Jeremiah 8

1 At that time, sayeth the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the Kings of Iudah, and the bones of their princes, and the bones of the Priests and the bones of the Prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Ierusalem out of their graues.

“At that time,” 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 removed from their graves.

2 And they shall spread them before the sunne and the moone, and all the host of heauen, whom they haue loued, and whome they haue serued, and whome they haue followed, and whome they haue sought, and whome they haue worshipped: they shall not be gathered nor be buried, but shall be as doung vpon the earth.

They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground.

3 And death shall bee desired rather then life of all the residue that remaineth of this wicked familie, which remaine in all the places where I haue scattered them, sayeth the Lord of hostes.

And wherever I have banished them, the remnant of this evil family will choose death over life,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

4 Thou shalt say vnto them also, Thus sayeth the Lord, Shall they fall and not arise? shall he turne away and not turne againe?

So you are to tell them this is what the LORD says: “Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not return?

5 Wherefore is this people of Ierusalem turned backe by a perpetuall rebellion? they gaue themselues to deceit, and would not returne.

Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

6 I hearkened and heard, but none spake aright: no man repented him of his wickednesse, saying, What haue I done? euery one turned to their race, as the horse rusheth into the battell.

I have listened and heard; they do not speak what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, asking, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone has pursued his own course like a horse charging into battle.

7 Euen the storke in the aire knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle and the crane and the swallowe obserue the time of their comming, but my people knoweth not the iudgement of the Lord.

Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

8 Howe doe yee say, Wee are wise, and the Lawe of the Lord is with vs? Loe, certeinly in vaine made hee it, the penne of the scribes is in vaine.

How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception?

9 The wise men are ashamed: they are afraid and taken. loe, they haue reiected the word of the Lord, and what wisdome is in them?

The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom do they really have?

10 Therefore will I giue their wiues vnto others, and their fieldes to them that shall possesse them: for euery one from the least euen vnto the greatest is giuen to couetousnesse, and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest, euery one dealeth falsely.

Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.

11 For they haue healed the hurt of the daughter of my people with sweete woordes, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.

They dress the wound of the daughter of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.

12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not ashamed, neither coulde they haue any shame: therefore shall they fall among the slaine: when I shall visite them, they shall be cast downe, sayeth the Lord.

Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD.

13 I wil surely consume them, sayth the Lord: there shalbe no grapes on the vine, nor figges on the figtree, and the leafe shall fade, and the things that I haue giuen them, shall depart from them.

I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the tree, and even the leaf will wither. Whatever I have given them will be lost to them.”

14 Why doe we stay? assemble your selues, and let vs enter into the strong cities, and let vs be quiet there: for the Lord our God hath put vs to silence and giuen vs water with gall to drinke, because we haue sinned against the Lord.

Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

15 We looked for peace, but no good came, and for a time of health, and behold troubles.

We hoped for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but there was only terror.

16 The neying of his horses was heard from Dan, the whole lande trembled at the noyse of the neying of his strong horses: for they are come, and haue deuoured the land with all that is in it, the citie, and those that dwell therein.

The snorting of enemy horses is heard from Dan. At the sound of the neighing of mighty steeds, the whole land quakes. They come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who dwell in it.

17 For beholde, I will sende serpents, and cockatrices among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall sting you, sayth the Lord.

“For behold, I will send snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you,”

18 I would haue comforted my selfe against sorowe, but mine heart is heauie in me.

My sorrow is beyond healing; my heart is faint within me.

19 Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people for feare of them of a farre countrey, Is not the Lord in Zion? is not her king in her? Why haue they prouoked mee to anger with their grauen images, and with the vanities of a strange god?

Listen to the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far away: “Is the LORD no longer in Zion? Is her King no longer there?” “Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?”

20 The haruest is past, the sommer is ended, and we are not holpen.

“The harvest has passed, the summer has ended, but we have not been saved.”

21 I am sore vexed for the hurt of ye daughter of my people: I am heauie, and astonishment hath taken me.

For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am crushed. I mourn; horror has gripped me.

22 Is there no balme at Gilead? is there no Physition there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recouered.

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?