Jeremiah 5
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1“Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places If you can find a man, If there is anyone who executes judgment, Who seeks the truth, And I will pardon her.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.
2Though they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’ Surely they swear falsely.”2Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely."
3O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, But they have not grieved; You have consumed them, But they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to return.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.
4Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God.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.
5I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God.” But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds.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.
6Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; A leopard will watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many; Their backslidings have increased.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.
7“How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.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.
8They were like well-fed lusty stallions; Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.8They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each one neighing after his neighbor's wife.
9Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the LORD. “And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?9"Should I not punish them for these things?" asks the LORD, "And on a nation like this, should I not seek retribution?"
10“Go up on her walls and destroy, But do not make a complete end. Take away her branches, For they are not the LORD’s.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.
11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” says the LORD.11For both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD.
12They have lied about the LORD, And said, “It is not He. Neither will evil come upon us, Nor shall we see sword or famine.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.
13And the prophets become wind, For the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.”13The prophets are nothing but wind, and the word is not in them. So may the disaster happen to them!'"
14Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts: “Because you speak this word, Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour 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.
15Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” says the LORD. “It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say.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.
16Their quiver is like an open tomb; They are all mighty men.16Their quiver is like an open grave, and all of them are powerful warriors.
17And they shall eat up your harvest and your bread, Which your sons and daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds; They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; They shall destroy your fortified cities, In which you trust, with the sword.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.
18“Nevertheless in those days,” says the LORD, “I will not make a complete end of you.18"Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I won't destroy you completely.
19And it will be when you say, ‘Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.’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.'"
20“Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying,20"Declare this to the descendants of Jacob, and proclaim it in Judah:
21‘Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not:21Hear this, you foolish and stupid people: They have eyes, but don't see; they have ears, but don't hear.
22Do you not fear Me?’ says the LORD. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, Yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.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.'
23But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; They have revolted and departed.23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and have gone away.
24They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”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.'
25Your iniquities have turned these things away, And your sins have withheld good from you.25Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have held back from you what is good.
26‘For among My people are found wicked men; They lie in wait as one who sets snares; They set a trap; They catch men.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.
27As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich.27Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are filled with treachery. This is how they have become prominent and rich,
28They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend.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.
29Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the LORD. ‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’29Should I not punish them for this?' asks the LORD. 'Should I not avenge myself on a nation like this?'
30“An astonishing and horrible thing Has been committed in the land:30"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:
31The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?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?"
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.
Jeremiah 4
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