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 to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that doeth justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her.

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

And though they say, As the LORD liveth; surely 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.

O LORD, do not thine eyes look upon truth? thou hast stricken them, but they were 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, Surely these are poor: they are foolish; for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment 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 unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they know the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God. But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and 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.

Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities, every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, [and] their backslidings 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? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots’ houses.

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

They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’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 visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged 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; but make not a full end: take away her branches: for they are not the LORD’S.

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

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

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 the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:

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

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

Wherefore thus saith the LORD, 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.

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.

Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

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

Their quiver is 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.

And they shall eat up thine harvest and thy bread, [which] thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall beat down thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustest, with the sword.

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

But even in those days, saith the LORD, 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 it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say unto them, Like 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 now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which 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?

Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it? and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can 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 a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

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 the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; that reserveth unto 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 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: they watch, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they 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 deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen 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 are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness: they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they should prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

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 visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

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

A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the 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 bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?