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Jeremiah 5-8
New King James Version
Jeremiah 5-8
New King James Version
The Justice of God’s Judgment
5 “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
(A)If you can find a man,
(B)If there is anyone who executes [a]judgment,
Who seeks the truth,
(C)And I will pardon her.
2 (D)Though they say, ‘As (E)the Lord lives,’
Surely they (F)swear falsely.”
3 O Lord, are not (G)Your eyes on the truth?
You have (H)stricken them,
But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them,
But (I)they have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.
4 Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor.
They are foolish;
For (J)they do not know the way of the Lord,
The judgment of their God.
5 I will go to the great men and speak to them,
For (K)they have known the way of the Lord,
The judgment of their God.”
But these have altogether (L)broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.
6 Therefore (M)a lion from the forest shall slay them,
(N)A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them;
(O)A leopard will watch over their cities.
Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many;
Their backslidings have increased.
7 “How shall I pardon you for this?
Your children have forsaken Me
And (P)sworn by those (Q)that are not gods.
(R)When I had fed them to the full,
Then they committed adultery
And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
8 (S)They were like well-fed lusty stallions;
Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the Lord.
“And shall I not (T)avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10 “Go up on her walls and destroy,
But do not [b]make a (U)complete end.
Take away her branches,
For they are not the Lord’s.
11 For (V)the house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” says the Lord.
12 (W)They have lied about the Lord,
And said, (X)“It is not He.
(Y)Neither will [c]evil come upon us,
Nor shall we see sword or famine.
13 And the prophets become wind,
For the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them.”
14 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts:
“Because you speak this word,
(Z)Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire,
And this people wood,
And it shall devour them.
15 Behold, I will bring a (AA)nation against you (AB)from afar,
O house of Israel,” says the Lord.
“It is a mighty nation,
It is an ancient nation,
A nation whose language you do not know,
Nor can you understand what they say.
16 Their quiver is like an open tomb;
They are all mighty men.
17 And they shall eat up your (AC)harvest and your bread,
Which your sons and daughters should eat.
They shall eat up your flocks and your herds;
They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees;
They shall destroy your fortified cities,
In which you trust, with the sword.
18 “Nevertheless in those days,” says the Lord, “I (AD)will not [d]make a complete end of you. 19 And it will be when you say, (AE)‘Why does the Lord our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have (AF)forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so (AG)you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.’
20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob
And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21 ‘Hear this now, O (AH)foolish people,
Without [e]understanding,
Who have eyes and see not,
And who have ears and hear not:
22 (AI)Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord.
‘Will you not tremble at My presence,
Who have placed the sand as the (AJ)bound of the sea,
By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it?
And though its waves toss to and fro,
Yet they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.
23 But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart;
They have revolted and departed.
24 They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear the Lord our God,
(AK)Who gives rain, both the (AL)former and the latter, in its season.
(AM)He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25 (AN)Your iniquities have turned these things away,
And your sins have withheld good from you.
26 ‘For among My people are found wicked men;
They (AO)lie in wait as one who sets snares;
They set a trap;
They catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit.
Therefore they have become great and grown rich.
28 They have grown (AP)fat, they are sleek;
Yes, they [f]surpass the deeds of the wicked;
They do not plead (AQ)the cause,
The cause of the fatherless;
(AR)Yet they prosper,
And the right of the needy they do not defend.
29 (AS)Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the Lord.
‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’
30 “An astonishing and (AT)horrible thing
Has been committed in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy (AU)falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people (AV)love to have it so.
But what will you do in the end?
Impending Destruction from the North
6 “O you children of Benjamin,
Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
And set up a signal-fire in (AW)Beth Haccerem;
(AX)For disaster appears out of the north,
And great destruction.
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion
To a lovely and delicate woman.
3 The (AY)shepherds with their flocks shall come to her.
They shall pitch their tents against her all around.
Each one shall pasture in his own place.”
4 “Prepare(AZ) war against her;
Arise, and let us go up (BA)at noon.
Woe to us, for the day goes away,
For the shadows of the evening are lengthening.
5 Arise, and let us go by night,
And let us destroy her palaces.”
6 For thus has the Lord of hosts said:
“Cut down trees,
And build a mound against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished.
She is full of oppression in her midst.
7 (BB)As a fountain [g]wells up with water,
So she wells up with her wickedness.
(BC)Violence and plundering are heard in her.
Before Me continually are [h]grief and wounds.
8 Be instructed, O Jerusalem,
Lest (BD)My soul depart from you;
Lest I make you desolate,
A land not inhabited.”
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel;
As a grape-gatherer, put your hand back into the branches.”
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,
That they may hear?
Indeed their (BE)ear is uncircumcised,
And they cannot give heed.
Behold, (BF)the word of the Lord is a reproach to them;
They have no delight in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord.
(BG)I am weary of holding it in.
“I will pour it out (BH)on the children outside,
And on the assembly of young men together;
For even the husband shall be taken with the wife,
The aged with him who is full of days.
12 And (BI)their houses shall be turned over to others,
Fields and wives together;
For I will stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord.
13 “Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is given to (BJ)covetousness;
And from the prophet even to the (BK)priest,
Everyone deals falsely.
14 They have also (BL)healed the [i]hurt of My people [j]slightly,
(BM)Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.
15 Were they (BN)ashamed when they had committed abomination?
No! They were not at all ashamed;
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time I punish them,
They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the (BO)old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find (BP)rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 Also, I set (BQ)watchmen over you, saying,
(BR)‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
18 Therefore hear, you nations,
And know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 (BS)Hear, O earth!
Behold, I will certainly bring (BT)calamity on this people—
(BU)The fruit of their thoughts,
Because they have not heeded My words
Nor My law, but rejected it.
20 (BV)For what purpose to Me
Comes frankincense (BW)from Sheba,
And (BX)sweet cane from a far country?
(BY)Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
Nor your sacrifices sweet to Me.”
21 Therefore thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people,
And the fathers and the sons together shall fall on them.
The neighbor and his friend shall perish.”
22 Thus says the Lord:
“Behold, a people comes from the (BZ)north country,
And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They will lay hold on bow and spear;
They are cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice (CA)roars like the sea;
And they ride on horses,
As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”
24 We have heard the report of it;
Our hands grow feeble.
(CB)Anguish has taken hold of us,
Pain as of a woman in [k]labor.
25 Do not go out into the field,
Nor walk by the way.
Because of the sword of the enemy,
Fear is on every side.
26 O daughter of my people,
(CC)Dress in sackcloth
(CD)And roll about in ashes!
(CE)Make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation;
For the plunderer will suddenly come upon us.
27 “I have set you as an assayer and (CF)a fortress among My people,
That you may know and test their way.
28 (CG)They are all stubborn rebels, (CH)walking as slanderers.
They are (CI)bronze and iron,
They are all corrupters;
29 The bellows blow fiercely,
The lead is consumed by the fire;
The smelter refines in vain,
For the wicked are not drawn off.
30 People will call them (CJ)rejected silver,
Because the Lord has rejected them.”
Trusting in Lying Words(CK)
7 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 (CL)“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!’ ” 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (CM)“Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 (CN)Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’
5 “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly (CO)execute [l]judgment between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, (CP)or walk after other gods to your hurt, 7 (CQ)then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in (CR)the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.
8 “Behold, you trust in (CS)lying words that cannot profit. 9 (CT)Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and (CU)walk after other gods whom you do not know, 10 (CV)and then come and stand before Me in this house (CW)which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? 11 Has (CX)this house, which is called by My name, become a (CY)den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord.
12 “But go now to (CZ)My place which was in Shiloh, (DA)where I set My name at the first, and see (DB)what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these works,” says the Lord, “and I spoke to you, (DC)rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I (DD)called you, but you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to (DE)Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of My sight, (DF)as I have cast out all your brethren—(DG)the whole posterity of Ephraim.
16 “Therefore (DH)do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; (DI)for I will not hear you. 17 Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 (DJ)The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they (DK)pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. 19 (DL)Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the Lord. “Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?”
20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place—on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched.”
21 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (DM)“Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. 22 (DN)For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. 23 But this is what I commanded them, saying, (DO)‘Obey My voice, and (DP)I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ 24 (DQ)Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but (DR)followed[m] the counsels and the [n]dictates of their evil hearts, and (DS)went[o] backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even (DT)sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. 26 (DU)Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but (DV)stiffened their neck. (DW)They did worse than their fathers.
27 “Therefore (DX)you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you.
Judgment on Obscene Religion
28 “So you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God (DY)nor receive correction. (DZ)Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. 29 (EA)Cut off your hair and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the desolate heights; for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.’ 30 For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight,” says the Lord. (EB)“They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to [p]pollute it. 31 And they have built the (EC)high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to (ED)burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, (EE)which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
32 “Therefore behold, (EF)the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when it will no more be called Tophet, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; (EG)for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room. 33 The (EH)corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth. And no one will frighten them away. 34 Then I will cause to (EI)cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. For (EJ)the land shall be desolate.
Jeremiah Mourns for His People
8 “At that time,” says the Lord, “they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves. 2 They shall spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served and after which they have walked, which they have sought and (EK)which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered (EL)nor buried; they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. 3 Then (EM)death shall be chosen rather than life by all the [q]residue of those who remain of this evil family, who remain in all the places where I have driven them,” says the Lord of hosts.
The Peril of False Teaching
4 “Moreover you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“Will they fall and not rise?
Will one turn away and not return?
5 Why has this people (EN)slidden back,
Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding?
(EO)They hold fast to deceit,
(EP)They refuse to return.
6 (EQ)I listened and heard,
But they do not speak aright.
(ER)No man repented of his wickedness,
Saying, ‘What have I done?’
Everyone turned to his own course,
As the horse rushes into the battle.
7 “Even (ES)the stork in the heavens
Knows her appointed times;
And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow
Observe the time of their coming.
But (ET)My people do not know the judgment of the Lord.
8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise,
(EU)And the law of the Lord is with us’?
Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
9 (EV)The wise men are ashamed,
They are dismayed and taken.
Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord;
So (EW)what wisdom do they have?
10 Therefore (EX)I will give their wives to others,
And their fields to those who will inherit them;
Because from the least even to the greatest
Everyone is given to (EY)covetousness;
From the prophet even to the priest
Everyone deals falsely.
11 For they have (EZ)healed the hurt of the daughter of My people [r]slightly,
Saying, (FA)‘Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.
12 Were they (FB)ashamed when they had committed abomination?
No! They were not at all ashamed,
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
In the time of their punishment
They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.
13 “I will surely [s]consume them,” says the Lord.
“No grapes shall be (FC)on the vine,
Nor figs on the (FD)fig tree,
And the leaf shall fade;
And the things I have given them shall (FE)pass away from them.” ’ ”
14 “Why do we sit still?
(FF)Assemble yourselves,
And let us enter the fortified cities,
And let us be silent there.
For the Lord our God has put us to silence
And given us (FG)water[t] of gall to drink,
Because we have sinned against the Lord.
15 “We (FH)looked for peace, but no good came;
And for a time of health, and there was trouble!
16 The snorting of His horses was heard from (FI)Dan.
The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of His (FJ)strong ones;
For they have come and devoured the land and all that is in it,
The city and those who dwell in it.”
17 “For behold, I will send serpents among you,
Vipers which cannot be (FK)charmed,
And they shall bite you,” says the Lord.
The Prophet Mourns for the People
18 I would comfort myself in sorrow;
My heart is faint in me.
19 Listen! The voice,
The cry of the daughter of my people
From (FL)a far country:
“Is not the Lord in Zion?
Is not her King in her?”
“Why have they provoked Me to anger
With their carved images—
With foreign idols?”
20 “The harvest is past,
The summer is ended,
And we are not saved!”
21 (FM)For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt.
I am (FN)mourning;
Astonishment has taken hold of me.
22 Is there no (FO)balm in Gilead,
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no recovery
For the health of the daughter of my people?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 5:1 justice
- Jeremiah 5:10 completely destroy
- Jeremiah 5:12 disaster
- Jeremiah 5:18 completely destroy
- Jeremiah 5:21 Lit. heart
- Jeremiah 5:28 Or pass over or overlook
- Jeremiah 6:7 gushes
- Jeremiah 6:7 sickness
- Jeremiah 6:14 Lit. crushing
- Jeremiah 6:14 Superficially
- Jeremiah 6:24 childbirth
- Jeremiah 7:5 justice
- Jeremiah 7:24 walked in
- Jeremiah 7:24 stubbornness or imagination
- Jeremiah 7:24 Lit. they were
- Jeremiah 7:30 defile
- Jeremiah 8:3 remnant
- Jeremiah 8:11 Superficially
- Jeremiah 8:13 Or take them away
- Jeremiah 8:14 Bitter or poisonous water
Jeremiah 5-8
New International Version
Jeremiah 5-8
New International Version
Not One Is Upright
5 “Go up and down(A) the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,(B)
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(C)
who deals honestly(D) and seeks the truth,
I will forgive(E) this city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(F)
still they are swearing falsely.(G)”
3 Lord, do not your eyes(H) look for truth?
You struck(I) them, but they felt no pain;
you crushed them, but they refused correction.(J)
They made their faces harder than stone(K)
and refused to repent.(L)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
they are foolish,(M)
for they do not know(N) the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
5 So I will go to the leaders(O)
and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds.(P)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest(Q) will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage(R) them,
a leopard(S) will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.(T)
7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me
and sworn(U) by gods that are not gods.(V)
I supplied all their needs,
yet they committed adultery(W)
and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(X)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.(Y)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”(Z)
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(AA) myself
on such a nation as this?
10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
but do not destroy them completely.(AB)
Strip off her branches,
for these people do not belong to the Lord.
11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah
have been utterly unfaithful(AC) to me,”
declares the Lord.
12 They have lied(AD) about the Lord;
they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;(AE)
we will never see sword or famine.(AF)
13 The prophets(AG) are but wind(AH)
and the word is not in them;
so let what they say be done to them.”
14 Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:
“Because the people have spoken these words,
I will make my words in your mouth(AI) a fire(AJ)
and these people the wood it consumes.(AK)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
“I am bringing a distant nation(AL) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
a people whose language(AM) you do not know,
whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers(AN) are like an open grave;
all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour(AO) your harvests and food,
devour(AP) your sons and daughters;
they will devour(AQ) your flocks and herds,
devour your vines and fig trees.(AR)
With the sword(AS) they will destroy
the fortified cities(AT) in which you trust.(AU)
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy(AV) you completely. 19 And when the people ask,(AW) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods(AX) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners(AY) in a land not your own.’
20 “Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
and proclaim(AZ) it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(BA)
who have eyes(BB) but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:(BC)
22 Should you not fear(BD) me?” declares the Lord.
“Should you not tremble(BE) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(BF)
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar,(BG) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(BH) hearts;
they have turned aside(BI) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear(BJ) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(BK) in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(BL)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.(BM)
26 “Among my people are the wicked(BN)
who lie in wait(BO) like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps(BP) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;(BQ)
they have become rich(BR) and powerful
28 and have grown fat(BS) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(BT)
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(BU)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(BV) myself
on such a nation as this?
30 “A horrible(BW) and shocking thing
has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies,(BX)
the priests(BY) rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?(BZ)
Jerusalem Under Siege
6 “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet(CA) in Tekoa!(CB)
Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!(CC)
For disaster looms out of the north,(CD)
even terrible destruction.
2 I will destroy Daughter Zion,(CE)
so beautiful and delicate.(CF)
3 Shepherds(CG) with their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents around(CH) her,
each tending his own portion.”
4 “Prepare for battle against her!
Arise, let us attack at noon!(CI)
But, alas, the daylight is fading,
and the shadows of evening grow long.
5 So arise, let us attack at night
and destroy her fortresses!”
6 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Cut down the trees(CJ)
and build siege ramps(CK) against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
it is filled with oppression.(CL)
7 As a well pours out its water,
so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence(CM) and destruction(CN) resound in her;
her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Take warning, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away(CO) from you
and make your land desolate
so no one can live in it.”
9 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Let them glean the remnant(CP) of Israel
as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
like one gathering grapes.”
10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen(CQ) to me?
Their ears are closed[a](CR)
so they cannot hear.(CS)
The word(CT) of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath(CU) of the Lord,
and I cannot hold it in.(CV)
“Pour it out on the children in the street
and on the young men(CW) gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
and the old, those weighed down with years.(CX)
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,(CY)
together with their fields and their wives,(CZ)
when I stretch out my hand(DA)
against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord.
13 “From the least to the greatest,
all(DB) are greedy for gain;(DC)
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.(DD)
14 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
when there is no peace.(DE)
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.(DF)
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish(DG) them,”
says the Lord.
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,(DH)
ask where the good way(DI) is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest(DJ) for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen(DK) over you and said,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’(DL)
But you said, ‘We will not listen.’(DM)
18 Therefore hear, you nations;
you who are witnesses,
observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth:(DN)
I am bringing disaster(DO) on this people,
the fruit of their schemes,(DP)
because they have not listened to my words(DQ)
and have rejected my law.(DR)
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba(DS)
or sweet calamus(DT) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;(DU)
your sacrifices(DV) do not please me.”(DW)
21 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“I will put obstacles before this people.
Parents and children alike will stumble(DX) over them;
neighbors and friends will perish.”
22 This is what the Lord says:
“Look, an army is coming
from the land of the north;(DY)
a great nation is being stirred up
from the ends of the earth.(DZ)
23 They are armed with bow and spear;
they are cruel and show no mercy.(EA)
They sound like the roaring sea(EB)
as they ride on their horses;(EC)
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, Daughter Zion.(ED)”
24 We have heard reports about them,
and our hands hang limp.(EE)
Anguish(EF) has gripped us,
pain like that of a woman in labor.(EG)
25 Do not go out to the fields
or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
and there is terror on every side.(EH)
26 Put on sackcloth,(EI) my people,
and roll in ashes;(EJ)
mourn with bitter wailing(EK)
as for an only son,(EL)
for suddenly the destroyer(EM)
will come upon us.
27 “I have made you a tester(EN) of metals
and my people the ore,
that you may observe
and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels,(EO)
going about to slander.(EP)
They are bronze and iron;(EQ)
they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely
to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining(ER) goes on in vain;
the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver,(ES)
because the Lord has rejected them.”(ET)
False Religion Worthless
7 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Stand(EU) at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message:
“‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. 3 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways(EV) and your actions, and I will let you live(EW) in this place. 4 Do not trust(EX) in deceptive(EY) words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” 5 If you really change(EZ) your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,(FA) 6 if you do not oppress(FB) the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood(FC) in this place, and if you do not follow other gods(FD) to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land(FE) I gave your ancestors(FF) for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting(FG) in deceptive(FH) words that are worthless.
9 “‘Will you steal(FI) and murder,(FJ) commit adultery(FK) and perjury,[b](FL) burn incense to Baal(FM) and follow other gods(FN) you have not known, 10 and then come and stand(FO) before me in this house,(FP) which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?(FQ) 11 Has this house,(FR) which bears my Name, become a den of robbers(FS) to you? But I have been watching!(FT) declares the Lord.
12 “‘Go now to the place in Shiloh(FU) where I first made a dwelling(FV) for my Name,(FW) and see what I did(FX) to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke(FY) to you again and again,(FZ) but you did not listen;(GA) I called(GB) you, but you did not answer.(GC) 14 Therefore, what I did to Shiloh(GD) I will now do to the house that bears my Name,(GE) the temple(GF) you trust in, the place I gave to you and your ancestors. 15 I will thrust you from my presence,(GG) just as I did all your fellow Israelites, the people of Ephraim.’(GH)
16 “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea(GI) or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen(GJ) to you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven.(GK) They pour out drink offerings(GL) to other gods to arouse(GM) my anger. 19 But am I the one they are provoking?(GN) declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?(GO)
20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign(GP) Lord says: My anger(GQ) and my wrath will be poured(GR) out on this place—on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land—and it will burn and not be quenched.(GS)
21 “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices(GT) and eat(GU) the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands(GV) about burnt offerings and sacrifices,(GW) 23 but I gave them this command:(GX) Obey(GY) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.(GZ) Walk in obedience to all(HA) I command you, that it may go well(HB) with you. 24 But they did not listen(HC) or pay attention;(HD) instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.(HE) They went backward(HF) and not forward. 25 From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again(HG) I sent you my servants(HH) the prophets.(HI) 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention.(HJ) They were stiff-necked(HK) and did more evil than their ancestors.’(HL)
27 “When you tell(HM) them all this, they will not listen(HN) to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.(HO) 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction.(HP) Truth(HQ) has perished; it has vanished from their lips.
29 “‘Cut off(HR) your hair and throw it away; take up a lament(HS) on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned(HT) this generation that is under his wrath.
The Valley of Slaughter
30 “‘The people of Judah have done evil(HU) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols(HV) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled(HW) it. 31 They have built the high places of Topheth(HX) in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(HY) to burn their sons and daughters(HZ) in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.(IA) 32 So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter,(IB) for they will bury(IC) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. 33 Then the carcasses(ID) of this people will become food(IE) for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.(IF) 34 I will bring an end to the sounds(IG) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom(IH) in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,(II) for the land will become desolate.(IJ)
8 “‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones(IK) of the people of Jerusalem will be removed(IL) from their graves. 2 They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served(IM) and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.(IN) They will not be gathered up or buried,(IO) but will be like dung lying on the ground.(IP) 3 Wherever I banish them,(IQ) all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life,(IR) declares the Lord Almighty.’
Sin and Punishment
4 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘When people fall down, do they not get up?(IS)
When someone turns away,(IT) do they not return?
5 Why then have these people turned away?
Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;(IU)
they refuse to return.(IV)
6 I have listened(IW) attentively,
but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent(IX) of their wickedness,
saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course(IY)
like a horse charging into battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know(IZ)
the requirements of the Lord.
8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise,
for we have the law(JA) of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?
9 The wise(JB) will be put to shame;
they will be dismayed(JC) and trapped.(JD)
Since they have rejected the word(JE) of the Lord,
what kind of wisdom(JF) do they have?
10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.(JG)
From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;(JH)
prophets(JI) and priests alike,
all practice deceit.(JJ)
11 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
when there is no peace.(JK)
12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame(JL) at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when they are punished,(JM)
says the Lord.(JN)
13 “‘I will take away their harvest,
declares the Lord.
There will be no grapes on the vine.(JO)
There will be no figs(JP) on the tree,
and their leaves will wither.(JQ)
What I have given them
will be taken(JR) from them.[c]’”
14 Why are we sitting here?
Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities(JS)
and perish there!
For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish
and given us poisoned water(JT) to drink,
because we have sinned(JU) against him.
15 We hoped for peace(JV)
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.(JW)
16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses(JX)
is heard from Dan;(JY)
at the neighing of their stallions
the whole land trembles.(JZ)
They have come to devour(KA)
the land and everything in it,
the city and all who live there.
17 “See, I will send venomous snakes(KB) among you,
vipers that cannot be charmed,(KC)
and they will bite you,”
declares the Lord.
18 You who are my Comforter[d] in sorrow,
my heart is faint(KD) within me.
19 Listen to the cry of my people
from a land far away:(KE)
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
Is her King(KF) no longer there?”
20 “The harvest is past,
the summer has ended,
and we are not saved.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 6:10 Hebrew uncircumcised
- Jeremiah 7:9 Or and swear by false gods
- Jeremiah 8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Jeremiah 8:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.