Jeremiah 5

1 Run to and from by the streetes of Ierusalem, and beholde nowe, and knowe, and inquire in the open places thereof, if ye can finde a man, or if there be any that executeth iudgement, and seeketh the trueth, and I will spare it.

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broadways thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be [any] that doeth justice, that seeketh fidelity; and I will pardon it.

2 For though they say, The Lord liueth, yet doe they sweare falsely.

And if they say, [As] Jehovah liveth! surely they swear falsely.

3 O Lord, are not thine eyes vpon the trueth? thou hast striken them, but they haue not sorowed: thou hast consumed them, but they haue refused to receiue correction: they haue made their faces harder then a stone, and haue refused to returne.

Jehovah, are not thine eyes upon fidelity? Thou hast smitten them, but they are not sore; thou hast consumed them, they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

4 Therefore I saide, Surely they are poore, they are foolish, for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the iudgement of their God.

And I said, Surely these are the wretched ones, they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jehovah, the judgment of their God.

5 I will get me vnto the great men, and will speake vnto them: for they haue knowen the way of the Lord, and the iudgement of their God: but these haue altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bondes.

I will go unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they know the way of Jehovah, the judgment of their God; but these have altogether broken the yoke, have burst the bonds.

6 Wherefore a lyon out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolfe of the wildernesse shall destroy them: a leopard shall watch ouer their cities: euery one that goeth out thence, shall be torne in pieces, because their trespasses are many, and their rebellions are increased.

Therefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the evenings shall waste them; the leopard lurketh against their cities, every one that goeth out thence is torn in pieces: for their transgressions are multiplied, their backslidings are increased.

7 Howe should I spare thee for this? thy children haue forsaken me, and sworne by them that are no gods: though I fed them to the full, yet they committed adulterie, and assembled them selues by companies in the harlots houses.

Wherefore should I pardon thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and swear by them that are not God. I have satiated them, and they have committed adultery, and they troop to the harlots' house.

8 They rose vp in the morning like fed horses: for euery man neyed after his neighbours wife.

[As] well fed horses, they roam about, every one neigheth after his neighbour's wife.

9 Shall I not visite for these things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this?

Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 Clime vp vpon their walles, and destroy them, but make not a full ende: take away their batilments, for they are not the Lords.

Go up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end; take away her battlements, for they are not Jehovah's.

11 For the house of Israel, and the house of Iudah haue grieuously trespassed against me, saith the Lord.

For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith Jehovah.

12 They haue denied the Lord, and saide, It is not he, neither shall the plague come vpon vs, neither shall we see sworde nor famine.

They have denied Jehovah, and say, He is not; and evil shall not come upon us, nor shall we see sword nor famine;

13 And the Prophetes shall be as winde, and the worde is not in them: thus shall it come vnto them.

and the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

14 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hostes, Because ye speake such wordes, beholde, I will put my wordes into thy mouth, like a fire, and this people shall be as wood, and it shall deuoure them.

Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts: Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

15 Loe, I will bring a nation vpon you from farre, O house of Israel, saith the Lord, which is a mightie nation, and an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither vnderstandest what they say.

Behold, I bring a nation upon you from afar, house of Israel, saith Jehovah: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest thou what they say.

16 Whose quiuer is as an open sepulchre: they are all very strong.

Their quiver is as an open sepulchre; they are all mighty men.

17 And they shall eate thine haruest and thy bread: they shall deuoure thy sonnes and thy daughters: they shall eate vp thy sheepe and thy bullocks: they shall eate thy vines and thy figge trees: they shall destroy with the sworde thy fenced cities, wherein thou didest trust.

And they shall eat up thy harvest and thy bread, they shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters, they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds, they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall destroy with the sword thy strong cities, wherein thou trustedst.

18 Neuerthelesse at those dayes, sayth the Lord, I will not make a full ende of you.

Nevertheless in those days, saith Jehovah, I will not make a full end with you.

19 And when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord our God doe these things vnto vs? then shalt thou answere them, Like as ye haue forsaken me and serued strange gods in your land, so shall ye serue strangers in a land that is not yours.

And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say to them, As ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

20 Declare this in the house of Iaakob, and publish it in Iudah, saying,

Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

21 Heare nowe this, O foolish people, and without vnderstanding, which haue eyes and see not, which haue eares and heare not.

Hear now this, O foolish and heartless people, who have eyes and see not; who have ears, and hear not.

22 Feare ye not me, saith the Lord? or will ye not be afraide at my presence, which haue placed the sand for the bounds of the sea by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it, and though the waues thereof rage, yet can they not preuaile, though they roare, yet can they not passe ouer it?

Will ye not fear me? saith Jehovah. Will ye not tremble at my presence, who have set the sand a bound for the sea by a perpetual decree, and it shall not pass it? and its waves toss themselves, but they do not prevail; and they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

23 But this people hath an vnfaithfull and rebellious heart: they are departed and gone.

But this people hath a stubborn and a rebellious heart; they have turned aside and are gone.

24 For they say not in their heart, Let vs nowe feare the Lord our God, that giueth raine both early and late in due season: hee reserueth vnto vs the appointed weekes of the haruest.

And they say not in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the early and the latter, in its season; who preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of harvest.

25 Yet your iniquities haue turned away these things, and your sinnes haue hindred good things from you.

Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden from you what is good.

26 For among my people are founde wicked persons, that lay waite as hee that setteth snares: they haue made a pit, to catch men.

For among my people are found wicked [men]: they lay wait, as fowlers stoop down; they set a trap, they catch men.

27 As a cage is full of birdes, so are their houses full of deceite: thereby they are become great and waxen riche.

As a cage full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and have enriched themselves.

28 They are waxen fat and shining: they doe ouerpasse the deedes of the wicked: they execute no iudgement, no not the iudgement of the fatherlesse: yet they prosper, though they execute no iudgement for the poore.

They are become fat, they shine, yea, they surpass in deeds of wickedness; they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, and they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not adjudge.

29 Shall I not visite for these things, sayth the Lord? or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this?

Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 An horrible and filthie thing is committed in the land.

An appalling and horrible thing is committed in the land:

31 The Prophets prophesie lies, and ye Priests receiue giftes in their handes, and my people delite therein. What will ye then doe in the ende thereof?

the prophets prophesy falsehood, and the priests rule by their means; and my people love [to have it] so. But what will ye do in the end thereof?