Jeremiah 11

1 The word that came from the Lord to Jeremiah, saying:

The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying:

2 “Listen to the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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

3 And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed is the man who will not listen to 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 to your fathers in the day when I led them away from the land of Egypt, away from the iron furnace, saying: Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you, and then 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 So shall I uphold the oath which I swore to your fathers, that I would give them a land flowing with milk and honey, just as it is this day.” And I answered by saying: “Amen, O Lord.”

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 And the Lord said to me: “Shout all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Listen to the words of the covenant, and do them.

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 when testing, I tested your fathers in the day when I led them away from the land of Egypt, even until this day. Rising early, I tested them, and I said: Listen to 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 But they did not listen, nor did they incline their ear. Instead, each one of them walked in the depravity of his own evil heart. And so, I brought over them all the words of this covenant, which I instructed them to do. But they would not do them.”

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 said to me: “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants 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 former iniquities of their fathers, who refused to listen to my words. And likewise, they have gone after strange gods, so that they may serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have treated as void my covenant, which 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 For this reason, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will lead evils over them, from which they will not be able to escape. And they will cry out to me, and I will not heed 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 And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go forth, and they will cry out to the gods, to whom they offer libations, and they will not save them in the time of their affliction.

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 For according to the number of your cities, so were your gods, O Judah. And according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem, so did you establish altars of confusion, altars to offer libations to Baal.

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 Therefore, you should not choose to pray for this people, and you should not take up praise and petitioning on their behalf. For I will not heed them in the time of their outcry to me, in the time of their affliction.

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 Why has my beloved wrought great wickedness in my house? How can the holy flesh take away from you your wickedness, in which you have gloried?

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 has called your name: a beautiful, fruitful, splendid, and productive olive tree. At the voice of a word, a great fire was kindled in it, and its greenery was burned up.

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 And the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced an evil against you, concerning the evils of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves so as to provoke me, by offering libations 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 But you, O Lord, have revealed this to me, and I have understood. Then you displayed their efforts to me.

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

19 And I was like a meek lamb, who is being carried to be a victim. And I did not realize that they had devised plans against me, saying: “Let us place wood upon his bread, and let us eradicate him from the land of the living, and let his name no longer be remembered.”

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 But you, O Lord of hosts, who judges justly, and who tests the temperament and the heart, let me see your vengeance against them. For I have revealed my case to you.

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 “Because of this, thus says the Lord to the men of Anathoth, who are seeking your life, and who are saying: ‘You shall not prophesy in the name of the Lord, and you shall not die by our hands.’

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 Because of this, thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will visit upon them. Their young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die 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 And there will be nothing left of them. For I will lead an evil over the men of Anathoth: the year of their visitation.”

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