Jeremiah 8

1 At that time, saith the LORD, they shall 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;

“At that time—this is Yahweh's declaration—they will bring out from the graves the bones of the kings of Judah and its officials, the bones of the priests and the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2 and they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped; they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

Then they will spread them out in the light of the sun and moon and all the stars of the skies; these things in the sky that they have followed and served, that they have walked after and sought, and that they have worshiped. The bones will not be gathered or buried again. They will be like dung on the surface of the earth.

3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

In every remaining place where I have driven them, they will choose death instead of life for themselves, all who are still left over from this evil nation—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.

4 Moreover thou shalt say unto them: Thus saith the LORD: Do men fall, and not rise up again? Doth one turn away, and not return?

So say to them, 'Yahweh says this: Does anyone fall and not get up? Does anyone get lost and not try to return?

5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

Why has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in permanent faithlessness? They hold on to treachery and refuse to repent.

6 I attended and listened, but they spoke not aright; no man repenteth him of his wickedness, saying: 'What have I done?' Every one turneth away in his course, as a horse that rusheth headlong in the battle.

I paid attention and listened, but they did not speak right; no one was sorry for his wickedness, no one who says, “What have I done?” All of them go where they wish, like a stallion rushing toward battle.

7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the ordinance of the LORD.

Even the stork in heaven knows the right times; and the doves, swifts, and cranes. They go on their migrations at the right time, but my people do not know Yahweh's decrees.

8 How do ye say: 'We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us'? Lo, certainly in vain hath wrought the vain pen of the scribes.

How can you say, “We are wise, for the law of Yahweh is with us”? Indeed, see! The deceitful pen of the scribes has created deceit.

9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken; Lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?

The wise men will be ashamed. They are dismayed and trapped. Behold! They reject Yahweh's word, so what use is their wisdom?

10 Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall possess them; for from the least even unto the greatest every one is greedy for gain, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

So I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will possess them, because from the least to the greatest, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain! From the prophet to the priest, all of them practice deceit.

11 And they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people lightly, saying: 'Peace, peace', when there is no peace.

They healed the wounds of my people lightly, saying, “Peace, Peace,” when there was no peace.

12 They shall be put to shame because they have committed abomination; yea, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they how to blush; therefore shall they fall among them that fall, in the time of their visitation they shall stumble, saith the LORD.

Were they ashamed when they practiced abominations? They were not ashamed; they did not know how to blush! So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says Yahweh.

13 I will utterly consume them, saith the LORD; there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf is faded; and I gave them that which they transgress.

I will remove them completely—this is Yahweh's declaration—there will be no grapes on the vine, nor will there be figs on the fig trees. For the leaf will wither, and what I have given to them will pass away.

14 'Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be cut off there; for the LORD our God hath cut us off, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

Why are we sitting here? Come together; let us go to the fortified cities, and we will become silent there in death. For Yahweh our God will silence us. He will make us drink poison, since we have sinned against him.

15 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold terror!'

We are hoping for peace, but there will be nothing good. We are hoping for a time of healing, but see, there will be terror.

16 The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan; at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembleth; for they are come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it, the city and those that dwell therein.

The snorting of his stallions is heard from Dan. The whole earth shakes at the sound of the neighing of his strong horses. For they will come and consume the land and its wealth, the city and the ones living in it.

17 For, behold, I will send serpents, basilisks, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.

For see, I am sending out snakes among you, vipers that you cannot charm. They will bite you—this is Yahweh's declaration.'”

18 Though I would take comfort against sorrow, my heart is faint within me.

My sorrow has no end, and my heart is sick.

19 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far off: 'Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her King in her?' — 'Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, and with strange vanities?' —

Behold! The screaming voice of the daughter of my people from a land far away! Is Yahweh not in Zion? Is her king no longer there? Why then do they provoke me to anger with their carved figures and their worthless foreign idols?

20 'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.'

The harvest has passed on, summer is over. But we have not been saved.

21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I seized with anguish; I am black, appalment hath taken hold on me.

I am hurt because of the hurt of the daughter of my people. I mourn at the horrible things that have happened to her; I am dismayed.

22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no healer there? Why will the healing of the daughter of my people not happen?