Jeremiah 5

1 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.

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places of it, if ye can find a man, if there is any who does justly, who seeks truth, and I will pardon her.

2 They may make promises in my name, but they're not sincere.

And though they say, As Jehovah lives, surely they swear falsely.

3 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.

O Jehovah, do not thine eyes look upon truth? Thou have stricken them, but they were not grieved. Thou 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 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.

Then I said, Surely these are poor, they are foolish, for they know not the way of Jehovah, nor the law of their God.

5 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.

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

6 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.

Therefore a lion out of the forest shall kill them; a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them; a leopard shall watch against their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

7 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.

How can I pardon thee? Thy sons have forsaken me, and sworn by those who are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots' houses.

8 They're like virile stallions wanting sex, each of them neighing with lust after his neighbor's wife.

They were as fed horses roaming at large; everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife.

9 Shouldn't I punish them for all this? declares the Lord. Shouldn't I retaliate for what this nation has done?

Shall I not visit for these things? says Jehovah. And shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 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.

Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy, but make not a full end. Take away her branches, for they are not Jehovah's.

11 The people of Israel and Judah have completely betrayed me, declares the Lord.

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

12 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.

They have denied Jehovah, and said, It is not he. Neither shall evil come upon us, nor shall we see sword nor famine.

13 The prophets are just like the wind. The Lord doesn't speak through them. What they predict can happen to them!”

And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.

14 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.

Therefore thus says 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.

15 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.

Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, says Jehovah. It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou know not, nor understand what they say.

16 Their arrows bring death; they are all strong warriors.

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

17 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.

And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat. They shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds. They shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees. They shall beat down thy fortified cities, wherein thou trust, with the sword.

18 But even at that time I won't completely destroy you, declares the Lord.

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

19 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.”

And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Why has Jehovah our God done all these things to us? Then thou shall say to them, Just as ye have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so ye shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

20 Announce this to the people of Jacob and Judah:

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

21 Listen to this, you foolish, stupid people, who have eyes but don't see, who have ears but don't hear.

Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding, who have eyes, and see not, who have ears, and hear not:

22 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.

Do ye not fear me? says Jehovah. Will ye not tremble at my presence, who 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 they cannot prevail, though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.

23 But you people have a stubborn and rebellious attitude. You have left me and gone your own way.

But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart. They have revolted and gone.

24 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.”

Neither do they say in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah 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 wrong actions have taken these benefits from you; your sins have deprived you of my blessings.

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

26 For there are wicked men among my people. They're like bird-trappers, secretly watching and waiting to catch people in their snare.

For among my people are found wicked men. They watch as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap; they catch men.

27 Their homes are full of their ill-gotten gains, like cages full of birds. That's why they've become powerful and rich.

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

28 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.

They have grown fat. They shine. Yea, they overflow in deeds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper. And they do not judge the right of the needy.

29 Shouldn't I punish them for all this? declares the Lord. Shouldn't I retaliate for what this nation has done?

Shall I not visit for these things? says Jehovah. Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 Something horrible, something terrible has happened here in this country.

An astonishing and horrible thing has come to pass in the land.

31 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?

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?