Jeremiah 5

1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broadways thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be [any] that doeth justice, that seeketh fidelity; and I will pardon it.

Run ye through the streets of Jerusalem, [[saith Jehovah, ]] And see now, and know, and seek in her broad places If ye can find a single man, If there be one that doeth justice, That seeketh uprightness, And I will forgive her.

2 And if they say, [As] Jehovah liveth! surely they swear falsely.

Yea, though they say, “As Jehovah liveth!” Yet do they swear falsely.

3 Jehovah, are not thine eyes upon fidelity? Thou hast smitten them, but they are not sore; thou hast consumed them, they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Are not thine eyes upon the truth, O Jehovah! Thou hast smitten them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; They have made their faces harder than a rock; They have refused to return.

4 And I said, Surely these are the wretched ones, they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jehovah, the judgment of their God.

Then I said, These are only the poor; They are foolish, because they know not the way of Jehovah, The law of their God.

5 I will go unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they know the way of Jehovah, the judgment of their God; but these have altogether broken the yoke, have burst the bonds.

I will get me to the great ones, And I will speak to them; For they know the way of Jehovah, The law of their God. But these also have together broken the yoke; They have burst the bands.

6 Therefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the evenings shall waste them; the leopard lurketh against their cities, every one that goeth out thence is torn in pieces: for their transgressions are multiplied, their backslidings are increased.

Therefore the lion out of the forest shall slay them, And the evening wolf shall destroy them. The leopard shall keep watch upon their cities; Every one that goeth out from them shall be torn in pieces; Because their transgressions are multiplied, Their rebellions are increased.

7 Wherefore should I pardon thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and swear by them that are not God. I have satiated them, and they have committed adultery, and they troop to the harlots' house.

How can I pardon thee for this? [[saith Jehovah; ]] Thy children have forsaken me, And sworn by them that are no gods. I have fed them to the full, yet do they commit adultery, And assemble themselves in crowds in the house of the harlot.

8 [As] well fed horses, they roam about, every one neigheth after his neighbour's wife.

They are as well-fed horses in the morning; Every one neigheth after his neighbor's wife.

9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Shall I not punish for these things, saith Jehovah? Shall I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

10 Go up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end; take away her battlements, for they are not Jehovah's.

Go ye up upon her walls and destroy! Yet make ye not a full end! Take ye away her branches, For they belong not to Jehovah!

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith Jehovah.

For they have proved false to me, The house of Israel and the house of Judah, saith Jehovah.

12 They have denied Jehovah, and say, He is not; and evil shall not come upon us, nor shall we see sword nor famine;

They have denied Jehovah, And have said, “It is not He; Evil shall not come upon us, Nor shall we see sword or famine.

13 and the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

The prophets are but wind, And the word is not in them; Thus may it happen to them!”

14 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts: Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Therefore thus saith Jehovah, God of hosts: Because ye say such things, Behold, I will make thy words in thy mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour them.

15 Behold, I bring a nation upon you from afar, house of Israel, saith Jehovah: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest thou what they say.

Behold, I will bring against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah; It is a mighty nation; It is an ancient nation; A nation whose language thou dost not know, And whose words thou canst not understand.

16 Their quiver is as an open sepulchre; they are all mighty men.

Their quiver is like an open sepulchre; They are all mighty men.

17 And they shall eat up thy harvest and thy bread, they shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters, they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds, they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall destroy with the sword thy strong cities, wherein thou trustedst.

They shall consume thy harvest and thy bread; They shall consume thy sons and thy daughters; They shalt consume thy sheep and thy oxen; They shall consume thy vine and thy fig-tree; They shall destroy with the sword thy fortified cities, In which thou placest thy trust.

18 Nevertheless in those days, saith Jehovah, I will not make a full end with you.

Yet even in those days, saith Jehovah, I will not make a full end with you.

19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say to them, As ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

And when they shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God brought all these things upon us? Then shalt thou say to them, “As ye have forsaken me, And served strange gods in your land, So shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.”

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

Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, And publish it in Judah, saying:

21 Hear now this, O foolish and heartless people, who have eyes and see not; who have ears, and hear not.

Hear ye now this, O foolish people and without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, Who have ears and hear not!

22 Will ye not fear me? saith Jehovah. Will ye not tremble at my presence, who have set the sand a bound for the sea by a perpetual decree, and it shall not pass it? and its waves toss themselves, but they do not prevail; and they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

Will ye not fear me, saith Jehovah? Will ye not tremble before me, Who appointed the sand a bound to the sea, A perpetual barrier, which it cannot pass? Though the waves thereof toss themselves, Yet do they not prevail, Though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.

23 But this people hath a stubborn and a rebellious heart; they have turned aside and are gone.

But this people hath a revolting and rebellious heart; They revolt continually.

24 And they say not in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the early and the latter, in its season; who preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of harvest.

Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, Who giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, And secureth to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden from you what is good.

Your iniquities have turned away these things, And your sins have withholden that which is good from you.

26 For among my people are found wicked [men]: they lay wait, as fowlers stoop down; they set a trap, they catch men.

For among my people are found wicked men, Who lie on the watch like fowlers; They set a trap that they may catch men.

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

As a cage is full of birds, So are their houses full of fraud. Therefore are they grown great and rich;

28 They are become fat, they shine, yea, they surpass in deeds of wickedness; they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, and they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not adjudge.

They have become fat and shine; Yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked; They maintain no cause, No cause of the fatherless, and they prosper; And the right of the needy do they not defend.

29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Shall I not punish for these things, saith Jehovah? Shall I not be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 An appalling and horrible thing is committed in the land:

Astonishing and horrible is that which is done in this land;

31 the prophets prophesy falsehood, and the priests rule by their means; and my people love [to have it] so. But what will ye do in the end thereof?

The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule under their guidance, And my people love to have it so. But what will ye do in the end of it?