Jeremiah 5

1 Run to and from by the streetes of Ierusalem, and beholde nowe, and knowe, and inquire in the open places thereof, if ye can finde a man, or if there be any that executeth iudgement, and seeketh the trueth, and I will spare it.

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in her broad places, if ye can find a man, if there is any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

2 For though they say, The Lord liueth, yet doe they sweare falsely.

And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.

3 O Lord, are not thine eyes vpon the trueth? thou hast striken them, but they haue not sorowed: thou hast consumed them, but they haue refused to receiue correction: they haue made their faces harder then a stone, and haue refused to returne.

O LORD, are not thy eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken 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 Therefore I saide, Surely they are poore, they are foolish, for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the iudgement of their God.

Therefore 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 get me vnto the great men, and will speake vnto them: for they haue knowen the way of the Lord, and the iudgement of their God: but these haue altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bondes.

I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

6 Wherefore a lyon out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolfe of the wildernesse shall destroy them: a leopard shall watch ouer their cities: euery one that goeth out thence, shall be torne in pieces, because their trespasses are many, and their rebellions are increased.

Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out from there shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

7 Howe should I spare thee for this? thy children haue forsaken me, and sworne by them that are no gods: though I fed them to the full, yet they committed adulterie, and assembled them selues by companies in the harlots houses.

How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, then they committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.

8 They rose vp in the morning like fed horses: for euery man neyed after his neighbours wife.

They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.

9 Shall I not visite for these things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this?

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

10 Clime vp vpon their walles, and destroy them, but make not a full ende: take away their batilments, for they are not the Lords.

Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD’S.

11 For the house of Israel, and the house of Iudah haue grieuously trespassed against me, saith the Lord.

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

12 They haue denied the Lord, and saide, It is not he, neither shall the plague come vpon vs, neither shall we see sworde 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 Prophetes shall be as winde, and the worde is not in them: thus shall it come vnto them.

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

14 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hostes, Because ye speake such wordes, beholde, I will put my wordes into thy mouth, like a fire, and this people shall be as wood, and it shall deuoure them.

Therefore thus saith the LORD 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 Loe, I will bring a nation vpon you from farre, O house of Israel, saith the Lord, which is a mightie nation, and an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither vnderstandest 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 Whose quiuer is as an open sepulchre: they are all very strong.

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

17 And they shall eate thine haruest and thy bread: they shall deuoure thy sonnes and thy daughters: they shall eate vp thy sheepe and thy bullocks: they shall eate thy vines and thy figge trees: they shall destroy with the sworde thy fenced cities, wherein thou didest trust.

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 impoverish with the sword thy fortified cities, in which thou didst trust.

18 Neuerthelesse at those dayes, sayth the Lord, I will not make a full ende of you.

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

19 And when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord our God doe these things vnto vs? then shalt thou answere them, Like as ye haue forsaken me and serued strange gods in your land, so shall ye serue strangers in a land that is not yours.

And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Why doeth the LORD our God all these things to us? then shalt thou answer them, As ye have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

20 Declare this in the house of Iaakob, and publish it in Iudah, saying,

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

21 Heare nowe this, O foolish people, and without vnderstanding, which haue eyes and see not, which haue eares and heare not.

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

22 Feare ye not me, saith the Lord? or will ye not be afraide at my presence, which haue placed the sand for the bounds of the sea by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it, and though the waues thereof rage, yet can they not preuaile, though they roare, yet can they not passe ouer it?

Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: 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 its waves toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

23 But this people hath an vnfaithfull and rebellious heart: they are departed and gone.

But this people have a revolting and a rebellious heart; they have revolted and gone.

24 For they say not in their heart, Let vs nowe feare the Lord our God, that giueth raine both early and late in due season: hee reserueth vnto vs the appointed weekes of the haruest.

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: he reserveth to us the appointed weeks of harvest.

25 Yet your iniquities haue turned away these things, and your sinnes haue hindred good things from you.

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

26 For among my people are founde wicked persons, that lay waite as hee that setteth snares: they haue made a pit, to catch men.

For among my people are found wicked men: they lie in wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

27 As a cage is full of birdes, so are their houses full of deceite: thereby they are become great and waxen riche.

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

28 They are waxen fat and shining: they doe ouerpasse the deedes of the wicked: they execute no iudgement, no not the iudgement of the fatherlesse: yet they prosper, though they execute no iudgement for the poore.

They have become fat, they shine: yea, they exceed the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

29 Shall I not visite for these things, sayth the Lord? or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this?

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

30 An horrible and filthie thing is committed in the land.

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

31 The Prophets prophesie lies, and ye Priests receiue giftes in their handes, and my people delite therein. What will ye then doe in the ende 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 its end?