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 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.

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

For though they say, The Lord liueth, yet doe they sweare 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

They rose vp in the morning like fed horses: for euery man neyed after his neighbours 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 visite for these things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soule be auenged 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.

Clime vp vpon their walles, and destroy them, but make not a full ende: take away their batilments, for they are not the Lords.

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 Iudah haue grieuously trespassed against me, saith the Lord.

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 haue denied the Lord, and saide, It is not he, neither shall the plague come vpon vs, neither shall we see sworde 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 Prophetes shall be as winde, and the worde is not in them: thus shall it come vnto 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Whose quiuer is as an open sepulchre: they are all very strong.

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 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.

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

Neuerthelesse at those dayes, sayth the Lord, I will not make a full ende of 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 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.

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

Declare this in the house of Iaakob, and publish it in Iudah, saying,

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

Heare nowe this, O foolish people, and without vnderstanding, which haue eyes and see not, which haue eares and heare 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?

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?

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

But this people hath an vnfaithfull and rebellious heart: they are departed and 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.

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.

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

Yet your iniquities haue turned away these things, and your sinnes haue hindred good things from you.

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 founde wicked persons, that lay waite as hee that setteth snares: they haue made a pit, to 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 is full of birdes, so are their houses full of deceite: thereby they are become great and waxen riche.

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 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.

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 visite for these things, sayth the Lord? or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this?

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

An horrible and filthie 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 prophesie lies, and ye Priests receiue giftes in their handes, and my people delite therein. What will ye then doe in the ende thereof?