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, saith the Lord, shall they bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, 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 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.

And they shall spread them out before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they have loved, and which they have served, and after which they have walked, and which they have sought, and to which they have prostrated themselves: they shall not be gathered up, and they shall not be buried; dung upon the face of the ground shall they become.

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 death shall be preferable to life, for all the residue of those that are left of this evil family, who are left in all the places whither I shall have driven them, saith 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?

And thou shalt say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, Shall they fall, and not arise? will he 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 remaineth this people, Jerusalem, rebellious by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast on 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 listened and heard, but they would not speak aright; no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned again to his course, as the impetuous horse in the 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.

Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the swallow, atad the crane observe the time of their coming home; but my people know not the ordinance 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 ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Truly, behold in vain wrought the pen, in vain the writers.

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 men are ashamed, they are discouraged and caught, lo, the word of the Lord have they rejected; and what wisdom have they [now]?

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 will I give their wives unto others, their fields to conquerors; for from the least even unto the greatest, every one is seeking his own gain: from the prophet even unto the priest every one practiseth falsehood.

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

And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people very lightly, saying, Peace, peace: when there is no peace.

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.

They should have been ashamed, because they had committed abomination; but they neither felt the least shame, nor did they know how to blush: therefore shall they fall among those that fall; at the time of their punishment shall they stumble, saith 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 surely make an end of them, saith the Lord: [there shall be left] no grapes on the vine, and no figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall wither; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from 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 do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us poison-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 happiness is here; for a time of cure, and behold here is 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.

From Dan was heard the snorting of his horses; at the sound of the neighing of his war-steeds trembleth the whole land: and they are come, and devour the land, and all that filleth it; the city, and those that dwell therein.

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 out against you serpents, basilisks, for which there is no charm, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.

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

When I would cheer myself up against sorrow, my heart within me is pained.

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?

Behold [I hear] the voice of the complaint of the daughter of my people [coming] out of a far-off land: “Is the Lord not in Zion? is her king no more in her?” “Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with the vanities of the stranger?”

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

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not yet helped.”

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

Because of the breach of the daughter of my people am I broken: I am grieved; astonishment hath taken fast hold on 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 [more] balm in Gil'ad? or is no physician there? why then is there not placed a plaster [on the wound of] the daughter of my people?