Jeremiah 8

1 “At that time,” declares the LORD, “the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of the officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves.

At that time, saith Jehovah, Shall the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of the princes, The bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, And the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Be cast forth from their graves;

2 They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground.

And they shall be spread before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, Which they have loved, and which they have served, and after which they have walked; Which they have consulted and have worshipped; They shall not be gathered, nor be buried; They shall be as dung upon the face of the ground.

3 And wherever I have banished them, the remnant of this evil family will choose death over life,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

And death shall be chosen rather than life By all the residue of them that remain of this evil race, Which remain in all the places whither I have driver them, Saith Jehovah of hosts.

4 So you are to tell them this is what the LORD says: “Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not return?

Thou shalt also say to them, Thus saith Jehovah, Doth a man fall, and not rise again? Doth one turn aside from the way, and not return,

5 Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

Why then hath this people, Why hath Jerusalem, completely revolted? They hold fast deceit; They refuse to return.

6 I have listened and heard; they do not speak what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, asking, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone has pursued his own course like a horse charging into battle.

I have listened and heard, But they speak not aright; No one repenteth of his wickedness, Saying, “What have I done?” Every one runneth at full speed in his rebellion, As a horse rusheth to the battle.

7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

Even the stork in the heavens knoweth her times, And the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the season of their coming, But my people regard not the laws of Jehovah.

8 How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception?

How is it that ye say, “We are wise, We possess the law of Jehovah”? Behold, the false pen of the scribes Hath turned it into falsehood.

9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom do they really have?

The wise men shall be confounded; They shall be dismayed and ensnared; Behold, they have rejected the word of Jehovah, And what wisdom is there in them?

10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.

Therefore will I give their wives to others, And their fields to plunderers. For from the least of them even to the greatest, Every one is greedy of gain, Prophet and priest alike, Every one of them practiseth deceit.

11 They dress the wound of the daughter of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.

They heal the wound of my people slightly, Saying, Peace! peace! when there is no peace.

12 Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD.

Are they ashamed, that they have done abominable things? Nay, they are not at all ashamed; They know not how to blush. Therefore shall they fall with them that fall; At the time when I punish them, They shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.

13 I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the tree, and even the leaf will wither. Whatever I have given them will be lost to them.”

I will utterly consume them, saith Jehovah; There shall be no grapes on the vine, Nor shall there be from the fig-tree; Even the leaf shall be withered; For I will send those that shall overrun them.

14 Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

“Why do we remain here?” [[shall they say.]] “Assemble yourselves and let us go into the fortified cities. And let us there wait in silence! For Jehovah our God hath put us to silence, And given us the water of hemlock to drink, Because we have sinned against Jehovah.

15 We hoped for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but there was only terror.

We look for peace, but no good cometh; For a time of deliverance, and behold, terror!”

16 The snorting of enemy horses is heard from Dan. At the sound of the neighing of mighty steeds, the whole land quakes. They come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who dwell in it.

From Dan is heard the snorting of their horses, At the sound of the neighing of their steeds the whole land trembleth; They come and devour the land, and all that is in it; The city, and them that dwell therein.

17 “For behold, I will send snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you,”

Behold I send against you serpents, Basilisks, which cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you, saith Jehovah.

18 My sorrow is beyond healing; my heart is faint within me.

O where is consolation for my sorrow! My heart is faint within me.

19 Listen to the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far away: “Is the LORD no longer in Zion? Is her King no longer there?” “Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?”

Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people from a far country! “Is not Jehovah in Zion? Is her King there no more?” Why then have they provoked me by their graven images, And their foreign vanities?

20 “The harvest has passed, the summer has ended, but we have not been saved.”

The harvest is passed, the summer is ended, And we are not delivered.

21 For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am crushed. I mourn; horror has gripped me.

For the wound of the daughter of my people am I wounded; I mourn; amazement hath taken hold of me.

22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then are not the wounds of my people healed?