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.
“Rush about through the streets of Jerusalem; search in her city squares, too. Then look and think about this: If you can find a man or anyone who is acting justly and trying to act faithfully, then I will forgive Jerusalem.
2 For though they say, The Lord liueth, yet doe they sweare falsely.
Although they say, 'As Yahweh lives,' yet they are swearing 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.
Yahweh, do your eyes not look for faithfulness? You struck the people, but they do not feel pain. You have completely defeated them, but they still refuse to receive discipline. They make their faces harder than rock, for they refuse to repent.
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.
So I said, “Surely these are only poor people. They are foolish, for they do not know Yahweh's ways, nor their God's decrees.
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 to the important people and declare God's messages to them, for they at least know Yahweh's ways, the decrees of their God.” But they all broke their yoke together; they all tore apart the chains that bound them to God.
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.
So a lion from a thicket will attack them. A wolf from the Arabah will ruin them. A lurking panther will come against their cities. Anyone who goes outside his city will be torn apart. For their transgressions increase. Their acts of faithlessness are unlimited.
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.
Why should I pardon these people? Your sons have abandoned me and have made oaths by what are not gods. I fed them fully, but they committed adultery and walked in great numbers to the houses of prostitutes.
8 They rose vp in the morning like fed horses: for euery man neyed after his neighbours wife.
They were horses in heat. They roamed about wanting to mate. Each man neighed to his neighbor'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?
So should I not punish them—this is Yahweh's declaration— and should I not avenge myself on a nation that is like 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 onto her vineyards' terraces and destroy. But do not bring complete destruction to them. Trim their vines, since those vines do not come from Yahweh.
11 For the house of Israel, and the house of Iudah haue grieuously trespassed against me, saith the Lord.
For the houses of Israel and Judah have completely betrayed me—this is Yahweh's declaration.
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 spoken falsely about Yahweh and they said, “He will do nothing; no harm will come upon us, and we will not see sword or famine.
13 And the Prophetes shall be as winde, and the worde is not in them: thus shall it come vnto them.
The prophets will become wind, the word is not in them, so let what they say be done to 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.
So Yahweh, the God of hosts says this, “Because you have said this, see, I am about to place my word in your mouth. It will be like a fire, and this people will be like wood! For it will consume 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 am about to bring a nation against you from far away, house of Israel—this is Yahweh's declaration— it is a lasting nation, an ancient nation! It is a nation whose language you do not know, nor will you understand what they say.
16 Whose quiuer is as an open sepulchre: they are all very strong.
Its quiver is like an open tomb. They are all soldiers.
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.
So your harvest will be consumed, your sons and daughters also, and your food. They will eat your flocks and cattle; they will eat the fruit from your vines and fig trees. They will beat down with a sword your fortified cities that you trusted in.
18 Neuerthelesse at those dayes, sayth the Lord, I will not make a full ende of you.
But even in those days—this is Yahweh's declaration—I do not intend to destroy you completely.
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.
When you, Israel and Judah, say, 'Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?' then you, Jeremiah, will say to them, 'Just as you abandoned Yahweh and served foreign gods in your land, so you must also serve strangers in a land that is not your own.'
20 Declare this in the house of Iaakob, and publish it in Iudah, saying,
Report this to the house of Jacob and let it be heard in Judah. Say,
21 Heare nowe this, O foolish people, and without vnderstanding, which haue eyes and see not, which haue eares and heare not.
'Hear this, you foolish people who have no understanding; who have eyes but you cannot see, and you have ears but you cannot hear.
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?
Do you not fear me—this is Yahweh's declaration—or tremble before my face? I have placed a border of sand against the sea, an ongoing decree that it does not violate— even though the sea rises and falls, still it does not violate it. Even though its waves roar, they do not cross it.
23 But this people hath an vnfaithfull and rebellious heart: they are departed and gone.
But this people has a stubborn heart. It turns away in rebellion and goes away.
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.
For they do not say in their hearts, “Let us fear Yahweh our God, the one who brings the rain —the early rain and the late rains—in their right time, keeping the fixed weeks of the harvest for us.”
25 Yet your iniquities haue turned away these things, and your sinnes haue hindred good things from you.
Your iniquities kept these things from happening. Your sins have stopped good from coming to 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 wicked men are found with my people. They watch as someone crouches to capture birds; they set a trap and catch people.
27 As a cage is full of birdes, so are their houses full of deceite: thereby they are become great and waxen riche.
Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit. So they grow large and become 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 have become fat; they shine with well-being. They crossed over all bounds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause of the people, or the cause of the orphan. They prosper even though they have not given justice to the needy.
29 Shall I not visite for these things, sayth the Lord? or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this?
Should I not punish them for these things—this is Yahweh's declaration— and will I not take vengeance for myself on a nation like this?
30 An horrible and filthie thing is committed in the land.
Atrocities and horrors have occurred 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 with deceit, and the priests rule with their own power. My people love it this way, but what will happen in the end?'”
