
    look around and consider,(KT)
    search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(KU)
    who deals honestly(KV) and seeks the truth,
    I will forgive(KW) this city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(KX)
    still they are swearing falsely.(KY)”

3 Lord, do not your eyes(KZ) look for truth?
    You struck(LA) them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.(LB)
They made their faces harder than stone(LC)
    and refused to repent.(LD)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
    they are foolish,(LE)
for they do not know(LF) the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.
5 So I will go to the leaders(LG)
    and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
    and torn off the bonds.(LH)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest(LI) will attack them,
    a wolf from the desert will ravage(LJ) them,
a leopard(LK) will lie in wait near their towns
    to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
    and their backslidings many.(LL)

7 “Why should I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and sworn(LM) by gods that are not gods.(LN)
I supplied all their needs,
    yet they committed adultery(LO)
    and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(LP)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for another man’s wife.(LQ)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”(LR)
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(LS) myself
    on such a nation as this?

10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
    but do not destroy them completely.(LT)
Strip off her branches,
    for these people do not belong to the Lord.
11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah
    have been utterly unfaithful(LU) to me,”
declares the Lord.

12 They have lied(LV) about the Lord;
    they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;(LW)
    we will never see sword or famine.(LX)
13 The prophets(LY) are but wind(LZ)
    and the word is not in them;
    so let what they say be done to them.”

14 Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:

“Because the people have spoken these words,
    I will make my words in your mouth(MA) a fire(MB)
    and these people the wood it consumes.(MC)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
    “I am bringing a distant nation(MD) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
    a people whose language(ME) you do not know,
    whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers(MF) are like an open grave;
    all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour(MG) your harvests and food,
    devour(MH) your sons and daughters;
they will devour(MI) your flocks and herds,
    devour your vines and fig trees.(MJ)
With the sword(MK) they will destroy
    the fortified cities(ML) in which you trust.(MM)

18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy(MN) you completely. 19 And when the people ask,(MO) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods(MP) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners(MQ) in a land not your own.’

20 “Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
    and proclaim(MR) it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(MS)
    who have eyes(MT) but do not see,
    who have ears but do not hear:(MU)
22 Should you not fear(MV) me?” declares the Lord.
    “Should you not tremble(MW) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(MX)
    an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
    they may roar,(MY) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(MZ) hearts;
    they have turned aside(NA) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
    ‘Let us fear(NB) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(NC) in season,
    who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(ND)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
    your sins have deprived you of good.(NE)

26 “Among my people are the wicked(NF)
    who lie in wait(NG) like men who snare birds
    and like those who set traps(NH) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
    their houses are full of deceit;(NI)
they have become rich(NJ) and powerful
28     and have grown fat(NK) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
    they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(NL)
    they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(NM)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(NN) myself
    on such a nation as this?

30 “A horrible(NO) and shocking thing
    has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies,(NP)
    the priests(NQ) rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
    But what will you do in the end?(NR)

Jerusalem Under Siege

6 “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
    Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet(NS) in Tekoa!(NT)
    Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!(NU)
For disaster looms out of the north,(NV)
    even terrible destruction.
2 I will destroy Daughter Zion,(NW)
    so beautiful and delicate.(NX)
3 Shepherds(NY) with their flocks will come against her;
    they will pitch their tents around(NZ) her,
    each tending his own portion.”

4 “Prepare for battle against her!
    Arise, let us attack at noon!(OA)
But, alas, the daylight is fading,
    and the shadows of evening grow long.
5 So arise, let us attack at night
    and destroy her fortresses!”

6 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Cut down the trees(OB)
    and build siege ramps(OC) against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
    it is filled with oppression.(OD)
7 As a well pours out its water,
    so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence(OE) and destruction(OF) resound in her;
    her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Take warning, Jerusalem,
    or I will turn away(OG) from you
and make your land desolate
    so no one can live in it.”

9 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Let them glean the remnant(OH) of Israel
    as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
    like one gathering grapes.”

10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
    Who will listen(OI) to me?
Their ears are closed[e](OJ)
    so they cannot hear.(OK)
The word(OL) of the Lord is offensive to them;
    they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath(OM) of the Lord,
    and I cannot hold it in.(ON)

“Pour it out on the children in the street
    and on the young men(OO) gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
    and the old, those weighed down with years.(OP)
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,(OQ)
    together with their fields and their wives,(OR)
when I stretch out my hand(OS)
    against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord.
13 “From the least to the greatest,
    all(OT) are greedy for gain;(OU)
prophets and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.(OV)
14 They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
    when there is no peace.(OW)
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame at all;
    they do not even know how to blush.(OX)
So they will fall among the fallen;
    they will be brought down when I punish(OY) them,”
says the Lord.

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;
    ask for the ancient paths,(OZ)
ask where the good way(PA) is, and walk in it,
    and you will find rest(PB) for your souls.
    But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen(PC) over you and said,
    ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’(PD)
    But you said, ‘We will not listen.’(PE)
18 Therefore hear, you nations;
    you who are witnesses,
    observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth:(PF)
    I am bringing disaster(PG) on this people,
    the fruit of their schemes,(PH)
because they have not listened to my words(PI)
    and have rejected my law.(PJ)
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba(PK)
    or sweet calamus(PL) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;(PM)
    your sacrifices(PN) do not please me.”(PO)

21 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“I will put obstacles before this people.
    Parents and children alike will stumble(PP) over them;
    neighbors and friends will perish.”

22 This is what the Lord says:

“Look, an army is coming
    from the land of the north;(PQ)
a great nation is being stirred up
    from the ends of the earth.(PR)
23 They are armed with bow and spear;
    they are cruel and show no mercy.(PS)
They sound like the roaring sea(PT)
    as they ride on their horses;(PU)
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Zion.(PV)”

24 We have heard reports about them,
    and our hands hang limp.(PW)
Anguish(PX) has gripped us,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(PY)
25 Do not go out to the fields
    or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
    and there is terror on every side.(PZ)
26 Put on sackcloth,(QA) my people,
    and roll in ashes;(QB)
mourn with bitter wailing(QC)
    as for an only son,(QD)
for suddenly the destroyer(QE)
    will come upon us.

27 “I have made you a tester(QF) of metals
    and my people the ore,
that you may observe
    and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels,(QG)
    going about to slander.(QH)
They are bronze and iron;(QI)
    they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely
    to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining(QJ) goes on in vain;
    the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver,(QK)
    because the Lord has rejected them.”(QL)

False Religion Worthless

7 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Stand(QM) at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message:

“‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. 3 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways(QN) and your actions, and I will let you live(QO) in this place. 4 Do not trust(QP) in deceptive(QQ) words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” 5 If you really change(QR) your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,(QS) 6 if you do not oppress(QT) the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood(QU) in this place, and if you do not follow other gods(QV) to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land(QW) I gave your ancestors(QX) for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting(QY) in deceptive(QZ) words that are worthless.

9 “‘Will you steal(RA) and murder,(RB) commit adultery(RC) and perjury,[f](RD) burn incense to Baal(RE) and follow other gods(RF) you have not known, 10 and then come and stand(RG) before me in this house,(RH) which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?(RI) 11 Has this house,(RJ) which bears my Name, become a den of robbers(RK) to you? But I have been watching!(RL) declares the Lord.

12 “‘Go now to the place in Shiloh(RM) where I first made a dwelling(RN) for my Name,(RO) and see what I did(RP) to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke(RQ) to you again and again,(RR) but you did not listen;(RS) I called(RT) you, but you did not answer.(RU) 14 Therefore, what I did to Shiloh(RV) I will now do to the house that bears my Name,(RW) the temple(RX) you trust in, the place I gave to you and your ancestors. 15 I will thrust you from my presence,(RY) just as I did all your fellow Israelites, the people of Ephraim.’(RZ)

16 “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea(SA) or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen(SB) to you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven.(SC) They pour out drink offerings(SD) to other gods to arouse(SE) my anger. 19 But am I the one they are provoking?(SF) declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?(SG)

20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign(SH) Lord says: My anger(SI) and my wrath will be poured(SJ) out on this place—on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land—and it will burn and not be quenched.(SK)

21 “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices(SL) and eat(SM) the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands(SN) about burnt offerings and sacrifices,(SO) 23 but I gave them this command:(SP) Obey(SQ) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.(SR) Walk in obedience to all(SS) I command you, that it may go well(ST) with you. 24 But they did not listen(SU) or pay attention;(SV) instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.(SW) They went backward(SX) and not forward. 25 From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again(SY) I sent you my servants(SZ) the prophets.(TA) 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention.(TB) They were stiff-necked(TC) and did more evil than their ancestors.’(TD)

27 “When you tell(TE) them all this, they will not listen(TF) to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.(TG) 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction.(TH) Truth(TI) has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

29 “‘Cut off(TJ) your hair and throw it away; take up a lament(TK) on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned(TL) this generation that is under his wrath.

The Valley of Slaughter

30 “‘The people of Judah have done evil(TM) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols(TN) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled(TO) it. 31 They have built the high places of Topheth(TP) in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(TQ) to burn their sons and daughters(TR) in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.(TS) 32 So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter,(TT) for they will bury(TU) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. 33 Then the carcasses(TV) of this people will become food(TW) for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.(TX) 34 I will bring an end to the sounds(TY) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom(TZ) in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,(UA) for the land will become desolate.(UB)

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(UC) of the people of Jerusalem will be removed(UD) 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(UE) and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.(UF) They will not be gathered up or buried,(UG) but will be like dung lying on the ground.(UH) 3 Wherever I banish them,(UI) all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life,(UJ) 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?(UK)
    When someone turns away,(UL) do they not return?
5 Why then have these people turned away?
    Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;(UM)
    they refuse to return.(UN)
6 I have listened(UO) attentively,
    but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent(UP) of their wickedness,
    saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course(UQ)
    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(UR)
    the requirements of the Lord.

8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise,
    for we have the law(US) of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
    has handled it falsely?
9 The wise(UT) will be put to shame;
    they will be dismayed(UU) and trapped.(UV)
Since they have rejected the word(UW) of the Lord,
    what kind of wisdom(UX) do they have?
10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men
    and their fields to new owners.(UY)
From the least to the greatest,
    all are greedy for gain;(UZ)
prophets(VA) and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.(VB)
11 They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
    when there is no peace.(VC)
12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame(VD) 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,(VE)
says the Lord.(VF)

13 “‘I will take away their harvest,
declares the Lord.
    There will be no grapes on the vine.(VG)
There will be no figs(VH) on the tree,
    and their leaves will wither.(VI)
What I have given them
    will be taken(VJ) from them.[g]’”

14 Why are we sitting here?
    Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities(VK)
    and perish there!
For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish
    and given us poisoned water(VL) to drink,
    because we have sinned(VM) against him.
15 We hoped for peace(VN)
    but no good has come,
for a time of healing
    but there is only terror.(VO)
16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses(VP)
    is heard from Dan;(VQ)
at the neighing of their stallions
    the whole land trembles.(VR)
They have come to devour(VS)
    the land and everything in it,
    the city and all who live there.

17 “See, I will send venomous snakes(VT) among you,
    vipers that cannot be charmed,(VU)
    and they will bite you,”
declares the Lord.

18 You who are my Comforter[h] in sorrow,
    my heart is faint(VV) within me.
19 Listen to the cry of my people
    from a land far away:(VW)
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
    Is her King(VX) no longer there?”

“Why have they aroused(VY) my anger with their images,
    with their worthless(VZ) foreign idols?”(WA)

20 “The harvest is past,
    the summer has ended,
    and we are not saved.”

21 Since my people are crushed,(WB) I am crushed;
    I mourn,(WC) and horror grips me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead?(WD)
    Is there no physician(WE) there?
Why then is there no healing(WF)
    for the wound of my people?

9 [i]1 Oh, that my head were a spring of water
    and my eyes a fountain of tears!(WG)
I would weep(WH) day and night
    for the slain of my people.(WI)
2 Oh, that I had in the desert(WJ)
    a lodging place for travelers,
so that I might leave my people
    and go away from them;
for they are all adulterers,(WK)
    a crowd of unfaithful(WL) people.

3 “They make ready their tongue
    like a bow, to shoot lies;(WM)
it is not by truth
    that they triumph[j] in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
    they do not acknowledge(WN) me,”
declares the Lord.
4 “Beware of your friends;(WO)
    do not trust anyone in your clan.(WP)
For every one of them is a deceiver,[k](WQ)
    and every friend a slanderer.(WR)
5 Friend deceives friend,(WS)
    and no one speaks the truth.(WT)
They have taught their tongues to lie;(WU)
    they weary themselves with sinning.
6 You[l] live in the midst of deception;(WV)
    in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”
declares the Lord.

7 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says:

“See, I will refine(WW) and test(WX) them,
    for what else can I do
    because of the sin of my people?
8 Their tongue(WY) is a deadly arrow;
    it speaks deceitfully.
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,(WZ)
    but in their hearts they set traps(XA) for them.(XB)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(XC) 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.(XD)
They are desolate and untraveled,
    and the lowing of cattle is not heard.
The birds(XE) have all fled
    and the animals are gone.

11 “I will make Jerusalem a heap(XF) of ruins,
    a haunt of jackals;(XG)
and I will lay waste the towns of Judah(XH)
    so no one can live there.”(XI)

12 Who is wise(XJ) 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.(XK) 14 Instead, they have followed(XL) the stubbornness of their hearts;(XM) 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(XN) and drink poisoned water.(XO) 16 I will scatter them among nations(XP) that neither they nor their ancestors have known,(XQ) and I will pursue them with the sword(XR) until I have made an end of them.”(XS)

17 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Consider now! Call for the wailing women(XT) 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.(XU)
19 The sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
    ‘How ruined(XV) 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.(XW)
Teach your daughters how to wail;
    teach one another a lament.(XX)
21 Death has climbed in through our windows(XY)
    and has entered our fortresses;
it has removed the children from the streets
    and the young men(XZ) from the public squares.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose
  2. Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.
  3. Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert
  4. Jeremiah 2:18 Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile
  5. Jeremiah 6:10 Hebrew uncircumcised
  6. Jeremiah 7:9 Or and swear by false gods
  7. Jeremiah 8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  8. Jeremiah 8:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  9. Jeremiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-26 is numbered 9:1-25.
  10. Jeremiah 9:3 Or lies; / they are not valiant for truth
  11. Jeremiah 9:4 Or a deceiving Jacob
  12. Jeremiah 9:6 That is, Jeremiah (the Hebrew is singular)
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