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 broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that doeth justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her.
2 For though they say, The Lord liueth, yet doe they sweare falsely.
And though they say: 'As the LORD 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.
O LORD, are not Thine eyes upon truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they were not affected; Thou hast consumed them, but 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 poor, they are foolish, for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the ordinance 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 get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they know the way of the LORD, and the ordinance of their God.' But these had altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bands.
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.
Wherefore a lion out of the forest doth slay them, a wolf of the deserts doth spoil them, a leopard watcheth over their cities, every one that goeth out thence is torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, 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? The children have forsaken Me, and sworn by no-gods; and when I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots' houses.
8 They rose vp in the morning like fed horses: for euery man neyed after his neighbours wife.
They are become as well-fed horses, lusty stallions; 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 punish for these things? saith the LORD; 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 ye up into her rows, and destroy, but make not a full end; take away her shoots; for they are not the LORD'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 the LORD.
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 belied the LORD, and said: 'It is not He, neither shall evil come upon us; neither 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 be it 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.
Wherefore thus saith the LORD, 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.
Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD; it is an enduring nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
16 Whose quiuer is as an open sepulchre: they are all very strong.
Their quiver is 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 batter thy fortified cities, wherein thou trusteth, with the sword.
18 Neuerthelesse at those dayes, sayth the Lord, I will not make a full ende of you.
But even in those days, saith the LORD, 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 the LORD our God done all these things unto us?' then shalt Thou say unto them: 'Like 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 ye this in the house of Jacob, and announce 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 people, and without understanding, that have eyes, and see not, that 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?
Fear ye not Me? saith the LORD; Will ye not tremble at My presence? Who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, an everlasting ordinance, which it cannot pass; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though 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 revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted, and 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.
Neither say they in their heart: 'Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth the former rain, and the latter in due season; that keepeth for us the appointed weeks of the 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 good from you.
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 pry, as fowlers lie in wait; 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 is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit; therefore they are become great, and waxen rich;
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 waxen fat, they are become sleek; yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they might make it to prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
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 punish for these things? saith the LORD; 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 come to pass 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 in the service of falsehood, and the priests bear rule at their beck; and My people love to have it so; What then will ye do in the end thereof?
