Jeremiah 5

1 Go about through the streets of Jerusalem, and see, and consider, and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can fins a man that executeth judgement, and seeketh faith: and I will be merciful unto it.

"Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places of it, if you can find a man, if there are any who does justly, who seeks truth; and I will pardon her.

2 And though they say: The Lord liveth; this also they will swear falsely.

Though they say, 'As YHWH lives;' surely they swear falsely."

3 O Lord, thy eyes are upon truth: thou hast struck them, and they have not grieved: thou hast bruised them, and they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than the rock, and they have refused to return.

YHWH, do your eyes not 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 But I said: Perhaps these are poor and foolish, that know not the way of the Lord, the judgement of their God.

Then I said, "Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they do not know the way of YHWH, nor the law of their God.

5 I will go therefore to the great men, and I will speak to them: for they known the way of the Lord, the judgement of their God: and behold these have together broken the yoke more, and have burst the bonds.

I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they know the way of YHWH, and the law of their God." But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

6 Wherefore a lion out of the wood hath slain them, a wolf in the evening, hath spoiled them, a leopard watcheth for their cities: every one that shall go out thence shall be taken, because their transgressions are multiplied, their rebellions are strengthened.

Therefore a lion out of the forest shall kill them, a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch against their cities; everyone who goes out there shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backsliding is increased.

7 How can I be merciful to thee? thy children have forsaken me, and swear by them that are not gods: I fed them to the full, and they committed adultery, and rioted in the harlot’s house.

"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 They are become as amorous horses and stallions, every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

They were as fed horses roaming at large: everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife.

9 Shall I not visit for these things, sayeth the Lord? and shall not my soul take revenge on such a nation?

Shouldn't I punish them for these things?" says YHWH; "and shouldn't my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 Scale down the walls thereof, and throw them down, but do not utterly destroy: take away the branches thereof, because they are not the Lord’s.

"Go up on her walls, and destroy; but do not make a full end. Take away her branches; for they are not YHWH's.

11 For the house of Israel, and the house of Juda have greatly transgressed against me, saith the Lord.

For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me," says YHWH.

12 They have denied the Lord, and said, It is not he: and the evil shall not come upon us: we shall not see the sword and famine.

They have denied YHWH, and said, "It is not he; neither shall evil come on us; neither shall we see sword nor famine.

13 The prophets have spoken in the wind, and there was no word of God in them: these things therefore shall befall them.

The prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them."

14 Thus saith the Lord the God of hosts: Because you have spoken this word, behold I will make my words in thy mouth as fire, and this people as wood, and it shall devour them.

Therefore thus says YHWH, the God of hosts, "Because you speak this word, look, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

15 Behold I will bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: a strong nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou shalt not know, nor understand what they say.

Look, I will bring a nation on you from far, house of Israel," says YHWH. "It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, neither understand what they say.

16 Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all valiant.

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

17 And they shall eat up thy corn, and thy bread: they shall devour thy sons, and thy daughters: they shall eat up thy flocks, and thy herds: they shall eat thy vineyards, and thy figs: and with the sword they shall destroy thy strong cities, wherein thou trustest.

They shall eat up your harvest, and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds. They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees. They shall beat down your fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.

18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the Lord, I will not bring you to utter destruction.

"But even in those days," says YHWH, "I will not make a full end with you.

19 And if you shall say: why hath the Lord our God done all these things to us? thou shalt say to them: As you have forsaken me, and served a strange god in your own land, so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not your own.

It will happen, when you say, 'Why has YHWH our God done all these things to us?' Then you shall say to them, 'Thus says YHWH, Just like you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'

20 Declare ye this to the house of Jacob, and publish it in Juda, saying:

"Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

21 Hear, O foolish people, and without understanding: who have eyes, and see not: and ears, and hear not.

'Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and do not see; who have ears, and do not hear:

22 Will not you then fear me, saith the Lord: and will you not repent at my presence? I have set the sand a bound for the sea, an everlasting ordinance, which it shall not pass over: and the waves thereof shall toss themselves, and shall not prevail: they shall swell, and shall not pass over it.

Do you not fear me?' says YHWH '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? And though its waves toss themselves, yet they can't prevail; though they roar, yet they can't pass over it.'

23 But the heart of this people is become hard of belief and provoking, they are revolted and gone away.

"But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart; they have revolted and gone.

24 And they have not said in their heart: let us fear the Lord our God, who giveth us the early and the latter rain in due season: who preserveth for us the fullness of the yearly harvest.

Neither do they say in their heart, 'Let us now fear YHWH 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 Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

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

26 For among my people are found wicked men, that lie in wait as fowlers, setting snares and traps to catch men.

For among my people are found wicked men. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men.

27 As a net is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit: therefore are they become great and enriched.

As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich.

28 They are grown gross and fat: and have most wickedly transgressed my words. They have not judged the cause of the widow, they have not managed the cause of the fatherless, they have not judged the judgement of the poor.

They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they do not judge the right of the needy.

29 Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? or shall not my soul take revenge on such a nation?

"Shall I not punish for these things?" says YHWH. "Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 Astonishing and wonderful things have been done in the land.

"An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.

31 The prophets prophesied falsehood, and the priests clapped their hands: and my people loved such things: what then shall be done in the end thereof?

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?