Jeremiah 5
1 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city.
Go everywhere through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and pay attention! Search all through her city squares to see if you can find even just one person who does what's right, anyone who is faithful, and I'll forgive the city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”
They may make promises in my name, but they're not sincere.
3 O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.
Lord, aren't you always looking for faithfulness? You beat them, but they didn't care. You just about destroyed them, but they refused to accept your discipline. They were stubborn, hard as rock, and they wouldn't repent.
4 Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.
Then I said to myself, “These people are only the poor—they're just fools who don't know any better. They certainly don't know what the Lord wants, God's right way of living.
5 I will go to the powerful and speak to them. Surely they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke and torn off the chains.
Let me go to and talk to the ones in charge. They would surely know what the Lord wants, God's right way of living.” But they had all broken off the yoke as well, and ripped off the chains.
6 Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.
As a result a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will rip them apart. A leopard will lie in wait for them near their towns, ready to tear to pieces anyone who goes outside. For they keep on rebelling, and turn away from me so often.
7 “Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.
Why should I forgive you? Your children have abandoned me and believe in gods that are not gods. I gave them everything they need, yet they went and committed adultery, gathering together at prostitutes' houses.
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
They're like virile stallions wanting sex, each of them neighing with lust after his neighbor's wife.
9 Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
Shouldn't I punish them for all this? declares the Lord. Shouldn't I retaliate for what this nation has done?
10 Go up through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not finish them off. Strip off her branches, for they do not belong to the LORD.
Go through her vineyards and damage them, but don't destroy them completely. Rip off her branches, because they don't belong to the Lord.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,”
The people of Israel and Judah have completely betrayed me, declares the Lord.
12 They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.
They have lied about the Lord, saying, “He won't do anything. Nothing bad will happen to us. We won't have war or famine.
13 The prophets are but wind, for the word is not in them. So let their own predictions befall them.”
The prophets are just like the wind. The Lord doesn't speak through them. What they predict can happen to them!”
14 Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.
So this is the reply from the Lord God Almighty: Because of what you've said, I will make my words like a fire in your mouth and you people like the wood it burns up.
15 Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.
Look! I am bringing a nation from far away to attack you, people of Israel, declares the Lord. It's a powerful nation that has existed for a long time; it's a nation whose language you don't know, and when they speak you can't understand them.
16 Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men.
Their arrows bring death; they are all strong warriors.
17 They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”
They will consume your harvest and your food; they will destroy your sons and your daughters; they will eat your flocks and your herds; they will feed on your vines and your fig trees. They will attack and will destroy the fortified towns that you have so much confidence in.
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you.
But even at that time I won't completely destroy you, declares the Lord.
19 And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’”
When people ask you Jeremiah, “Why did the Lord our God do all these things to us?” you are to tell them, “In the same way you have abandoned me and served foreign gods here in your country, so you will serve foreigners in a country that isn't your own.”
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:
Announce this to the people of Jacob and Judah:
21 “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
Listen to this, you foolish, stupid people, who have eyes but don't see, who have ears but don't hear.
22 Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.
Aren't you afraid of what I can do? declares the Lord. Don't you think you should tremble in my presence? I am the one who set up the shore as the sea's boundary, an everlasting limit that it can't cross. The waves crash against it, but they can't defeat it. They roar, but they can't cross the barrier.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away.
But you people have a stubborn and rebellious attitude. You have left me and gone your own way.
24 They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
You didn't think to say, “We should appreciate the Lord our God, who sends the autumn and spring rains at the right time, who makes sure we can have a harvest every year.”
25 Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty.
Your wrong actions have taken these benefits from you; your sins have deprived you of my blessings.
26 For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.
For there are wicked men among my people. They're like bird-trappers, secretly watching and waiting to catch people in their snare.
27 Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich.
Their homes are full of their ill-gotten gains, like cages full of birds. That's why they've become powerful and rich.
28 They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.
They've grown fat and smooth, and have become experts in evil. They deny justice to orphans, and they don't defend the rights of those in need.
29 Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
Shouldn't I punish them for all this? declares the Lord. Shouldn't I retaliate for what this nation has done?
30 A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.
Something horrible, something terrible has happened here in this country.
31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
The prophets give false prophecies; the priests rule as they please. My people love it like this, but what will you do when it all falls apart?
