Jeremias 5

1 Run you about in the streets of Jerusalem, and see, and know, and seek in her broad places, if you can find [one], if there is any one that does judgement, and seeks faithfulness; and I will pardon them, says the Lord.

“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 The Lord lives, they say; do they not therefore swear falsely?

Though they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’ surely they swear falsely.”

3 O Lord, your eyes are upon faithfulness: you have scourged them, but they have not grieved; you have consumed them; but they would not receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; and they would not return.

O LORD, 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 Then I said, It may be they are poor; for they are weak, for they know not the way of the Lord, or the judgement of God.

Then I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know the LORD’s way, nor the law of their God.

5 I will go to the rich men, and will speak to them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgement of God: but, behold, with one consent they have broken the yoke, they have burst the bonds.

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

6 Therefore has a lion out of the forest struck them, and a wolf has destroyed them even to [their] houses, and a leopard has watched against their cities: all that go forth from them shall be hunted: for they have multiplied their ungodliness, they have strengthened themselves in their revoltings.

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 In what [way] shall I forgive you for these things? Your sons have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: and I fed them to the full, and they committed adultery, and lodged in harlots' houses.

“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 became as wanton horses: they neighed each one after his neighbour's wife.

They were as fed horses roaming at large. Everyone neighed after his neighbour’s wife.

9 Shall I not visit for these things? says the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this.

Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?” says the LORD. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 Go up upon her battlements, and break [them] down; but make not a full end: leave her buttresses: for they are the Lord's.

“Go up on her walls, and destroy, but don’t make a full end. Take away her branches, for they are not the LORD’s.

11 For the house of Israel have indeed dealt treacherously against me, says the Lord: the house of Juda also

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

12 have lied to their Lord, and they have said, These things are not so; no evils shall come upon us; and we shall not see sword or famine.

They have denied the LORD, and said, “It is not he. Evil won’t come on us. We won’t see sword or famine.

13 Our prophets became wind, and the word of the Lord was not in them.

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

14 Therefore thus says the Lord Almighty, Because you have spoken this word, behold, I have made my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Therefore the LORD, 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 Behold, I [will] bring upon you a nation from far, O house of Israel, says the Lord; a nation the sound of whose language one shall not understand.

Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far away, house of Israel,” says the LORD. “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 [They are] all mighty men:

Their quiver is an open tomb. They are all mighty men.

17 and they shall devour your harvest, and your bread; and shall devour your sons, and your daughters; and they shall devour your sheep, and your calves, and devour your vineyards, and your fig-plantations, and your olive yards: and they shall utterly destroy your strong cities, wherein you trusted, with the sword.

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 And it shall come to pass in those days, says the Lord your God, that I will not utterly destroy you.

“But even in those days,” says the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you.

19 And it shall come to pass, when you shall say, Therefore has the Lord our God done all these things to us? that you shall say to them, Because you served strange gods in your land, so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

It will happen when you say, ‘Why has the LORD 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 Proclaim these things to the house of Jacob, and let them be heard in the house of Juda.

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

21 Hear you now these things, O foolish and senseless people; who have eyes, and see not; and have ears, and hear not:

‘Hear this now, foolish people without understanding, who have eyes, and don’t see, who have ears, and don’t hear:

22 will you not be afraid of me? says the Lord; and will you not fear before me, who have set the sand for a bound to the sea, [as] a perpetual ordinance, and it shall not pass it: yes, it shall rage, but not prevail; and its waves shall roar, but not pass over it.

Don’t you fear me?’ says the LORD; ‘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 But this people has a disobedient and rebellious heart; and they have turned aside and gone back:

“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 now the Lord our God, who gives us the early and latter rain, according to the season of the fulfilment of the ordinance of harvest, and has preserved [it] for us.

They don’t say in their heart, ‘Let’s now fear the LORD 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 transgressions have turned away these things, and your sins have removed good things from you.

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

26 For amongst my people were found ungodly men; and they have set snares to destroy men, and have caught [them].

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

27 As a snare which has been set is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore have they grown great, and become rich:

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

28 and they have transgressed [the rule of] judgement; they have not judged the cause of the orphan, nor have they judged the cause of the widow.

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 Shall I not visit for these things? says the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

“Shouldn’t I punish for these things?” says the LORD. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 Shocking and horrible deeds have been done on the land;

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

31 the prophets utter unrighteous prophecies, and the priests have clapped their hands: and my people has loved [to have it] thus: and what will you do for the future.

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?