Jeremiæ 5
1 Circuite vias Ierusalem, et aspicite, et considerate, et quaerite in plateis eius, an inveniatis virum facientem iudicium, et quaerentem fidem: et propitius ero ei.
“Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its wide places, if you can find a man, if there is anyone who does justly, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her.
2 Quod si etiam Vivit Dominus, dixerint: et hoc falso iurabunt.
Though they say, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ surely they swear falsely.”
3 Domine oculi tui respiciunt fidem: percussisti eos, et non doluerunt: attrivisti eos, et renuerunt accipere disciplinam: induraverunt facies suas supra petram, et noluerunt reverti.
O Yahweh, don’t your eyes 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.
4 Ego autem dixi: Forsitan pauperes sunt et stulti, ignorantes viam Domini, iudicium Dei sui.
Then I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know Yahweh’s way, nor the law of their God.
5 Ibo igitur ad optimates, et loquar eis: ipsi enim cognoverunt viam Domini, iudicium Dei sui. et ecce magis hi simul confregerunt iugum, ruperunt vincula.
I will go to the great men and will speak to them, for they know the way of Yahweh, and the law of their God.” But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
6 Idcirco percussit eos leo de silva, lupus ad vesperam vastavit eos, pardus vigilans super civitates eorum: omnis, qui egressus fuerit ex eis, capietur: quia multiplicatae sunt praevaricationes eorum, confortatae sunt aversiones eorum.
Therefore a lion out of the forest will kill them. A wolf of the evenings will destroy them. A leopard will watch against their cities. Everyone who goes out there will be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many and their backsliding has increased.
7 Super quo propitius tibi esse potero? filii tui dereliquerunt me, et iurant in his, qui non sunt dii: saturavi eos, et moechati sunt, et in domo meretricis luxuriabantur.
“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.
8 Equi amatores, et emissarii facti sunt: Unusquisque ad uxorem proximi sui hinniebat.
They were as fed horses roaming at large. Everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Numquid super his non visitabo, dicit Dominus? et in gente tali non ulciscetur anima mea?
Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10 Ascendite muros eius, et dissipate, consummationem autem nolite facere: auferte propagines eius, quia non sunt Domini.
“Go up on her walls, and destroy, but don’t make a full end. Take away her branches, for they are not Yahweh’s.
11 Praevaricatione enim praevaricata est in me domus Israel, et domus Iuda, ait Dominus.
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me,” says Yahweh.
12 Negaverunt Dominum, et dixerunt: Non est ipse: neque veniet super nos malum: gladium et famem non videbimus.
They have denied Yahweh, and said, “It is not he. Evil won’t come on us. We won’t see sword or famine.
13 Prophetae fuerunt in ventum locuti, et responsum non fuit in eis: haec ergo evenient illis.
The prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them.”
14 Haec dicit Dominus Deus exercituum: Quia locuti estis verbum istud: ecce ego do verba mea in ore tuo in ignem, et populum istum in ligna, et vorabit eos.
Therefore Yahweh, the God of Armies says, “Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it will devour them.
15 Ecce ego adducam super vos gentem de longinquo domus Israel, ait Dominus: gentem robustam, gentem antiquam, gentem, cuius ignorabis linguam, nec intelliges quid loquatur.
Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far away, house of Israel,” says Yahweh. “It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don’t know and don’t understand what they say.
16 Pharetra eius quasi sepulchrum patens, universi fortes.
Their quiver is an open tomb. They are all mighty men.
17 Et comedet segetes tuas, et panem tuum: devorabit filios tuos, et filias tuas: comedet gregem tuum, et armenta tua: comedet vineam tuam et ficum tuam: et conteret urbes munitas tuas, in quibus tu habes fiduciam, gladio.
They will eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They will eat up your flocks and your herds. They will eat up your vines and your fig trees. They will beat down your fortified cities in which you trust with the sword.
18 Verumtamen in diebus illis, ait Dominus, non faciam vos in consummationem.
“But even in those days,” says Yahweh, “I will not make a full end of you.
19 Quod si dixeritis: Quare fecit nobis Dominus Deus noster haec omnia? dices ad eos: Sicut dereliquistis me, et servistis deo alieno in terra vestra, sic servietis alienis in terra non vestra.
It will happen when you say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
20 Annunciate hoc domui Iacob, et auditum facite in Iuda, dicentes:
“Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21 Audi popule stulte, qui non habes cor: qui habentes oculos non videtis: et aures, et non auditis.
‘Hear this now, foolish people without understanding, who have eyes, and don’t see, who have ears, and don’t hear:
22 Me ergo non timebitis, ait Dominus: et a facie mea non dolebitis? Qui posui arenam terminum mari, praeceptum sempiternum, quod non praeteribit: et commovebuntur, et non poterunt: et intumescent fluctus eius, et non transibunt illud:
Don’t you fear me?’ says Yahweh; ‘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? Though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail. Though they roar, they still can’t pass over it.’
23 populo autem huic factum est cor incredulum et exasperans, recesserunt et abierunt.
“But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart. They have revolted and gone.
24 Et non dixerunt in corde suo: Metuamus Dominum Deum nostrum, qui dat nobis pluviam temporaneam et serotinam in tempore suo: plenitudinem annuae messis custodientem nobis.
They don’t say in their heart, ‘Let’s now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’
25 Iniquitates vestrae declinaverunt haec: et peccata vestra prohibuerunt bonum a vobis:
“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you.
26 Quia inventi sunt in populo meo impii insidiantes quasi aucupes, laqueos ponentes, et pedicas ad capiendos viros.
For wicked men are found among my people. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men.
27 Sicut decipula plena avibus, sic domus eorum plenae dolo: ideo magnificati sunt et ditati.
As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich.
28 Incrassati sunt et impinguati: et praeterierunt sermones meos pessime. Causam viduae non iudicaverunt, causam pupilli non direxerunt, et iudicium pauperum non iudicaverunt.
They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t defend the rights of the needy.
29 Numquid super his non visitabo, dicit Dominus? aut super gentem huiuscemodi non ulciscetur anima mea?
“Shouldn’t I punish for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 Stupor et mirabilia facta sunt in terra:
“An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.
31 prophetae prophetabant mendacium, et sacerdotes applaudebant manibus suis: et populus meus dilexit talia: quid igitur fiet in novissimo eius?
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?
