Jeremiah 11

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying:

2 “Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.

Hear ye the words of this covenant, And speak ye to the men of Judah, And the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

3 You must tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,

And say thou to them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Cursed is the man who will not obey the words of this covenant,

4 which I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey Me, and do everything I command you, and you will be My people, and I will be your God.’

Which I commanded your fathers, When I brought them forth from the land of Egypt, From the iron furnace, saying, “Obey ye my voice, And do all which I command you; So shall ye be my people, And I will be your God;

5 This was in order to establish the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is to this day.” “Amen, LORD,” I answered.

So that I may perform the oath, Which I made to your fathers, To give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.” Then answered I, and said, So may it be, O Jehovah!

6 Then the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear the words of this covenant and carry them out.

Then said Jehovah to me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, And the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them!

7 For from the time I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt until today, I strongly warned them again and again, saying, ‘Obey My voice.’

For I have earnestly admonished your fathers, From the time when I brought them up from the land of Egypt to this day, Rising early and admonishing them, saying, “Obey ye my voice!”

8 Yet they would not obey or incline their ears, but each one followed the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant I had commanded them to follow but they did not keep.”

Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, But walked every one in the obstinacy of his evil heart; Therefore have I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, Which I commanded them to obey, And they obeyed not.

9 And the LORD told me, “There is a conspiracy among the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.

Jehovah also said to me: A conspiracy hath been found among the men of Judah, And the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10 They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.

They turn back to the iniquities of their forefathers, Who refused to hearken to my words; They go after strange gods and serve them; The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant Which I made with their fathers.

11 Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them.

Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold I bring upon them a calamity, From which they shall not be able to escape; And though they cry to me, I will not hear them.

12 Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been burning incense, but these gods certainly will not save them in their time of disaster.

Then may the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go, And cry to the gods to whom they burn incense; But they shall not save them at all in the time of their calamity.

13 Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah; the altars of shame you have set up—the altars to burn incense to Baal—are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’

For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah! According to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to a thing of shame, Altars for burning incense to Baal.

14 As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me in their time of disaster.

Therefore pray not thou for this people, Nor lift up a cry or a prayer for them; For I will not hear when they cry to me On account of their calamity.

15 What right has My beloved in My house, having carried out so many evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your doom, so that you can rejoice?

What hath my beloved to do in my house, While many pollute it with wickedness? The holy flesh shall pass away from thee, For when thou doest evil, thou rejoicest.

16 The LORD once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. But with a mighty roar He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed.

Jehovah hath called thee an olive-tree, Green, fair, and of goodly fruit; With the noise of a great crackling doth he kindle a fire upon it, And the branches of it shall be broken.

17 The LORD of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”

For Jehovah of hosts, who planted thee, Hath pronounced evil against thee, On account of the wickedness of the house of Israel and of Judah, which they have committed In provoking me to anger by burning incense to Baal.

18 And the LORD informed me, so I knew. Then You showed me their deeds.

Jehovah made it known to me, and I knew it; Thou didst show me their machinations!

19 For I was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter; I did not know that they had plotted against me: “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”

For I was like a tame lamb, that is led to the slaughter, And knew not that they had formed plots against me, [[saying, ]] “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, Let us cut him off from the land of the living, That his name may no more be remembered!”

20 O LORD of Hosts, who judges righteously, who examines the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause.

But, O Jehovah of hosts, the righteous judge, Who triest the reins and the heart, I shall see thy vengeance on them, For to thee have I revealed my cause!

21 Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the people of Anathoth who are seeking your life and saying, “You must not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand.”

Therefore thus saith Jehovah against the men of Anathoth, Who seek thy life, and say, “Prophesy not in the name of Jehovah, Lest thou die by our hand!”

22 So this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine.

Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will punish them; Their young men shall die by the sword; Their sons and their daughters shall die by famine,

23 There will be no remnant, for I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”

There shall be none of them left; For I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, At the time of their punishment.