Jeremiah 8

1 "At that time," says the LORD, "they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his officials, and the bones of the cohanim, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves;

“At that time—this is Yahweh's declaration—they will bring out from the graves the bones of the kings of Judah and its officials, the bones of the priests and the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2 and they shall spread them 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, and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung on the surface of the earth.

Then they will spread them out in the light of the sun and moon and all the stars of the skies; these things in the sky that they have followed and served, that they have walked after and sought, and that they have worshiped. The bones will not be gathered or buried again. They will be like dung on the surface of the earth.

3 Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places where I have driven them," says the LORD of hosts.

In every remaining place where I have driven them, they will choose death instead of life for themselves, all who are still left over from this evil nation—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.

4 "Moreover you shall tell them, 'Thus says the LORD: Shall men fall, and not rise up again? Shall one turn away, and not return?

So say to them, 'Yahweh says this: Does anyone fall and not get up? Does anyone get lost and not try to return?

5 Why then do these people of Jerusalem turn away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit; they refuse to return.

Why has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in permanent faithlessness? They hold on to treachery and refuse to repent.

6 I listened and heard, but they did not speak what is right: no man repents him of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.

I paid attention and listened, but they did not speak right; no one was sorry for his wickedness, no one who says, “What have I done?” All of them go where they wish, like a stallion rushing toward battle.

7 Yes, the stork in the sky knows her appointed times; and the turtledove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people do not know the LORD's law.

Even the stork in heaven knows the right times; and the doves, swifts, and cranes. They go on their migrations at the right time, but my people do not know Yahweh's decrees.

8 How can you say, "We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us?" But, look, the lying pen of the scribes has worked falsehood.

How can you say, “We are wise, for the law of Yahweh is with us”? Indeed, see! The deceitful pen of the scribes has created deceit.

9 The wise men are disappointed, they are dismayed and taken: look, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what kind of wisdom is in them?

The wise men will be ashamed. They are dismayed and trapped. Behold! They reject Yahweh's word, so what use is their wisdom?

10 therefore I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who shall possess them: for everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest every one deals falsely.

So I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will possess them, because from the least to the greatest, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain! From the prophet to the priest, all of them practice deceit.

11 They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people superficially, saying, "Peace, peace;" when there is no peace.

They healed the wounds of my people lightly, saying, “Peace, Peace,” when there was no peace.

12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No. They were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among those who fall; in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, says the LORD.

Were they ashamed when they practiced abominations? They were not ashamed; they did not know how to blush! So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says Yahweh.

13 I will utterly consume them, says the LORD: no grapes shall be on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.'"

I will remove them completely—this is Yahweh's declaration—there will be no grapes on the vine, nor will there be figs on the fig trees. For the leaf will wither, and what I have given to them will pass away.

14 "Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; for the LORD our God has put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

Why are we sitting here? Come together; let us go to the fortified cities, and we will become silent there in death. For Yahweh our God will silence us. He will make us drink poison, since we have sinned against him.

15 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and look, dismay.

We are hoping for peace, but there will be nothing good. We are hoping for a time of healing, but see, there will be terror.

16 The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan: at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembles; for they have come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it; the city and those who dwell in it.

The snorting of his stallions is heard from Dan. The whole earth shakes at the sound of the neighing of his strong horses. For they will come and consume the land and its wealth, the city and the ones living in it.

17 For, look, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you," says the LORD.

For see, I am sending out snakes among you, vipers that you cannot charm. They will bite you—this is Yahweh's declaration.'”

18 "My joy for me is sorrow. My heart is faint within me.

My sorrow has no end, and my heart is sick.

19 Look, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land that is very far off: 'Isn't the LORD in Zion? Isn't her King in her?'" "Why have they provoked me to anger with their engraved images, and with foreign vanities?"

Behold! The screaming voice of the daughter of my people from a land far away! Is Yahweh not in Zion? Is her king no longer there? Why then do they provoke me to anger with their carved figures and their worthless foreign idols?

20 "'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.'

The harvest has passed on, summer is over. But we have not been saved.

21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt: I mourn; dismay has taken hold on me.

I am hurt because of the hurt of the daughter of my people. I mourn at the horrible things that have happened to her; I am dismayed.

22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then isn't the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no healer there? Why will the healing of the daughter of my people not happen?