Jeremiah 5
1 “Rush about through the streets of Jerusalem; search in her city squares, too. Then look and think about this: If you can find a man or anyone who is acting justly and trying to act faithfully, then I will forgive Jerusalem.
“Travel the streets of Jerusalem; and gaze, and consider, and seek, in its wide streets. If you can find a man exercising judgment and seeking faith, then I will be forgiving to them.
2 Although they say, 'As Yahweh lives,' yet they are swearing falsely.”
For even though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in this, too, they swear falsely.”
3 Yahweh, do your eyes not look for faithfulness? You struck the people, but they do not feel pain. You have completely defeated them, but they still refuse to receive discipline. They make their faces harder than rock, for they refuse to repent.
O Lord, your eyes look with favor upon faith. You have struck them, and they have not grieved. You have bruised them, and they have refused to accept discipline. They have hardened their faces more than rock, and they are not willing to return.
4 So I said, “Surely these are only poor people. They are foolish, for they do not know Yahweh's ways, nor their God's decrees.
But I said: Perhaps these are the poor and the senseless, who are ignorant of the way of the Lord, of the judgment of their God.
5 I will go to the important people and declare God's messages to them, for they at least know Yahweh's ways, the decrees of their God.” But they all broke their yoke together; they all tore apart the chains that bound them to God.
Therefore, I will go to great men, and I will speak with them. For they have known the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God. And behold, these ones have broken the yoke all the more; they have torn apart the bonds.
6 So a lion from a thicket will attack them. A wolf from the Arabah will ruin them. A lurking panther will come against their cities. Anyone who goes outside his city will be torn apart. For their transgressions increase. Their acts of faithlessness are unlimited.
For this reason, a lion from the forest has struck them down, a wolf toward evening has laid waste to them, a leopard lies in wait over their cities. All who go out from there will be taken. For their transgressions have been multiplied; their rebellions have been strengthened.
7 Why should I pardon these people? Your sons have abandoned me and have made oaths by what are not gods. I fed them fully, but they committed adultery and walked in great numbers to the houses of prostitutes.
“Over which things am I able to be merciful to you? Your sons have forsaken me, and they swear by those who are not gods. I gave them everything, and they committed adultery, and they indulged themselves in the house of the harlot.
8 They were horses in heat. They roamed about wanting to mate. Each man neighed to his neighbor's wife.
They have become like wild horses in heat; each one was neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
9 So should I not punish them—this is Yahweh's declaration— and should I not avenge myself on a nation that is like this?
Shall I not visit against these things, says the Lord? And shall my soul not take vengeance on a nation such as this?
10 Go up onto her vineyards' terraces and destroy. But do not bring complete destruction to them. Trim their vines, since those vines do not come from Yahweh.
Scale its walls and tear them down. But do not be willing to bring about its very end. Take away its plantings, for they are not the Lord’s.
11 For the houses of Israel and Judah have completely betrayed me—this is Yahweh's declaration.
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have greatly transgressed against me, says the Lord.
12 They have spoken falsely about Yahweh and they said, “He will do nothing; no harm will come upon us, and we will not see sword or famine.
They have denied the Lord, and they have said, ‘It is not him,’ and, ‘Evil will not overwhelm us. We will not see famine and the sword.’
13 The prophets will become wind, the word is not in them, so let what they say be done to them.”
The prophets have spoken into the wind, and there was no answer with them. Therefore, these things will happen to them.”
14 So Yahweh, the God of hosts says this, “Because you have said this, see, I am about to place my word in your mouth. It will be like a fire, and this people will be like wood! For it will consume them.
Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: “Since you have spoken this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth like fire and this people like wood, and it will devour them.
15 Behold! I am about to bring a nation against you from far away, house of Israel—this is Yahweh's declaration— it is a lasting nation, an ancient nation! It is a nation whose language you do not know, nor will you understand what they say.
Behold, O house of Israel, I will lead over you a far away nation, says the Lord, a robust nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you will not know, nor will you understand what they are saying.
16 Its quiver is like an open tomb. They are all soldiers.
Their quiver is like an open sepulcher. They are all strong.
17 So your harvest will be consumed, your sons and daughters also, and your food. They will eat your flocks and cattle; they will eat the fruit from your vines and fig trees. They will beat down with a sword your fortified cities that you trusted in.
And they will consume your grain fields and your bread. They will devour your sons and your daughters. They will consume your flocks and your herds. They will consume your vineyards and your figs. And with the sword, they will crush your fortified cities, in which you have placed your trust.
18 But even in those days—this is Yahweh's declaration—I do not intend to destroy you completely.
Yet truly, in those days, says the Lord, I will not bring the consummation over you.
19 When you, Israel and Judah, say, 'Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?' then you, Jeremiah, will say to them, 'Just as you abandoned Yahweh and served foreign gods in your land, so you must also serve strangers in a land that is not your own.'
And if they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ You shall say to them: ‘Just as you have abandoned me and have served a strange god in your own land, so will you serve strangers in a land not your own.’
20 Report this to the house of Jacob and let it be heard in Judah. Say,
Announce this to the house of Jacob, and make it known in Judah, saying:
21 'Hear this, you foolish people who have no understanding; who have eyes but you cannot see, and you have ears but you cannot hear.
Listen, O foolish people who have no heart! You have eyes, but you do not see, and ears, but you do not hear.
22 Do you not fear me—this is Yahweh's declaration—or tremble before my face? I have placed a border of sand against the sea, an ongoing decree that it does not violate— even though the sea rises and falls, still it does not violate it. Even though its waves roar, they do not cross it.
So then, will you not fear me, says the Lord. And will you not have sorrow before my face? I have placed the shore as a limit for the sea, as an everlasting precept that it will not transgress. And its waves will crash, but they will not prevail; and its waves will swell, but they will not go across.
23 But this people has a stubborn heart. It turns away in rebellion and goes away.
But the heart of this people has become incredulous and provocative; they have turned away and departed.
24 For they do not say in their hearts, “Let us fear Yahweh our God, the one who brings the rain —the early rain and the late rains—in their right time, keeping the fixed weeks of the harvest for us.”
And they have not said in their heart: ‘Let us dread the Lord our God, who gives us the timely and the late rains, in their proper time, who guards the full measure of the yearly harvest for us.’
25 Your iniquities kept these things from happening. Your sins have stopped good from coming to you.
Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have held back good things from you.
26 For wicked men are found with my people. They watch as someone crouches to capture birds; they set a trap and catch people.
For the impious are found among my people; they lie in ambush like fowlers setting snares, for they set traps to catch men.
27 Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit. So they grow large and become rich.
Just as a snare is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. As a result, they have become exalted and enriched.
28 They have become fat; they shine with well-being. They crossed over all bounds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause of the people, or the cause of the orphan. They prosper even though they have not given justice to the needy.
They have grown stout and fat. And they have transgressed my words most wickedly. They have not judged the case of the widow; they have not given guidance to the case of the orphan; and they have not judged a judgment for the poor.
29 Should I not punish them for these things—this is Yahweh's declaration— and will I not take vengeance for myself on a nation like this?
Shall I not visit against these things, says the Lord? Or shall my soul not take vengeance on a nation of this kind?
30 Atrocities and horrors have occurred in the land.
Astonishing and wondrous things have been done upon the earth.
31 The prophets prophesy with deceit, and the priests rule with their own power. My people love it this way, but what will happen in the end?'”
The prophets have prophesied lies, and the priests have applauded with their hands, and my people have loved these things. So then, what shall be done at the very end?”
