Jeremiah 8

1 When that happens, 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 taken out of their graves.

At that time, saith the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Juda, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves;

2 They will lie exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the stars which they loved, which they served, which they followed, which they consulted, and which they worshiped. Their bones will not be collected or reburied, but will be left like manure lying on the ground.

and they shall spread them out to the sun, and the moon, and to all the stars, and to all the host of heaven, which they have loved, and which they have served, and after which they have walked, and to which they have held, and which they have worshipped; they shall not be mourned for, neither shall they be buried; but they shall be for an example on the face of the earth,

3 Those who are left of this evil family will prefer to die rather than live in every place I've scattered them, declares the Lord Almighty.

because they chose death rather than life, even to all the remnant that are left of that family, in every place whither I shall drive them out.

4 Tell them this is what the Lord says: When people fall down, don't they get up again? When people go the wrong way, don't they turn around?

For thus saith the Lord, Shall not he that falls arise? or he that turns away, shall he not turn back again?

5 So why have these people of Jerusalem gone the wrong way? Why do they refuse to turn around from their repeated betrayals, holding on to all their lies?

Wherefore has this my people turned away with a shameless revolting, and strengthened themselves in their willfulness, and refused to return?

6 I've heard exactly what they said, but they don't tell the truth. No one is sorry for doing wrong, asking, “What have I done?” Everyone chooses their own way, like a horse charging into battle.

Hearken, I pray you, and hear: will they not speak thus, There is no man that repents of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? the runner has failed from his course, as a tired horse in his neighing.

7 Even storks high in the sky know when it's time to migrate. Turtledoves, swifts, and songbirds know when to fly away at the right time of the year. But my people don't know the laws of the Lord.

Yea, the stork in the heaven knows her time, [also] the turtle-dove and wild swallow; the sparrows observe the times of their coming in; but this my people knows not the judgments of the Lord.

8 How on earth can you say, “We're wise, and we have the Law of the Lord?” Can't you see that the writings of your teachers of the Law have turned it into lies?

How will ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? In vain have the scribes used a false pen.

9 The wise will be shown to be foolish; they will be shocked at being caught out. Can't you see that they've rejected what the Lord says—so do they have any wisdom at all?

The wise men are ashamed, and alarmed, and taken; because they have rejected the word of the Lord; what wisdom is there in them?

10 I'm going to give their wives to others, and their fields to different owners, since everyone cheats because they're greedy, poor and rich alike. Even prophets and priests—they are all dishonest liars!

Therefore will I give their wives to others, and their fields to [new] inheritors; and they shall gather their fruits, saith the Lord.

11 They give my wounded people first aid, but they don't really care about them. They tell them, “Don't worry! We have peace!” even as war approaches.

12 Are they ashamed of the disgusting things they did? No, they're not ashamed at all, they can't even blush. So they will fall just like the others, when I punish them; they will drop down dead, says the Lord.

13 I'm going to destroy them, declares the Lord. There will be no grapes left on the vines, no figs on the trees—even the leaves will wither. They will lose whatever I gave them.

There are no grapes on the vines, and there are no figs on the fig-trees, and the leaves have fallen off.

14 The people say, “Why are we sitting around here? Let's get together and run to the fortified towns. We can die there, for the Lord our God is killing us by giving us poisoned water to drink, because we sinned against him.

Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the strong cities, and let us be cast out there: for God has cast us out, and made us drink water of gall, because we have sinned before him.

15 We hoped for peace, but instead nothing good has come; we hoped for a time of healing, but instead there was only sudden terror.”

We assembled for peace, but there was no prosperity; for a time of healing, but behold anxiety.

16 The snorting of enemy horses can be heard from Dan. The whole country shakes in fear at the sound of the neighing of these strong stallions, They have come to destroy the country and everything in it; Jerusalem and everyone who lives there.

We shall hear the neighing of his swift horses out of Dan: the whole land quaked at the sound of the neighing of his horses; and he shall come, and devour the land and the fullness of it; the city, and them that dwell in it.

17 Watch out! I'm sending snakes among you, vipers that can't be charmed. They will come and bite you, declares the Lord.

For, behold, I send forth against you deadly serpents, which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you

18 Nothing comforts me in my suffering; I feel terrible inside.

mortally with the pain of your distressed heart.

19 Listen to my people crying out for help from a distant land, asking “Isn't the Lord present in Zion anymore? Has her King left?” Why have they made me angry, worshiping their carved images and their useless foreign idols?

Behold, [there is] a sound of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land afar off: Is not the Lord in Sion? is there not a king there? because they have provoked me with their graven [images], and with strange vanities.

20 “The harvest is over, the summer is finished, but we're not saved,” say the people.

The summer is gone, the harvest is past, and we are not saved.

21 I'm crushed by the injuries suffered by my people; I mourn for them. I'm horrified at what's happened!

For the breach of the daughter of my people I have been saddened: in my perplexity pangs have seized upon me as of a woman in travail.

22 Isn't there any ointment from Gilead to help heal them? Aren't there any doctors there? So why haven't my people been healed from their wounds?

And is there no balm in Galaad, or is there no physician there? why has not the healing of the daughter of my people taken place?