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 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 Though they say, 'As YHWH lives;' surely they swear falsely."

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

3 YHWH, 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.

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 Then I said, "Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they do not know the way of YHWH, nor the law 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 go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they know the way of YHWH, and the law of their God." But these with one accord have 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 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 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 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.

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 roaming at large: everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife.

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

9 Shouldn't I punish them for these things?" says YHWH; "and shouldn't 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 up on her walls, and destroy; but do not make a full end. Take away her branches; for they are not YHWH'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 YHWH.

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

12 They have denied YHWH, 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 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 Therefore thus says YHWH, 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, 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 Look, I will bring a nation on you from far, house of Israel," says YHWH. "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 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 an open tomb, they are all mighty men.

Their quiver is as 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.

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 "But even in those days," says YHWH, "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 It will happen, when you say, 'Why has YHWH our God done all these things to us?' Then you shall say to them, 'Thus says YHWH, 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 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, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and do not see; who have ears, and do not hear:

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

22 Do you not fear me?' says YHWH '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 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 have revolted and gone.

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

24 Neither do they say in their heart, 'Let us now fear YHWH our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; who preserves 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 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 watch, as fowlers lie in wait. 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 have become great, and grew 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 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 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 punish for these things?" says YHWH. "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 "An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.

An appalling and horrible thing is committed in the 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 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?