Jeremiah 5

1 Run you to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man, if there be any that executes judgment, that seeks the truth; and I will pardon it.

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broadways thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be [any] that doeth justice, that seeketh fidelity; and I will pardon it.

2 And though they say, The LORD lives; surely they swear falsely.

And if they say, [As] Jehovah liveth! surely they swear falsely.

3 O LORD, are not your eyes on the truth? you have stricken them, but they have not grieved; you have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Jehovah, are not thine eyes upon fidelity? Thou hast smitten them, but they are not sore; thou hast consumed them, they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.

And I said, Surely these are the wretched ones, they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jehovah, the judgment of their God.

5 I will get me to the great men, and will speak to them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

I will go unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they know the way of Jehovah, the judgment of their God; but these have altogether broken the yoke, have burst the bonds.

6 Why a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goes out there shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

Therefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the evenings shall waste them; the leopard lurketh against their cities, every one that goeth out thence is torn in pieces: for their transgressions are multiplied, their backslidings are increased.

7 How shall I pardon you for this? your children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.

Wherefore should I pardon thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and swear by them that are not God. I have satiated them, and they have committed adultery, and they troop to the harlots' house.

8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

[As] well fed horses, they roam about, every one neigheth after his neighbour's wife.

9 Shall I not visit for these things? says the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 Go you up on her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD’s.

Go up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end; take away her battlements, for they are not Jehovah's.

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, says the LORD.

For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith Jehovah.

12 They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come on us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:

They have denied Jehovah, and say, He is not; and evil shall not come upon us, nor shall we see sword nor famine;

13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done to them.

and the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

14 Why thus says the LORD God of hosts, Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Therefore thus saith Jehovah, 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 See, I will bring a nation on you from far, O house of Israel, says the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you know not, neither understand what they say.

Behold, I bring a nation upon you from afar, house of Israel, saith Jehovah: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest thou what they say.

16 Their quiver is as an open sepulcher, they are all mighty men.

Their quiver is as an open sepulchre; they are all mighty men.

17 And they shall eat up your harvest, and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat: they shall eat up your flocks and your herds: they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees: they shall impoverish your fenced cities, wherein you trusted, with the sword.

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 destroy with the sword thy strong cities, wherein thou trustedst.

18 Nevertheless in those days, says the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.

Nevertheless in those days, saith Jehovah, I will not make a full end with you.

19 And it shall come to pass, when you shall say, Why does the LORD our God all these things to us? then shall you answer them, Like as you have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say to them, 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 Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

Hear now this, O foolish and heartless people, who have eyes and see not; who have ears, and hear not.

22 Fear you not me? says the LORD: will you not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

Will ye not fear me? saith Jehovah. Will ye not tremble at my presence, who have set the sand a bound for the sea by a perpetual decree, and it shall not pass it? and its waves toss themselves, but they do not prevail; and they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

23 But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

But this people hath a stubborn and a rebellious heart; they have turned aside and are gone.

24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that gives rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

And they say not in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the early and the latter, in its season; who preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of harvest.

25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good things from you.

Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden from you what is good.

26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that sets snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

For among my people are found wicked [men]: they lay wait, as fowlers stoop down; they set a trap, they catch men.

27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

As a cage full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and have enriched themselves.

28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yes, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

They are become fat, they shine, yea, they surpass in deeds of wickedness; they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, and they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not adjudge.

29 Shall I not visit for these things? says the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

An appalling and horrible thing is committed in the land:

31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will you do in the end thereof?

the prophets prophesy falsehood, and the priests rule by their means; and my people love [to have it] so. But what will ye do in the end thereof?