Jeremias 11
1 The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord, saying,
This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah:
2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, and thou shalt speak to the men of Juda, and to the dwellers in Jerusalem;
Listen to the terms of this agreement, and then repeat them to the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
3 and thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Cursed is the man, who shall not hearken to the words of this covenant,
Tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You are cursed if you don't obey the terms of this agreement.
4 which I commanded your fathers, in the day wherein I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, Hearken to my voice, and do all things that I shall command you; so shall ye be to me a people, and I will be to you a God;
I made this agreement with your forefathers when I led them out of Egypt, out of the iron-making furnace, saying, “Obey me, and do everything I order you to do, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
5 that I may confirm mine oath, which I sware to your fathers, to give them a land flowing [with] milk and honey, as [it is] this day. Then I answered and said, So be it, O Lord.
I did this to fulfill what I promised to your forefathers—to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it still is today. Amen, Lord, I answered.
6 And the Lord said to me, Read these words in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.
Then the Lord told me, Go and publicly announce this whole message in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Pay attention the terms of this agreement and do what they say.
From the time I led your forefathers out of Egypt until now, I seriously warned them time and again, saying, “Do what I tell you!”
8 But they did [them] not.
But they refused to obey, they wouldn't listen. Instead each of them followed their own stubborn and evil thinking. I had ordered them to follow the agreement, but they didn't do so. So I brought down on them all the curses contained in the agreement.
9 And the Lord said to me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Juda, and among the dwellers in Jerusalem.
The Lord told me, There is a rebellion happening among the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.
10 They are turned [aside] to the iniquities of their fathers that were of old, who would not hearken to my words: and, behold, they go after strange gods, to serve them: and the house of Israel and the house of Juda have broken my covenant, which I made with their fathers.
They have gone back to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey what I said. They have gone to worship other gods. The people of Israel and Judah have broken the agreement I made with their forefathers.
11 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I bring evils upon this people, out of which they shall not be able to come forth; and they shall presently cry to me, but I will not hearken to them.
So this is what the Lord says: I'm going to bring upon them a disaster they won't be able to escape. They will cry out to me for help, but I won't listen to them.
12 And the cities of Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem shall go, and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense; which shall not deliver them in the time of their troubles.
Then the people in the towns of Judah and Jerusalem will go and call out for help to the gods they've been burning incense to, but these gods won't be able to do anything to save them in their time of trouble.
13 For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to burn incense to Baal.
You certainly have as many gods as you have towns, Judah! You have built shameful altars, altars to burn incense to Baal. You have as many altars as the streets of Jerusalem.
14 And thou, pray not for this people, and intercede not for them in supplication and prayer: for I will not hear in the day in which they call upon me, in the day of their affliction.
Jeremiah, don't pray for these people. Don't cry for help or offer a prayer on their behalf, because I won't be listening when they cry out to me in the time of their trouble.
15 Why has [my] beloved wrought abomination in my house? will prayers and holy offerings take away thy wickedness from thee, or shalt thou escape by these things?
What right do the people I love have to be in my Temple when they've done so many evil things? Do you think the meat of sacrifices will save you? When disaster strikes will you be happy?
16 The Lord called thy name a fair olive tree, of a goodly shade in appearance, at the noise of its being lopped, fire was kindled against it; great is the affliction [coming] upon thee: her branches are become good for nothing.
At one time the Lord said you were a healthy olive tree, full of leaves and bearing beautiful fruit. But with a great noise he will set fire to it, destroying its branches.
17 And the Lord that planted thee has pronounced evils against thee, because of the iniquity of the house of Israel and the house of Juda, whatsoever they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger by burning incense to Baal.
I, the Lord Almighty, was the one who planted you, but I have announced you will be destroyed because of the evil that the people of Israel and Judah have committed, making me angry by burning incense to Baal.
18 O Lord, teach me, and I shall know: then I saw their practices.
The Lord told me about it, so I knew. Then he showed me what they were actually doing.
19 But I as an innocent lamb led to the slaughter, knew not: against me they devised an evil device, saying, Come and let us put wood into his bread, and let us utterly destroy him from off the land of the living, and let his name not be remembered any more.
I was like a trusting little lamb being led away to be slaughtered. I didn't know that they had been plotting against me. They said, “Let's destroy the tree along with everything it produces. Let's kill him so no one will even remember his name.”
20 O Lord, that judgest righteously, trying the reins and hearts, let me see thy vengeance [taken] upon them, for to thee I have declared my cause.
I appeal to you, Lord Almighty, you who judge rightly and examine peoples thoughts and feelings, let me see how you punish them, because I've left my case in your hands.
21 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, that seek my life, that say, Thou shalt not prophesy at all in the name of the Lord, but if thou dost, thou shalt die by our hands:
So this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are trying to kill you, telling you, “Don't prophesy in the name of the Lord, or we'll kill you.”
22 behold, I will visit them: their young men shall die by the sword; and their sons and their daughters shall die of famine:
This is the reply of the Lord Almighty: I will punish them. Their young men will killed by the sword, their sons and daughters will be killed by famine.
23 and there shall be no remnant [left] of them; for I will bring evil upon the dwellers in Anathoth, in the year of their visitation.
There won't be anyone left because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth at the time when they're punished.
