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Jeremiah 3-5
Amplified Bible
Jeremiah 3-5
Amplified Bible
The Polluted Land
3 That is to say, “If a man divorces his wife
And she goes [away] from him
And becomes another man’s [wife],
Will he return to her again? [Of course not!]
Will not that land [where such a thing happened] be completely desecrated?
But you [rebelled against Me and you] are a prostitute with many lovers;
Yet you turn to Me.” says the Lord.
2
“Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see;
Where have you not been violated?
You sat by the road waiting [eagerly] for them [those man-made gods]
Like an Arab [tribesman who waits to attack] in the desert,
And you have desecrated the land
With your [vile] prostitution and your wickedness (disobedience to God).
3
“Therefore the showers have been withheld,
And there has been no spring rain.
Yet you have the forehead (appearance) of a prostitute;
You refuse to be ashamed.
4
“Will you not just now call out to Me,
‘My Father, you were the guide and companion of my youth?
5
‘Will He be angry forever?
Will He be indignant to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken,
And you have done all the evil things [you could],
And you have had your way and have carried out your wickedness.”
Faithless Israel
6 Moreover, the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king [of Judah], “Have you seen what that faithless Israel has done—how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there she was a prostitute? 7 I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous (faithless) sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw [that even though Judah knew] that for all the acts of adultery (idolatry) of faithless Israel, I [the Lord] had [a]sent her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet her treacherous sister [b]Judah was not afraid; but she went and was a prostitute also [following after idols]. 9 Because of the thoughtlessness of Israel’s prostitution [her immorality mattered little to her], she desecrated the land and committed adultery with [idols of] stones and trees. 10 Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but rather in [blatant] deception [she merely pretended obedience to King Josiah’s reforms],” declares the Lord.(A)
God Invites Repentance
11 And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has proved herself less guilty than treacherous Judah [a land of renegades]. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north [where the ten tribes have been taken as captives] and say,
‘Return, faithless Israel,’ says the Lord;
‘I will not [c]look on you in anger.
For I am gracious and merciful,’ says the Lord;
‘I will not be angry forever.
13
‘Only understand fully and acknowledge your wickedness and guilt,
That you have rebelled (transgressed) against the Lord your God
And have scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord.
14
‘Return, O faithless children [of the twelve tribes],’ says the Lord,
‘For I am a master and husband to you,
And I will take you [not as a nation, but individually]—one from a city and two from a [tribal] family—
And I will bring you to Zion.’(B)
15 “Then [in the final time] I will give you [spiritual] shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and [true] understanding. 16 It will be in those days when you have [repented and] multiplied and increased in the land,” says the Lord, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will not come to mind, nor will they [seriously] remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again [for instead of the ark, which symbolized My presence, I will be present].(C) 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name (renown) of the Lord; and they will not walk anymore after the stubbornness of their [own] evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and [d]they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.
19 “Then I said,
‘How [gloriously and honorably] I would set you among My children
And give you a pleasant land—a wonderful heritage,
The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!’
And I said, ‘You shall call Me, My Father
And not turn away from following Me.’
20
“Surely, as a wife treacherously (unfaithfully) leaves her husband,
So you have dealt treacherously with Me,
O house of Israel,” says the Lord.
21
A voice is heard on the barren heights,
The weeping and pleading of the children of Israel,
Because they have lost their way,
They have [deliberately] forgotten the Lord their God.
22
“Return, O faithless sons,” [says the Lord],
“I will heal your unfaithfulness.”
[They answer] “Behold, we come to You,
For You are the Lord our God.
23
“Truly, [the hope of salvation from] the hill [where idols are worshiped] is a deception,
A tumult and noisy multitude on the mountains;
Truly in the Lord our God
Is the salvation of Israel.
24 “But the shameful act [of idolatry] has consumed the labor of our fathers since our youth—their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor and humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”
Judah Threatened with Invasion
4 “If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord,
“If you will return to Me,
And if you will put away your detestable things and remove your man-made gods from My sight,
And not stray or waver,
2
And if you swear [your oaths], ‘As the Lord lives,’
In truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
Then the nations will bless themselves in Him,
And in Him they will glory.”
3 For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,
“Plow your uncultivated ground [for a season],
And do not sow among thorns.
4
“Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the Lord
And remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart,
Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way]
And burn and there will be no one to quench it,
Because of the evil of your acts.”
5
Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,
“Blow the trumpet in the land;
Cry aloud and say,
‘Assemble yourselves, and let us go
Into the fortified cities.’
6
“Raise a banner toward Zion [to mark the way for those seeking safety inside Jerusalem’s walls]!
Seek refuge, do not stand [immobile],
For I am bringing evil from the north (the army of Babylon),
And great destruction.
7
“A lion has left his lair,
And a destroyer of nations is on his way.
He has gone out from his place
To desolate your land;
Your cities will be in ruins
Without an inhabitant.
8
“For this reason, put on sackcloth [for mourning],
Lament (mourn with expressions of grief for the dead) and wail,
For the fierce anger of the Lord
Has not turned back from us.”
9 “It shall come about in that day,” says the Lord, “that the heart and courage of the king will fail (be paralyzed), and also the heart of the princes; the priests will be appalled and the prophets will be astounded and horrified.”
10 Then I said, “[e]Alas, Lord God! Surely You have completely deceived and misled this people and Jerusalem, [for the prophets represented You as] saying [to Your people], ‘You will have peace,’ but [in fact] a sword reaches to their throat.”
11 In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the barren heights in the wilderness [comes at My command] against the daughter of My people—not [a wind] to winnow and not to cleanse [from chaff, as when threshing, but] 12 a wind too strong and full for this comes at My word. Now I will also speak judgment against My people.”
13
“Behold, the enemy comes up like clouds,
His chariots like the whirlwind;
His horses are swifter than eagles.
Woe (judgment is coming) to us, for we are ruined!”
14
O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness,
That you may be saved.
How long will your wicked and immoral thoughts
Lodge within you?
15
For a voice declares from Dan [far in the north],
And proclaims evil from [f]Mount Ephraim.
16
“Warn the [neighboring] nations now [that our enemy is coming]!
Announce to Jerusalem,
‘Besiegers are coming from a far country,
And they lift their voices and shout against the cities of Judah.
17
‘Like watchmen of a field they are against her on all sides,
Because she has rebelled against Me,’ says the Lord.
18
“Your ways and your deeds
Have brought these things on you.
This is your tragedy and doom; how bitter,
How it has touched your heart!”
Lament over Judah’s Devastation
19
My soul, my soul! I writhe in anguish and pain! Oh, the walls of my heart!
My heart is pounding and throbbing within me;
I cannot be silent,
For you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20
News of one [terrible] disaster comes close after another,
For the whole land is devastated;
Suddenly my tents are spoiled and destroyed,
My [tent] curtains [ruined] in a moment.
21
How long [O Lord] must I see the banner [marking the way for flight]
And hear the sound of the trumpet [urging the people to run for safety]?
22
“For My people are stupid and foolish,” [says the Lord to Jeremiah];
“They do not know Me;
They are foolish children
And have no understanding.
They are shrewd [enough] to do evil,
But they do not know [how] to do good.”
23
I looked at the earth [in my vision], and behold, it was [as at the time of creation] formless and void;
And to the heavens, and they had no light.
24
I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were trembling,
And all the hills moved back and forth.
25
I looked, and behold, there was no man,
And all the birds of the air had fled.
26
I looked, and behold, the fertile land was a wilderness,
And all its cities were pulled down
Before the [presence of the] Lord, before His fierce anger.
27
Therefore says the Lord,
“The whole land shall be a desolation,
Yet I will not cause total destruction.(D)
28
“For this reason the earth shall mourn
And the heavens above shall become dark,
Because I have spoken, I have decided,
And I will not change my mind (relent), nor will I turn back from it.”
29
Every city runs away at the sound of the horsemen and archers.
They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks;
Every city is deserted,
And no man lives in them.
30
And you, O desolate one, what will you do?
Though you clothe yourself in scarlet,
Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold,
Though you enlarge your eyes with paint,
You make yourself beautiful in vain.
Your lovers (allies) despise you;
They seek your life.
31
For I heard a cry like a woman in labor,
The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child,
The cry of the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem), who gasps for breath,
Who stretches out her hands, saying,
“Woe is me [my judgment comes]! I faint [in fear] before the murderers.”
Jerusalem’s Godlessness
5 “Roam back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem,
And look now and take note.
And look in her open squares
To see if you can find a man [as Abraham sought in Sodom],
One who is just, who [has integrity and moral courage and] seeks truth (faithfulness);
Then I will pardon Jerusalem—[for the sake of one uncompromisingly righteous person].(E)
2
“And though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’
Surely they swear [their oaths] falsely.”
3
O Lord, do not Your eyes look for truth?
You [have seen their faithless heart and] have stricken them,
But they did not weaken;
You have consumed them,
But they refused to take correction or instruction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to repent and return to You.
4
Then I said, “[Surely] these are only the poor (uneducated);
They are [sinfully] foolish and have no [spiritual] understanding,
For they do not know the way of the Lord
Or the ordinance of their God [and the requirements of His just and righteous law].
5
“I will go to the great [men]
And speak to them,
For they [must] know the way of the Lord,
The ordinance of their God.”
But [I found the reverse to be true, that] they too had all alike broken the yoke [of God’s law]
And had burst the bonds [of obedience to Him].
6
Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them,
A wolf of the deserts will destroy them,
A leopard is watching their cities.
Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many,
Their desertions of faith are countless.
7
“Why should I [overlook these offenses and] forgive you?
Your children have abandoned (rejected) Me
And sworn [their oaths] by those who are not gods.
When I had fed them until they were full [and bound them to Me by a promise],
They committed [spiritual] adultery,
Assembling in troops at the houses of prostitutes (idols).
8
“They were like well-fed, lusty stallions,
Each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
9
“Shall I not punish them [for these things]?” says the Lord;
“Shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?”
10
“Go up through the rows of Jerusalem’s vineyards and destroy [them],
But do not completely destroy everything.
Strip away her branches and the tendrils [of her vines],
For they are not the Lord’s.
11
“For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously (faithlessly) with Me,” declares the Lord.
12
They have lied about and denied the Lord
By saying, “It is not He [who speaks through His prophets];
Misfortune and evil shall not come on us,
Nor will we see war or famine.
13
“The prophets are like the [g]wind [their prophecy will not come to pass],
And the word [of God] is not in them.
In this manner it will be done to them [as they prophesied, not to us].”
Judgment Proclaimed
14
Therefore, thus says the Lord God of hosts,
“Because you [people] have spoken this word,
Behold, I am making My words a fire in your mouth [Jeremiah]
And this people wood, and My words will consume them.
15
“Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from far away, O house of Israel,” says the Lord.
“It is a mighty and enduring nation,
It is an ancient nation,
A nation whose language you do not know,
Whose words you do not comprehend.
16
“Their quiver is [filled with the dead] like an open grave;
They are all mighty men [heroes of their nation].
17
“They will consume your harvest and [eat up] your bread;
They will consume your sons and your daughters;
They will consume your flocks and your herds;
They will consume your vines and your fig trees.
With the sword they will break down and demolish your fortified cities in which you trust.
18 “But even in those days,” says the Lord, “I will not totally destroy you. 19 It will come about when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘As you have abandoned (rejected) Me,’ [says the Lord,] ‘and have served strange and foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
20
“Declare this in the house of Jacob
And proclaim it in Judah, saying:
21
‘Now hear this, O foolish people without heart,
Who have eyes but do not see,
Who have ears but do not hear.(F)
22
‘Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord.
‘Do you not tremble [in awe] in My presence?
For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
An eternal decree and a perpetual barrier beyond which it cannot pass.
Though the waves [of the sea] toss and break, yet they cannot prevail [against the sand ordained to hold them back];
Though the waves and the billows roar, yet they cannot cross over [the barrier].
[Is not such a God to be feared?]
23
‘But this people has a stubborn heart and a rebellious will [that draws them away from Me];
They have turned away and have gone [into idolatry].
24
‘They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear and worship the Lord our God [with profound awe and reverence],
Who gives rain in its season,
Both the autumn and the spring rain,
Who keeps for us
The appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25
‘Your wickedness has turned these [blessings] away,
And your sins have withheld good [harvests] from you.
26
‘For wicked men are found among My people,
They watch like fowlers who lie in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch men.
27
‘As a cage is full of birds,
So are their houses full of deceit and treachery;
Therefore they have become influential and rich.
28
‘They are fat and they are sleek (prosperous),
They [h]excel in acts of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the orphan, so that they [the wicked] may prosper,
And they do not defend the rights of the poor.
29
‘Shall I not punish them [for these things]?’ says the Lord.
‘Shall I not avenge Myself
On such a nation as this?’
30
“An appalling and horrible thing [bringing desolation and destruction]
Has come to pass in the land:
31
The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule [i]on their own authority;
And My people love [to have] it so!
But what will you do when the end comes?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 3:8 Israel (the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom) was destroyed by Assyria in 722 b.c.
- Jeremiah 3:8 Judah (the Southern Kingdom, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) was destroyed by the Babylonian Empire in 586 b.c.
- Jeremiah 3:12 Lit cause My countenance to fall.
- Jeremiah 3:18 The kingdom divided when King Solomon’s son Rehoboam came to the throne. The ten northern tribes rejected him, rebelled against the Davidic line and chose Jeroboam as their king.
- Jeremiah 4:10 Jeremiah could not reconcile the tragedy he was now commanded to announce with his previous prophecy.
- Jeremiah 4:15 The northern mountain dividing Israel from Judah.
- Jeremiah 5:13 The same Hebrew word (ruach) means both “wind” and “spirit,” so this statement was actually a subtle wordplay insulting not only the prophets but also the Holy Spirit who inspired them.
- Jeremiah 5:28 Lit pass over, or, overlook deeds.
- Jeremiah 5:31 Lit by their own hands.
Jeremiah 3-5
New International Version
Jeremiah 3-5
New International Version
3 “If a man divorces(A) his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
Would not the land be completely defiled?(B)
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers(C)—
would you now return to me?”(D)
declares the Lord.
2 “Look up to the barren heights(E) and see.
Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside(F) you sat waiting for lovers,
sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land(G)
with your prostitution(H) and wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld,(I)
and no spring rains(J) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen(K) look of a prostitute;
you refuse to blush with shame.(L)
4 Have you not just called to me:
‘My Father,(M) my friend from my youth,(N)
5 will you always be angry?(O)
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,(P) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless(Q) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree(R) and has committed adultery(S) there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister(T) Judah saw it.(U) 8 I gave faithless Israel(V) her certificate of divorce(W) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;(X) she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land(Y) and committed adultery(Z) with stone(AA) and wood.(AB) 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return(AC) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,(AD)” declares the Lord.(AE)
11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous(AF) than unfaithful(AG) Judah.(AH) 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:(AI)
“‘Return,(AJ) faithless(AK) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’(AL) declares the Lord,
‘I will not be angry(AM) forever.
13 Only acknowledge(AN) your guilt—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods(AO)
under every spreading tree,(AP)
and have not obeyed(AQ) me,’”
declares the Lord.
14 “Return,(AR) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.(AS) 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(AT) after my own heart,(AU) 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(AV) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;(AW) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne(AX) of the Lord, and all nations(AY) will gather in Jerusalem to honor(AZ) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(BA) 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,(BB) and together(BC) they will come from a northern(BD) land to the land(BE) 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,(BF)
the most beautiful inheritance(BG) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’(BH)
and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you, Israel, have been unfaithful(BI) to me,”
declares the Lord.
21 A cry is heard on the barren heights,(BJ)
the weeping(BK) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten(BL) the Lord their God.
“Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
23 Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills(BP)
and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
is the salvation(BQ) of Israel.
24 From our youth shameful(BR) 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,(BS)
and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned(BT) against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors;(BU)
from our youth(BV) till this day
we have not obeyed(BW) the Lord our God.”
4 “If you, Israel, will return,(BX)
then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(BY) out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear,(BZ) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(CA)
then the nations will invoke blessings(CB) by him
and in him they will boast.(CC)”
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground(CD)
and do not sow among thorns.(CE)
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
circumcise your hearts,(CF)
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(CG) will flare up and burn like fire(CH)
because of the evil(CI) you have done—
burn with no one to quench(CJ) it.
Disaster From the North
5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim(CK) in Jerusalem and say:
‘Sound the trumpet(CL) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
‘Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(CM)
6 Raise the signal(CN) to go to Zion!
Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(CO) from the north,(CP)
even terrible destruction.”
7 A lion(CQ) has come out of his lair;(CR)
a destroyer(CS) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to lay waste(CT) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(CU)
without inhabitant.
8 So put on sackcloth,(CV)
lament(CW) and wail,
for the fierce anger(CX) of the Lord
has not turned away from us.
9 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“the king and the officials will lose heart,(CY)
the priests will be horrified,
and the prophets will be appalled.”(CZ)
10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(DA) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(DB) when the sword is at our throats!”
11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(DC) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(DD) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(DE) against them.”
13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(DF)
his chariots(DG) come like a whirlwind,(DH)
his horses(DI) are swifter than eagles.(DJ)
Woe to us! We are ruined!(DK)
14 Jerusalem, wash(DL) the evil from your heart and be saved.(DM)
How long(DN) will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(DO)
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(DP)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(DQ)
raising a war cry(DR) against the cities of Judah.(DS)
17 They surround(DT) her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled(DU) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(DV)
have brought this on you.(DW)
This is your punishment.
How bitter(DX) it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(DY)
I writhe in pain.(DZ)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds(EA) within me,
I cannot keep silent.(EB)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(EC)
I have heard the battle cry.(ED)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(EE)
the whole land lies in ruins.(EF)
In an instant my tents(EG) are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle standard(EH)
and hear the sound of the trumpet?(EI)
22 “My people are fools;(EJ)
they do not know me.(EK)
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.(EL)
They are skilled in doing evil;(EM)
they know not how to do good.”(EN)
23 I looked at the earth,
and it was formless and empty;(EO)
and at the heavens,
and their light(EP) was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking;(EQ)
all the hills were swaying.
25 I looked, and there were no people;
every bird in the sky had flown away.(ER)
26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;(ES)
all its towns lay in ruins(ET)
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.(EU)
27 This is what the Lord says:
“The whole land will be ruined,(EV)
though I will not destroy(EW) it completely.
28 Therefore the earth will mourn(EX)
and the heavens above grow dark,(EY)
because I have spoken and will not relent,(EZ)
I have decided and will not turn back.(FA)”
29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(FB)
every town takes to flight.(FC)
Some go into the thickets;
some climb up among the rocks.(FD)
All the towns are deserted;(FE)
no one lives in them.
30 What are you doing,(FF) you devastated one?
Why dress yourself in scarlet
and put on jewels(FG) of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?(FH)
You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers(FI) despise you;
they want to kill you.(FJ)
31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,(FK)
a groan as of one bearing her first child—
the cry of Daughter Zion(FL) gasping for breath,(FM)
stretching out her hands(FN) and saying,
“Alas! I am fainting;
my life is given over to murderers.”(FO)
Not One Is Upright
5 “Go up and down(FP) the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,(FQ)
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(FR)
who deals honestly(FS) and seeks the truth,
I will forgive(FT) this city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(FU)
still they are swearing falsely.(FV)”
3 Lord, do not your eyes(FW) look for truth?
You struck(FX) them, but they felt no pain;
you crushed them, but they refused correction.(FY)
They made their faces harder than stone(FZ)
and refused to repent.(GA)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
they are foolish,(GB)
for they do not know(GC) the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
5 So I will go to the leaders(GD)
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.(GE)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest(GF) will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage(GG) them,
a leopard(GH) will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.(GI)
7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me
and sworn(GJ) by gods that are not gods.(GK)
I supplied all their needs,
yet they committed adultery(GL)
and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(GM)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.(GN)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”(GO)
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(GP) myself
on such a nation as this?
10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
but do not destroy them completely.(GQ)
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(GR) to me,”
declares the Lord.
12 They have lied(GS) about the Lord;
they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;(GT)
we will never see sword or famine.(GU)
13 The prophets(GV) are but wind(GW)
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(GX) a fire(GY)
and these people the wood it consumes.(GZ)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
“I am bringing a distant nation(HA) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
a people whose language(HB) you do not know,
whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers(HC) are like an open grave;
all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour(HD) your harvests and food,
devour(HE) your sons and daughters;
they will devour(HF) your flocks and herds,
devour your vines and fig trees.(HG)
With the sword(HH) they will destroy
the fortified cities(HI) in which you trust.(HJ)
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy(HK) you completely. 19 And when the people ask,(HL) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods(HM) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners(HN) in a land not your own.’
20 “Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
and proclaim(HO) it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(HP)
who have eyes(HQ) but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:(HR)
22 Should you not fear(HS) me?” declares the Lord.
“Should you not tremble(HT) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(HU)
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar,(HV) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(HW) hearts;
they have turned aside(HX) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear(HY) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(HZ) in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(IA)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.(IB)
26 “Among my people are the wicked(IC)
who lie in wait(ID) like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps(IE) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;(IF)
they have become rich(IG) and powerful
28 and have grown fat(IH) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(II)
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(IJ)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(IK) myself
on such a nation as this?
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