Jeremiah 5

1 "Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places of it, if you can find a man, if there are any who does justly, who seeks truth; and I will pardon her.

Run ye through the streets of Jerusalem, [[saith Jehovah, ]] And see now, and know, and seek in her broad places If ye can find a single man, If there be one that doeth justice, That seeketh uprightness, And I will forgive her.

2 Though they say, 'As the LORD lives;' surely they swear falsely."

Yea, though they say, “As Jehovah liveth!” Yet do they swear falsely.

3 O LORD, do your eyes not look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were 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.

Are not thine eyes upon the truth, O Jehovah! Thou hast smitten them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; They have made their faces harder than a rock; They have refused to return.

4 Then I said, "Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they do not know the way of the LORD, nor the law of their God.

Then I said, These are only the poor; They are foolish, because they know not the way of Jehovah, The law of their God.

5 I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they know the way of the LORD, and the law of their God." But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

I will get me to the great ones, And I will speak to them; For they know the way of Jehovah, The law of their God. But these also have together broken the yoke; They have burst the bands.

6 Therefore a lion out of the forest shall kill them, a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch against their cities; everyone who goes out there shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backsliding is increased.

Therefore the lion out of the forest shall slay them, And the evening wolf shall destroy them. The leopard shall keep watch upon their cities; Every one that goeth out from them shall be torn in pieces; Because their transgressions are multiplied, Their rebellions are increased.

7 "How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes' houses.

How can I pardon thee for this? [[saith Jehovah; ]] Thy children have forsaken me, And sworn by them that are no gods. I have fed them to the full, yet do they commit adultery, And assemble themselves in crowds in the house of the harlot.

8 They were as fed horses roaming at large: everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife.

They are as well-fed horses in the morning; Every one neigheth after his neighbor's wife.

9 Shouldn't I punish them for these things?" says the LORD; "and shouldn't my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Shall I not punish for these things, saith Jehovah? Shall I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

10 "Go up on her walls, and destroy; but do not make a full end. Take away her branches; for they are not the LORD's.

Go ye up upon her walls and destroy! Yet make ye not a full end! Take ye away her branches, For they belong not to Jehovah!

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

For they have proved false to me, The house of Israel and the house of Judah, saith Jehovah.

12 They have denied 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 have said, “It is not He; Evil shall not come upon us, Nor shall we see sword or famine.

13 The prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them."

The prophets are but wind, And the word is not in them; Thus may it happen to them!”

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

Therefore thus saith Jehovah, God of hosts: Because ye say such things, Behold, I will make thy words in thy mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour them.

15 Look, I will bring a nation on you from far, house of Israel," says the LORD. "It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, neither understand what they say.

Behold, I will bring against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah; It is a mighty nation; It is an ancient nation; A nation whose language thou dost not know, And whose words thou canst not understand.

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

Their quiver is like an open sepulchre; They are all mighty men.

17 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 beat down your fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.

They shall consume thy harvest and thy bread; They shall consume thy sons and thy daughters; They shalt consume thy sheep and thy oxen; They shall consume thy vine and thy fig-tree; They shall destroy with the sword thy fortified cities, In which thou placest thy trust.

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

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

19 It will happen, when you say, 'Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' Then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, Just like you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'

And when they shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God brought all these things upon 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 ye this in the house of Jacob, And publish it in Judah, saying:

21 'Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and do not see; who have ears, and do not hear:

Hear ye now this, O foolish people and without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, Who have ears and hear not!

22 Do you not fear me?' says the LORD 'Won't you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can't pass it? And though its waves toss themselves, yet they can't prevail; though they roar, yet they can't pass over it.'

Will ye not fear me, saith Jehovah? Will ye not tremble before me, Who appointed the sand a bound to the sea, A perpetual barrier, which it cannot pass? Though the waves thereof toss themselves, Yet do they not prevail, Though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.

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

But this people hath a revolting and rebellious heart; They revolt continually.

24 Neither do they say in their heart, 'Let us now fear the LORD our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.'

Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, Who giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, And secureth to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

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

Your iniquities have turned away these things, And your sins have withholden that which is good from you.

26 For among my people are found wicked men. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men.

For among my people are found wicked men, Who lie on the watch like fowlers; They set a trap that they may catch men.

27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich.

As a cage is full of birds, So are their houses full of fraud. Therefore are they grown great and rich;

28 They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they do not judge the right of the needy.

They have become fat and shine; Yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked; They maintain no cause, No cause of the fatherless, and they prosper; And the right of the needy do they not defend.

29 "Shall I not punish for these things?" says the LORD. "Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Shall I not punish for these things, saith Jehovah? Shall I not be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 "An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.

Astonishing and horrible is that which is done in this land;

31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?

The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule under their guidance, And my people love to have it so. But what will ye do in the end of it?