Jeremiah 8

1 At that time, an affirmation of Jehovah, They bring the bones of the kings of Judah, And the bones of its princes, And the bones of the priests, And the bones of the prophets, And the bones of 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 have spread them to sun, and to moon, And to all the host of the heavens, that they have loved, And that they have served, And that they have walked after, And that they have sought, And to which they have bowed themselves, They are not gathered, nor buried, They are for dung on the face of the ground.

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 And chosen is death rather than life By all the remnant who are left of this evil family, In all the remaining places, whither I have driven them, An affirmation of Jehovah 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 And thou hast said unto them: Thus said Jehovah, Do they fall, and not rise? Doth he turn back, and not return?

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 Turned back — a perpetual backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, They have refused to turn back.

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

6 I have given attention, yea, I hearken, They do not speak right, No man hath repented of his wickedness, Saying, What have I done? Every one hath turned to his courses, As a horse is rushing into 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 a stork in the heavens hath known her seasons, And turtle, and swallow, and crane, Have watched the time of their coming, And — My people have not known the judgment of Jehovah.

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 do ye say, We [are] wise, And the law of Jehovah [is] with us? Surely, lo, falsely it hath wrought, The false pen of 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 have been the wise, They have been affrighted, and are captured, Lo, against a word of Jehovah they kicked, And the wisdom of what — 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, I give their wives to others, Their fields to dispossessors, For from the least even unto the greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, From prophet even unto priest, every one is dealing 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 they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! and there is no peace.

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

12 They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, And blushing they have not known, Therefore, they do fall among falling ones, In the time of their inspection they stumble, said Jehovah.

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 utterly consume them, an affirmation of Jehovah, There are no grapes in the vine, Yea, there are no figs in the fig-tree, And the leaf hath faded, And the strength they have passeth 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 Wherefore are we sitting still? Be gathered, and we go in to the fenced cities, And we are silent there, For Jehovah our God hath made us silent, Yea, He causeth us to drink water of gall, For we have sinned against Jehovah.

“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 Looking for peace — and there is no good, For a time of healing, and lo, terror.

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

16 From Dan hath been heard the snorting of his horses, From the voice of the neighings of his mighty ones, Trembled hath all the land, And they come in and consume the land and its fulness, The city and the inhabitants in it.

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, lo, I am sending among you serpents, Vipers that have no charmer, And they have bitten you, an affirmation of Jehovah.

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

18 My refreshing for me [is] sorrow, For me my heart [is] sick.

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

19 Lo, the voice of a cry of the daughter of my people from a land afar off, Is Jehovah not in Zion? is her king not in her? Wherefore have they provoked Me with their graven images, With the vanities of a foreigner?

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 Harvest hath passed, summer hath ended, And we — we have not been saved.

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

21 For a breach of the daughter of my people have I been broken, I have been black, astonishment hath seized me.

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

22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? For wherefore hath not the health of the daughter of my people gone up?

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