Jeremiah 8

1 At that time, Declareth Yahweh, Shall they bring forth, The bones of the kings of Judah, and The bones of his princes, and The bones of the priests, and The bones of the prophets, and The bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Out of their graves,

At that time, saith Jehovah, Shall the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of the princes, The bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, And the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Be cast forth from their graves;

2 And shall spread them out—To the sun, and To the moon, and To all the host of the heavens, Whom they have loved, And whom they have served, And after whom they have walked, And whom they have sought, And to whom they have bowed themselves down, —They shall not be gathered, Neither shall they be buried, As heaps of dung on the face of the ground, shall they be.

And they shall be spread before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, Which they have loved, and which they have served, and after which they have walked; Which they have consulted and have worshipped; They shall not be gathered, nor be buried; They shall be as dung upon the face of the ground.

3 Then shall, death, be chosen rather than life, by all the remnant of them that remain, of this wicked family, —in all the places, whither I have driven them, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.

And death shall be chosen rather than life By all the residue of them that remain of this evil race, Which remain in all the places whither I have driver them, Saith Jehovah of hosts.

4 Therefore shalt thou say unto them—Thus, saith Yahweh, Will men fall and not arise? Will one turn away, and not come back?

Thou shalt also say to them, Thus saith Jehovah, Doth a man fall, and not rise again? Doth one turn aside from the way, and not return,

5 Wherefore hath this people of Jerusalem apostatized with an enduring apostacy, —Taken fast hold of deceit, Refused to come back?

Why then hath this people, Why hath Jerusalem, completely revolted? They hold fast deceit; They refuse to return.

6 I hearkened and heard—Not aright, did they speak, —Not a man, repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done! They have every one, turned to their course again, Like a horse sweeping on through the battle.

I have listened and heard, But they speak not aright; No one repenteth of his wickedness, Saying, “What have I done?” Every one runneth at full speed in his rebellion, As a horse rusheth to the battle.

7 Even the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times, And the turtle and the swallow and the crane, observe the season for coming; But my people know not the just sentence of Yahweh.

Even the stork in the heavens knoweth her times, And the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the season of their coming, But my people regard not the laws of Jehovah.

8 How can ye say, Wise, are, we, And the law of Yahweh, is with us? But indeed lo! falsely, hath dealt the false pen of the scribes!

How is it that ye say, “We are wise, We possess the law of Jehovah”? Behold, the false pen of the scribes Hath turned it into falsehood.

9 Ashamed are the wise, dismayed and captured! Lo! the word of Yahweh, have they rejected, And, what wisdom, have, they?

The wise men shall be confounded; They shall be dismayed and ensnared; Behold, they have rejected the word of Jehovah, And what wisdom is there in them?

10 Therefore, will I give—Their wives to others, Their fields to such as shall take possession of them, For from the least, even unto the greatest, Every one, is, wholly given to extortion: From the prophet even unto the priest, Every one, dealeth, falsely.

Therefore will I give their wives to others, And their fields to plunderers. For from the least of them even to the greatest, Every one is greedy of gain, Prophet and priest alike, Every one of them practiseth deceit.

11 And so they have healed the grievous wound of the daughter of my people, slightly, —Saying, Peace! peace! when there was no peace!

They heal the wound of my people slightly, Saying, Peace! peace! when there is no peace.

12 Were they led to turn pale because an abominable thing, they had done? Nay! they did not, at all turn pale Nay! they did not so much as know how to exhibit shame! Therefore, shall they fall among them who are falling, In the time when they are punished, shall they be overthrown, Saith Yahweh:

Are they ashamed, that they have done abominable things? Nay, they are not at all ashamed; They know not how to blush. Therefore shall they fall with them that fall; At the time when I punish them, They shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.

13 I will, surely remove, them, declareth Yahweh: There shall be no grapes on the vine Nor figs on the fig-tree, Even the leaf, hath faded, Though I have given them these things, they shall pass away from them.

I will utterly consume them, saith Jehovah; There shall be no grapes on the vine, Nor shall there be from the fig-tree; Even the leaf shall be withered; For I will send those that shall overrun them.

14 Why are, we, sitting still? Gather yourselves together and let us enter the defenced cities And let us be silent there, —For, Yahweh our God, hath put us to silence And made us drink poisoned water, Because we have sinned against Yahweh.

“Why do we remain here?” [[shall they say.]] “Assemble yourselves and let us go into the fortified cities. And let us there wait in silence! For Jehovah our God hath put us to silence, And given us the water of hemlock to drink, Because we have sinned against Jehovah.

15 A waiting For prosperity, but no welfare, —For a time of healing, but lo! terror.

We look for peace, but no good cometh; For a time of deliverance, and behold, terror!”

16 From Dan, was heard the snorting of his horses At the sound of the neighing of his chargers, the whole land trembled, —Yea they came in and did sat up The land and the fulness thereof, The city, and them who were dwelling therein.

From Dan is heard the snorting of their horses, At the sound of the neighing of their steeds the whole land trembleth; They come and devour the land, and all that is in it; The city, and them that dwell therein.

17 For behold me! sending among you serpents—vipers which there is no charming, —And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.

Behold I send against you serpents, Basilisks, which cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you, saith Jehovah.

18 When I would have cheered myself against sorrow, Against me, mine own heart sickened: —

O where is consolation for my sorrow! My heart is faint within me.

19 Lo! the voice of the cry for help of the daughter of my people from a land far away, Is, Yahweh, not in Zion? Is, her King, not within her? Why, have they provoked me with their carved images, with their foreign vanities?

Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people from a far country! “Is not Jehovah in Zion? Is her King there no more?” Why then have they provoked me by their graven images, And their foreign vanities?

20 The harvest is passed, The fruit-gathering, is ended; And we are not saved!

The harvest is passed, the summer is ended, And we are not delivered.

21 For the grievous injury of the daughter of my people, I am grievously injured, —I am enshrouded in gloom, Horror, hath seized me: —

For the wound of the daughter of my people am I wounded; I mourn; amazement hath taken hold of me.

22 Balsam, is there none, in Gilead? Is there no physician, there? Why hath not appeared the healing of the daughter of my people?

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then are not the wounds of my people healed?