Jeremiah 5

1 “Rush about through the streets of Jerusalem; search in her city squares, too. Then look and think about this: If you can find a man or anyone who is acting justly and trying to act faithfully, then I will forgive Jerusalem.

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 Although they say, 'As Yahweh lives,' yet they are swearing falsely.”

And though they say: 'As the LORD liveth', surely they swear falsely.

3 Yahweh, do your eyes not look for faithfulness? You struck the people, but they do not feel pain. You have completely defeated them, but they still refuse to receive discipline. They make their faces harder than rock, for they refuse to repent.

O LORD, are not Thine eyes upon truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they were not affected; 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 So I said, “Surely these are only poor people. They are foolish, for they do not know Yahweh's ways, nor their God's decrees.

And I said: 'Surely these are poor, they are foolish, for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the ordinance of their God;

5 I will go to the important people and declare God's messages to them, for they at least know Yahweh's ways, the decrees of their God.” But they all broke their yoke together; they all tore apart the chains that bound them to God.

I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they know the way of the LORD, and the ordinance of their God.' But these had altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bands.

6 So a lion from a thicket will attack them. A wolf from the Arabah will ruin them. A lurking panther will come against their cities. Anyone who goes outside his city will be torn apart. For their transgressions increase. Their acts of faithlessness are unlimited.

Wherefore a lion out of the forest doth slay them, a wolf of the deserts doth spoil them, a leopard watcheth over their cities, every one that goeth out thence is torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, their backslidings are increased.

7 Why should I pardon these people? Your sons have abandoned me and have made oaths by what are not gods. I fed them fully, but they committed adultery and walked in great numbers to the houses of prostitutes.

Wherefore should I pardon thee? The children have forsaken Me, and sworn by no-gods; and when I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots' houses.

8 They were horses in heat. They roamed about wanting to mate. Each man neighed to his neighbor's wife.

They are become as well-fed horses, lusty stallions; every one neigheth after his neighbour's wife.

9 So should I not punish them—this is Yahweh's declaration— and should I not avenge myself on a nation that is like 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 Go up onto her vineyards' terraces and destroy. But do not bring complete destruction to them. Trim their vines, since those vines do not come from Yahweh.

Go ye up into her rows, and destroy, but make not a full end; take away her shoots; for they are not the LORD'S.

11 For the houses of Israel and Judah have completely betrayed me—this is Yahweh's declaration.

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

12 They have spoken falsely about Yahweh and they said, “He will do nothing; no harm will come upon us, and we will not see sword or famine.

They have belied the LORD, and said: 'It is not He, neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine;

13 The prophets will become wind, the word is not in them, so let what they say be done to them.”

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

14 So Yahweh, the God of hosts says this, “Because you have said this, see, I am about to place my word in your mouth. It will be like a fire, and this people will be like wood! For it will consume 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 am about to bring a nation against you from far away, house of Israel—this is Yahweh's declaration— it is a lasting nation, an ancient nation! It is a nation whose language you do not know, nor will you understand what they say.

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

16 Its quiver is like an open tomb. They are all soldiers.

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

17 So your harvest will be consumed, your sons and daughters also, and your food. They will eat your flocks and cattle; they will eat the fruit from your vines and fig trees. They will beat down with a sword your fortified cities that you trusted in.

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 batter thy fortified cities, wherein thou trusteth, with the sword.

18 But even in those days—this is Yahweh's declaration—I do not intend to destroy you completely.

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

19 When you, Israel and Judah, say, 'Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?' then you, Jeremiah, will say to them, 'Just as you abandoned Yahweh and served foreign gods in your land, so you must also serve strangers in a land that is not your own.'

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 Report this to the house of Jacob and let it be heard in Judah. Say,

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

21 'Hear this, you foolish people who have no understanding; who have eyes but you cannot see, and you have ears but you cannot hear.

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

22 Do you not fear me—this is Yahweh's declaration—or tremble before my face? I have placed a border of sand against the sea, an ongoing decree that it does not violate— even though the sea rises and falls, still it does not violate it. Even though its waves roar, they do not cross 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, an everlasting ordinance, which it cannot pass; 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 has a stubborn heart. It turns away in rebellion and goes away.

But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted, and gone.

24 For they do not say in their hearts, “Let us fear Yahweh our God, the one who brings the rain —the early rain and the late rains—in their right time, keeping the fixed weeks of the harvest for us.”

Neither say they in their heart: 'Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth the former rain, and the latter in due season; that keepeth for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.'

25 Your iniquities kept these things from happening. Your sins have stopped good from coming to you.

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

26 For wicked men are found with my people. They watch as someone crouches to capture birds; they set a trap and catch people.

For among My people are found wicked men; they pry, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men.

27 Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit. So they grow large and become rich.

As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit; therefore they are become great, and waxen rich;

28 They have become fat; they shine with well-being. They crossed over all bounds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause of the people, or the cause of the orphan. They prosper even though they have not given justice to the needy.

They are waxen fat, they are become sleek; yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they might make it to prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

29 Should I not punish them for these things—this is Yahweh's declaration— and will I not take vengeance for myself on a nation like this?

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

30 Atrocities and horrors have occurred in the land.

An appalling and horrible thing is come to pass in the land:

31 The prophets prophesy with deceit, and the priests rule with their own power. My people love it this way, but what will happen in the end?'”

The prophets prophesy in the service of falsehood, and the priests bear rule at their beck; and My people love to have it so; What then will ye do in the end thereof?