Jeremiah 5

1 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.

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that doeth justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her.

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

And though they say: 'As the LORD liveth', surely they swear falsely.

3 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.

O LORD, are not Thine eyes upon truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they were not affected; 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, These are only the poor; They are foolish, because they know not the way of Jehovah, The law of their God.

And I said: 'Surely these are poor, they are foolish, for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the ordinance of their God;

5 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.

I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they know the way of the LORD, and the ordinance of their God.' But these had altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bands.

6 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.

Wherefore a lion out of the forest doth slay them, a wolf of the deserts doth spoil them, a leopard watcheth over their cities, every one that goeth out thence is torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, their backslidings are increased.

7 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.

Wherefore should I pardon thee? The children have forsaken Me, and sworn by no-gods; and when I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots' houses.

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

They are become as well-fed horses, lusty stallions; every one neigheth after his neighbour's wife.

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

Shall I not punish for these things? saith the LORD; and shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 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!

Go ye up into her rows, and destroy, but make not a full end; take away her shoots; for they are not the LORD'S.

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

For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against Me, saith the LORD.

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

They have belied the LORD, and said: 'It is not He, neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine;

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

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

14 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.

Wherefore thus saith the LORD, 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 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.

Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD; it is an enduring nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

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

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

17 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.

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 batter thy fortified cities, wherein thou trusteth, with the sword.

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

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

19 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.”

And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say: 'Wherefore hath the LORD our God done all these things unto us?' then shalt Thou say unto them: 'Like 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 ye this in the house of Jacob, And publish it in Judah, saying:

Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, and announce it in Judah, saying:

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

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

22 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.

Fear ye not Me? saith the LORD; Will ye not tremble at My presence? Who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, an everlasting ordinance, which it cannot pass; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.

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

But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted, and gone.

24 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.

Neither say they in their heart: 'Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth the former rain, and the latter in due season; that keepeth for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.'

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

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

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

For among My people are found wicked men; they pry, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men.

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

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

28 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.

They are waxen fat, they are become sleek; yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they might make it to prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

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

Shall I not punish for these things? saith the LORD; Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

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

An appalling and horrible thing is come to pass in the land:

31 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?

The prophets prophesy in the service of falsehood, and the priests bear rule at their beck; and My people love to have it so; What then will ye do in the end thereof?