Jeremias 11
1 The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord, saying,
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2 Hear you the words of this covenant, and you shall speak to the men of Juda, and to the dwellers in Jerusalem;
“Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
3 and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Cursed is the man, who shall not listen to the words of this covenant,
and say to them, the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Cursed is the man who does not hear the words of this covenant,
4 which I commanded your fathers, in the day wherein I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all things that I shall command you; so shall you be to me a people, and I will be to you a God;
which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace,’ saying, ‘Obey my voice and do them, according to all which I command you; so you shall be my people, and I will be your God;
5 that I may confirm mine oath, which I sware to your fathers, to give them a land flowing [with] milk and honey, as [it is] this day. Then I answered and said, So be it, O Lord.
that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is today.” Then I answered, and said, “Amen, LORD.”
6 And the Lord said to me, Read these words in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear you the words of this covenant, and do them.
The LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Hear the words of this covenant, and do them.
For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, rising early and protesting, saying, “Obey my voice.”
8 But they did [them] not.
Yet they did not obey, nor turn their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart. Therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not do them.’”
9 And the Lord said to me, A conspiracy is found amongst the men of Juda, and amongst the dwellers in Jerusalem.
The LORD said to me, “A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 They are turned [aside] to the iniquities of their fathers that were of old, who would not listen to my words: and, behold, they go after strange gods, to serve them: and the house of Israel and the house of Juda have broken my covenant, which I made with their fathers.
They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
11 Therefore thus says the Lord, Behold, I bring evils upon this people, out of which they shall not be able to come forth; and they shall presently cry to me, but I will not listen to them.
Therefore the LORD says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on them which they will not be able to escape; and they will cry to me, but I will not listen to them.
12 And the cities of Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem shall go, and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense; which shall not deliver them in the time of their troubles.
Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to which they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble.
13 For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Juda; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have you set up altars to burn incense to Baal.
For according to the number of your cities are your gods, Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars to burn incense to Baal.’
14 And you, pray not for this people, and intercede not for them in supplication and prayer: for I will not hear in the day in which they call upon me, in the day of their affliction.
“Therefore do not pray for this people. Do not lift up cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry to me because of their trouble.
15 Why has [my] beloved wrought abomination in my house? will prayers and holy offerings take away your wickedness from you, or shall you escape by these things?
What has my beloved to do in my house, since she has behaved lewdly with many, and the holy flesh has passed from you? When you do evil, then you rejoice.”
16 The Lord called your name a fair olive tree, of a goodly shade in appearance, at the noise of its being lopped, fire was kindled against it; great is the affliction [coming] upon you: her branches are become good for nothing.
The LORD called your name, “A green olive tree, beautiful with goodly fruit.” With the noise of a great roar he has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken.
17 And the Lord that planted you has pronounced evils against you, because of the iniquity of the house of Israel and the house of Juda, whatever they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger by burning incense to Baal.
For the LORD of Armies, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves in provoking me to anger by offering incense to Baal.
18 O Lord, teach me, and I shall know: then I saw their practices.
The LORD gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it. Then you showed me their doings.
19 But I as an innocent lamb led to the slaughter, knew not: against me they devised an evil device, saying, Come and let us put wood into his bread, and let us utterly destroy him from off the land of the living, and let his name not be remembered any more.
But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter. I did not know that they had devised plans against me, saying, “Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit, and let’s cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.”
20 O Lord, that judge righteously, trying the reins and hearts, let me see your vengeance [taken] upon them, for to you I have declared my cause.
But, LORD of Armies, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, I will see your vengeance on them; for to you I have revealed my cause.
21 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, that seek my life, that say, You shall not prophesy at all in the name of the Lord, but if you do, you shall die by our hands:
“Therefore the LORD says concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy in the LORD’s name, that you not die by our hand’—
22 behold, I will visit them: their young men shall die by the sword; and their sons and their daughters shall die of famine:
therefore the LORD of Armies says, ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by famine.
23 and there shall be no remnant [left] of them; for I will bring evil upon the dwellers in Anathoth, in the year of their visitation.
There will be no remnant to them, for I will bring evil on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.’”
