Jeremiah 5
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1"Wander through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and investigate; search through her squares and see whether you find anyone— even one person there—doing justice and seeking truth. Then I'll forgive them. 1“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city.
2Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely." 2Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”
3LORD, don't your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they didn't flinch. You brought them to an end, but they refused to receive discipline. They made their faces harder than stone, and they refused to repent.3O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.
4Then I said, "These are only the poor, they're foolish, for they don't know the LORD's way, the requirement of their God.4Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.
5Let me go to the leaders and speak to them. For they know the LORD's way, the requirement of their God." "But they, all together, have broken the yoke and torn off the restraints. 5I will go to the powerful and speak to them. Surely they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke and torn off the chains.
6Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will devastate them. A leopard is watching their towns, and everyone who goes out of them will be torn to pieces. For their transgressions are many, and their apostasies numerous.6Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.
7Why should I forgive you? Your sons have forsaken me, and you have sworn by those who aren't gods. When I gave them enough food to satisfy them, they committed adultery and marched to the prostitute's house.7“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.
8They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each one neighing after his neighbor's wife.8They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
9"Should I not punish them for these things?" asks the LORD, "And on a nation like this, should I not seek retribution?"9Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10"Go through her rows of vines and destroy them, but don't completely destroy them. Strip away her branches, because they aren't the LORD's.10Go up through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not finish them off. Strip off her branches, for they do not belong to the LORD.
11For both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD.11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,” declares the LORD.
12"They have lied about the LORD by saying, 'He wouldn't do that! Disaster won't come on us. We won't see sword and famine.12They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.
13The prophets are nothing but wind, and the word is not in them. So may the disaster happen to them!'" 13The prophets are but wind, for the word is not in them. So let their own predictions befall them.”
14Therefore, this is what the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies says: "Because you people have said this, my words in your mouth will become a fire and these people the wood. The fire will destroy them.14Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.
15People of Israel, I'm now bringing a nation from far away to attack you," declares the LORD. "It is an enduring nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don't know. And you won't understand what they say.15Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.
16Their quiver is like an open grave, and all of them are powerful warriors.16Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men.
17"They'll devour your harvest and your food. They'll devour your sons and your daughters. They'll devour your vines and your fig trees. With their swords they'll batter down your fortified cities in which you trust.17They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”
18"Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I won't destroy you completely. 18“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you.
19When the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you are to say to them, 'Just as you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'"19And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’ ”
20"Declare this to the descendants of Jacob, and proclaim it in Judah:20Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:
21Hear this, you foolish and stupid people: They have eyes, but don't see; they have ears, but don't hear.21“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
22You don't fear me, do you?' declares the LORD. 'You don't tremble before me, do you? I'm the one who put the sand as a boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot cross. Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail against it, though they roar, they cannot cross it.'22Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.
23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and have gone away.23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away.
24They don't say to themselves, 'Let's fear the LORD our God, who gives rain in its season, both the autumn and the spring rain. He sets aside for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'24They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
25Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have held back from you what is good.25Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty.
26"Evil men are found among my people. They lie in wait like someone who traps birds. They set a trap, but they do so to catch people.26For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.
27Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are filled with treachery. This is how they have become prominent and rich,27Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich.
28and have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They don't argue the case of the orphan to secure justice. They don't defend the rights of the poor.28They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.
29Should I not punish them for this?' asks the LORD. 'Should I not avenge myself on a nation like this?'29Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
30"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:30A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.
31The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?"31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
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Jeremiah 4
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