Amplified Bible (AMP)

Jeremiah’s Call and Commission

1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, [one] of the priests who were inAnathoth in the land of Benjamin,

2 to whom the word of the Lordcame during the thirteenth year (627b.c.) of the reign of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

3 It came [to Jeremiah] also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, [continuing] until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, [and continuing] until the exile of [the people of] Jerusalem in the fifth month (July-August, 586b.c.).

4 Now the word of the Lordcame to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument],

And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own];

I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God!

Behold, I do not know how to speak,

For I am [only] a young man.”

7 But the Lordsaid to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am [only] a young man,’

Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,

And whatever I command you, you shall speak.

8 “Do not be afraid of them [or their hostile faces],

For I am with you [always] to protect youanddeliver you,” says the Lord.

9 Then the Lordstretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lordsaid to me,

“Behold (hear Me), I have put My words in your mouth.

10 “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,

To uproot and break down,

To destroy and to overthrow,

To build and to plant.”

The Almond Branch and Boiling Pot

11 The word of the Lordcame to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see the branch of analmond tree.”

12 Then the Lordsaid to me, “You have seen well, for I am [actively] watching over My word to fulfill it.”

13 The word of the Lordcame to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north [its mouth about to pour out on the south, on Judea].”

14 Then the Lordsaid to me, “Out of the north the evil [which the prophets foretold as the result of national sin] will reveal itselfandspill out on all the people of the land.

15 For, behold, I will call all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north,” says the Lord; “and they will come and each one will set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its surrounding walls, and against all the cities of Judah [as My judicial act, the consequence of Judah’s deliberate disobedience].

16 I will speak My judgments against them for all the wickedness of those who have abandoned (rejected) Me, offered sacrificesorburned incense to other gods, and worshiped the [idolatrous] works of their own hands.

17 But you [Jeremiah],gird up your loins [in preparation]! Get up and tell them all which I command you. Do not be distraughtandbreak down at the sight of their [hostile] faces, or I will bewilder you before themandallow you to be overcome.

18 Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like an iron pillar and like bronze walls against the whole land–against the [successive] kings of Judah, against its leaders, against its priests, and against the people of the land [giving you divine strength which no hostile power can overcome].

19 They will fight against you, but they will not [ultimately] prevail over you, for I am with you [always] to protect youanddeliver you,” says the Lord.

Judah’s Apostasy

1 Now the word of the Lordcame to me saying,

2 “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord,

“I remember [earnestly] the lovingkindnessanddevotion ofyour youth,

Your time of betrothal [like that of a bride during the early years in Egypt and again at Sinai],

When you followed Me in the wilderness,

Through a land not sown.

3 “Israel was holy [something set apart from ordinary purposes, consecrated] to the Lord,

The first fruits of His harvest [in which no outsider was allowed to share].

All who ate of it [injuring Israel] became guilty;

Evil came on them,” says the Lord.’”

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.

5 Thus says the Lord,

“What injusticeorunrighteousness did your fathers find in Me,

That they have wandered far from Me

And [habitually] walked after emptinessandfutility and became empty?

6 “They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord

Who brought us up from the land of Egypt,

Who led us through the wilderness,

Through a land of deserts and of pits,

Through a land of drought and of the deep darkness [of the shadow of death],

Through a land that no man passed through

And where no man lived?’

7 “I brought you into a plentiful land

To eat its fruit and [enjoy] its good things.

But you came and defiled My land

And you made My inheritance repulsive.

8 “[Even] the priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’

And those who deal with the law [given to Moses] did not know Me.

The rulersandshepherds also transgressed against Me,

And the prophets prophesied by [the authority and in the name of] Baal

And walked after [idolatrous] things that did not benefit [them].

9 “Therefore I will still contend (struggle) with you [by bringing judgment on you],” says the Lord,

“And I will contend with your children’s children.”

10 “For cross over to the coasts of Kittim (Cyprus) [to the west] and see,

Send also to Kedar (Arabia) [to the east] and carefully observeandconsider

And see whether there has been such [a thing] as this!

11 “Has a nation [ever] changed gods

Even though they were not gods [but merely man-made objects]?

But My people have exchanged their Glory (the true God)

For that [man-made idol] which does not benefit [them].

12 “Be appalled, O heavens, at this;

Be shockedandshudder with horror [at the behavior of the people],” says the Lord.

13 “For My people have committed two evils:

They have abandoned (rejected) Me,

The fountain of living water,

And they have carved out their own cisterns,

Broken cisterns

That cannot hold water.

14 “Is Israel a servant? Is he a slave by birth?

Why has he become a captiveanda prey?

15 “The young lions have roared at him,

They have made their voices heardandroared loudly.

And they have made his land a waste;

His cities have been destroyed and are burned ruins, without inhabitant.

16 “Moreover, the men ofMemphis andTahpanhes [as powerful enemies]

Have shaved the crown of your head [to degrade you].

17 “Have you not brought this on yourself

By abandoning (rejecting) the Lordyour God

When He led you in the way?

18 “Now what are you doing by going to Egypt [in search of an ally],

To drink the [muddy] waters of the Nile?

Or what are you doing by going to Assyria [in search of an ally],

To drink the [muddy] waters of the Euphrates?

19 “Your own wickedness will discipline you,

And your desertion of the faith will punish you.

Know therefore that it is an evil and bitter thing

For you to abandon (reject) the Lordyour God,

And for you to be indifferent to Meanddismiss the [reverent] fear of Me,” says the Lord Godof hosts.

20 “For long ago you broke your yoke [in deliberate disobedience]

And tore off your bonds [of the law that I gave you];

You said, ‘I will not serveandobey You!’

For on every high hill

And under every green tree

You have lain down [in idolatrous worship] like a [compliant] prostitute.

21 “Yet I had planted you [O house of Israel as] a choice vine,

A completely faithful seed.

How then have you turned against Me

Into degenerate shoots of a foreignandwild vine [alien to Me]?

22 “For though you wash yourself with lye

And use much soap,

The stain of your guilt is [still] before Me [and you are soiled and dirty],” says the Lord God.

23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,

I have not gone after [man-made gods like] the Baals’?

Look at your way in the valley;

Know [without any doubt] what you have done!

You are a swiftandrestless young [female] camel [in the heat of her passion] running here and there,

24 Or [you have the untamed and reckless nature of] a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,

That sniffs the wind in her passion [for the scent of a mate].

In her mating season who can restrain her?

No males seeking her need to weary themselves;

In her month they will find her [looking for them].

25 “[Cease your mad running after idols to]

Keep your feet from becoming bare

And your throat from becoming dry;

But you said, ‘It is hopeless!

For I have loved strangersandforeign gods,

And I will walk after them.’

26 “As the thief is shamed when he is caught,

So the house of Israel is shamed–

They, their kings, their leaders,

Their priests, and their prophets–

27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’

And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’

For they have turned their backs to Me,

And not their faces;

But in the time of their trouble they will say,

‘Arise [O Lord] and save us.’

28 “But where are your gods

Which you made for yourself?

Let them get up, if they can save you

In the time of your trouble!

For [as many as] the number of your cities

Are your gods, O Judah. [Why do not your many man-made idols run to help you?]

29 “Why do you complainandcontend with Me?

You have all rebelled (transgressed) against Me,” says the Lord.

30 “In vain I have punished your people [with the consequences of their disobedience];

They received no insight from correction [and refused to change].

Your [own] sword has devoured your prophets

Like a destroying lion.

31 “O generation [that you are], considerandregard carefully the word of the Lord.

Have I been a wilderness to Israel [like a land without food],

A land of thickanddeep darkness [like a path without light]?

Why do My people say, ‘We [have broken loose and we] arefree toroam [at will];

We will no longer come to You’?

32 “Can a virgin forget [to wear] her ornaments,

Or a bride her attire [that identifies her as a married woman]?

Yet My people have forgotten Me

Days without number.

33 “How well you prepare your path

To seekandobtain [adulterous] love!

Even the most wicked of women

Have learned [indecent] ways from you.

34 “Also on your skirts is found

The lifeblood of the innocent poor;

You did not find them breaking in [a house].

But in spite of all these things [your disobedience, your love of idolatry, your lack of compassion]–

35 Yet you keep saying, ‘I am innocent;

Surely His anger has turned away from me.’

Behold (listen very carefully), I will bring you to judgmentandwill plead my case against you

Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

36 “Why do you go aroundandwander so much

Changing your way?

Also, you will be shamed by Egypt

As you were shamed by Assyria.

37 “From Egypt also you will come away [as captives]

With your hands on your head;

For the Lordhas rejected those in whom you trust (confide),

And you will not be successful with them.”

The Polluted Land

1 That is to say, “If a man divorces his wife

And she goes [away] from him

And becomes another man’s [wife],

Will he return to her again? [Of course not!]

Will not that land [where such a thing happened] be completely desecrated?

But you [rebelled against Me and you] are a prostitute with many lovers;

Yet you turn to Me.” says the Lord.

2 “Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see;

Where have you not been violated?

You sat by the road waiting [eagerly] for them [those man-made gods]

Like an Arab [tribesman who waits to attack] in the desert,

And you have desecrated the land

With your [vile] prostitution and your wickedness (disobedience to God).

3 “Therefore the showers have been withheld,

And there has been no spring rain.

Yet you have the forehead (appearance) of a prostitute;

You refuse to be ashamed.

4 “Will you not just now call out to Me,

‘My Father, you were the guideandcompanion of my youth?

5 ‘Will He be angry forever?

Will He be indignant to the end?’

Behold, you have spoken,

And you have done all the evil things [you could],

And you have had your wayandhave carried out your wickedness.”

Faithless Israel

6 Moreover, the Lordsaid to me in the days of Josiah the king [of Judah], “Have you seen what that faithless Israel has done–how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there she was a prostitute?

7 I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous (faithless) sister Judah saw it.

8 And I saw [that even though Judah knew] that for all the acts of adultery (idolatry) of faithless Israel, I [the Lord] hadsent her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet her treacherous sisterJudah was not afraid; but she went and was a prostitute also [following after idols].

9 Because of the thoughtlessness of Israel’s prostitution [her immorality mattered little to her], she desecrated the land and committed adultery with [idols of] stones and trees.

10 Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but rather in [blatant] deception [she merely pretended obedience to King Josiah’s reforms],” declares the Lord.

God Invites Repentance

11 And the Lordsaid to me, “Faithless Israel has proved herself less guilty than treacherous Judah [a land of renegades].

12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north [where the ten tribes have been taken as captives] and say,

‘Return, faithless Israel,’ says the Lord;

‘I will notlook on you in anger.

For I am graciousandmerciful,’ says the Lord;

‘I will not be angry forever.

13 ‘Only understand fullyandacknowledge your wickednessandguilt,

That you have rebelled (transgressed) against the Lordyour God

And have scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree,

And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord.

14 ‘Return, O faithless children [of the twelve tribes],’ says the Lord,

‘For I am a masterandhusband to you,

And I will take you [not as a nation, but individually]–one from a city and two from a [tribal] family–

And I will bring you to Zion.’

15 “Then [in the final time] I will give you [spiritual] shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and [true] understanding.

16 It will be in those days when you have [repented and] multiplied and increased in the land,” says the Lord, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will not come to mind, nor will they [seriously] remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again [for instead of the ark, which symbolized My presence, I will be present].

17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name (renown) of the Lord; and they will not walk anymore after the stubbornness of their [own] evil heart.

18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, andthey will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.

19 “Then I said,

‘How [gloriously and honorably] I would set you among My children

And give you a pleasant land–a wonderful heritage,

The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!’

And I said, ‘You shall call Me, My Father

And not turn away from following Me.’

20 “Surely, as a wife treacherously (unfaithfully) leaves her husband,

So you have dealt treacherously with Me,

O house of Israel,” says the Lord.

21 A voice is heard on the barren heights,

The weeping and pleading of the children of Israel,

Because they have lost their way,

They have [deliberately] forgotten the Lordtheir God.

22 “Return, O faithless sons,” [says the Lord],

“I will heal your unfaithfulness.”

[They answer] “Behold, we come to You,

For You are the Lordour God.

23 “Truly, [the hope of salvation from] the hill [where idols are worshiped] is a deception,

A tumultandnoisy multitude on the mountains;

Truly in the Lordour God

Is the salvation of Israel.

24 “But the shameful act [of idolatry] has consumed the labor of our fathers since our youth–their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonorandhumiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the Lordour God, we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the Lordour God.”

Judah Threatened with Invasion

1 “If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord,

“If you will return to Me,

And if you will put away your detestable thingsandremove your man-made gods from My sight,

And not strayorwaver,

2 And if you swear [your oaths], ‘As the Lordlives,’

In truth, in justice, and in righteousness,

Then the nations will bless themselves in Him,

And in Him they will glory.”

3 For this is what the Lordsays to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,

“Plow your uncultivated ground [for a season],

And do not sow among thorns.

4 “Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the Lord

And remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart,

Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,

Or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way]

And burn and there will be no one to quench it,

Because of the evil of your acts.”

5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,

“Blow the trumpet in the land;

Cry aloud and say,

‘Assemble yourselves, and let us go

Into the fortified cities.’

6 “Raise a banner toward Zion [to mark the way for those seeking safety inside Jerusalem’s walls]!

Seek refuge, do not stand [immobile],

For I am bringing evil from the north (the army of Babylon),

And great destruction.

7 “A lion has left his lair,

And a destroyer of nations is on his way.

He has gone out from his place

To desolate your land;

Your cities will be in ruins

Without an inhabitant.

8 “For this reason, put on sackcloth [for mourning],

Lament (mourn with expressions of grief for the dead) and wail,

For the fierce anger of the Lord

Has not turned back from us.”

9 “It shall come about in that day,” says the Lord, “that the heartandcourage of the king will fail (be paralyzed), and also the heart of the princes; the priests will be appalled and the prophets will be astoundedandhorrified.”

10 Then I said, “Alas, Lord God! Surely You have completely deceivedandmisled this people and Jerusalem, [for the prophets represented You as] saying [to Your people], ‘You will have peace,’ but [in fact] a sword reaches to their throat.”

11 In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the barren heights in the wilderness [comes at My command] against the daughter of My people–not [a wind] to winnow and not to cleanse [from chaff, as when threshing, but]

12 a wind too strongandfull for this comes at My word. Now I will also speak judgment against My people.”

13 “Behold, the enemy comes up like clouds,

His chariots like the whirlwind;

His horses are swifter than eagles.

Woe (judgment is coming) to us, for we are ruined!”

14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness,

That you may be saved.

How long will your wickedandimmoral thoughts

Lodge within you?

15 For a voice declares from Dan [far in the north],

And proclaims evil fromMount Ephraim.

16 “Warn the [neighboring] nations now [that our enemy is coming]!

Announce to Jerusalem,

‘Besiegers are coming from a far country,

And they lift their voicesandshout against the cities of Judah.

17 ‘Like watchmen of a field they are against her on all sides,

Because she has rebelled against Me,’ says the Lord.

18 “Your ways and your deeds

Have brought these things on you.

This is your tragedyanddoom; how bitter,

How it has touched your heart!”

Lament over Judah’s Devastation

19 My soul, my soul! I writhe in anguishandpain! Oh, the walls of my heart!

My heart is poundingandthrobbing within me;

I cannot be silent,

For you have heard, O my soul,

The sound of the trumpet,

The alarm of war.

20 News of one [terrible] disaster comes close after another,

For the whole land is devastated;

Suddenly my tents are spoiledanddestroyed,

My [tent] curtains [ruined] in a moment.

21 How long [O Lord] must I see the banner [marking the way for flight]

And hear the sound of the trumpet [urging the people to run for safety]?

22 “For My people are stupidandfoolish,” [says the Lordto Jeremiah];

“They do not know Me;

They are foolish children

And have no understanding.

They are shrewd [enough] to do evil,

But they do not know [how] to do good.”

23 I looked at the earth [in my vision], and behold, it was [as at the time of creation] formless and void;

And to the heavens, and they had no light.

24 I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were trembling,

And all the hills moved back and forth.

25 I looked, and behold, there was no man,

And all the birds of the air had fled.

26 I looked, and behold, the fertile land was a wilderness,

And all its cities were pulled down

Before the [presence of the] Lord, before His fierce anger.

27 Therefore says the Lord,

“The whole land shall be a desolation,

Yet I will not cause total destruction.

28 “For this reason the earth shall mourn

And the heavens above shall become dark,

Because I have spoken, I have decided,

And I will not change my mind (relent), nor will I turn back from it.”

29 Every city runs away at the sound of the horsemen and archers.

They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks;

Every city is deserted,

And no man lives in them.

30 And you, O desolate one, what will you do?

Though you clothe yourself in scarlet,

Though you adornyourself withornaments of gold,

Though you enlarge your eyes with paint,

You make yourself beautiful in vain.

Your lovers (allies) despise you;

They seek your life.

31 For I heard a cry like a woman in labor,

The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child,

The cry of the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem), who gasps for breath,

Who stretches out her hands, saying,

“Woe is me [my judgment comes]! I faint [in fear] before the murderers.”

Jerusalem’s Godlessness

1 “Roam back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem,

And look now and take note.

And look in her open squares

To seeif you can find a man [as Abraham sought in Sodom],

One who is just, who [has integrity and moral courage and] seeks truth (faithfulness);

Then I will pardon Jerusalem–[for the sake of one uncompromisingly righteous person].

2 “And though they say, ‘As the Lordlives,’

Surely they swear [their oaths] falsely.”

3 O Lord, do not Your eyes look for truth?

You [have seen their faithless heart and] have stricken them,

But they did not weaken;

You have consumed them,

But they refused to take correctionorinstruction.

They have made their faces harder than rock;

They have refused to repentandreturn to You.

4 Then I said, “[Surely] these are only the poor (uneducated);

They are [sinfully] foolishandhave no [spiritual] understanding,

For they do not know the way of the Lord

Or the ordinance of their God [and the requirements of His just and righteous law].

5 “I will go to the great [men]

And speak to them,

For they [must] know the way of the Lord,

The ordinance of their God.”

But [I found the reverse to be true, that] they too had all alike broken the yoke [of God’s law]

And had burst the bonds [of obedience to Him].

6 Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them,

A wolf of the deserts will destroy them,

A leopard is watching their cities.

Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,

Because their transgressions are many,

Their desertions of faith are countless.

7 “Why should I [overlook these offenses and] forgive you?

Your children have abandoned (rejected) Me

And sworn [their oaths] by those who are not gods.

When I had fed them until they were full [and bound them to Me by a promise],

They committed [spiritual] adultery,

Assembling in troops at the houses of prostitutes (idols).

8 “They were like well-fed, lusty stallions,

Each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife.

9 “Shall I not punish them [for these things]?” says the Lord;

“Shall I not avenge Myself

On a nation such as this?”

10 “Go up through the rows of Jerusalem’s vineyards and destroy [them],

But do not completely destroyeverything.

Strip away her branchesandthe tendrils [of her vines],

For they are not the Lord’s.

11 “For the house of Israel and the house of Judah

Have dealt very treacherously (faithlessly) with Me,” declares the Lord.

12 They have lied aboutanddenied the Lord

By saying, “It is not He [who speaks through His prophets];

Misfortuneandevil shall not come on us,

Nor will we see war or famine.

13 “The prophets are like thewind [their prophecy will not come to pass],

And the word [of God] is not in them.

In this manner it will be done to them [as they prophesied, not to us].”

Judgment Proclaimed

14 Therefore, thus says the LordGod of hosts,

“Because you [people] have spoken this word,

Behold, I am making My words a fire in your mouth [Jeremiah]

And this people wood, and My words will consume them.

15 “Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from far away, O house of Israel,” says the Lord.

“It is a mightyandenduring nation,

It is an ancient nation,

A nation whose language you do not know,

Whose words you do not comprehend.

16 “Their quiver is [filled with the dead] like an open grave;

They are all mighty men [heroes of their nation].

17 “They will consume your harvest and [eat up] your bread;

They will consume your sons and your daughters;

They will consume your flocks and your herds;

They will consume your vines and your fig trees.

With the sword they will break downanddemolish your fortified cities in which you trust.

18 “But even in those days,” says the Lord, “I will not totally destroy you.

19 It will come about when your people say, ‘Why has the Lordour God done all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘As you have abandoned (rejected) Me,’ [says the Lord,] ‘and have served strangeandforeign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’

20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob

And proclaim it in Judah, saying:

21 ‘Now hear this, O foolish people without heart,

Who have eyes but do not see,

Who have ears but do not hear.

22 ‘Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord.

‘Do you not tremble [in awe] in My presence?

For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,

An eternal decreeanda perpetual barrier beyond which it cannot pass.

Though the waves [of the sea] tossandbreak, yet they cannot prevail [against the sand ordained to hold them back];

Though the wavesandthe billows roar, yet they cannot cross over [the barrier].

[Is not such a God to be feared?]

23 ‘But this people has a stubborn heart and a rebellious will [that draws them away from Me];

They have turned away and have gone [into idolatry].

24 ‘They do not say in their heart,

“Let us now fearandworship the Lordour God [with profound awe and reverence],

Who gives rain in its season,

Both the autumn and the spring rain,

Who keeps for us

The appointed weeks of the harvest.”

25 ‘Your wickedness has turned these [blessings] away,

And your sins have withheld good [harvests] from you.

26 ‘For wicked men are found among My people,

They watch like fowlers who lie in wait;

They set a trap,

They catch men.

27 ‘As a cage is full of birds,

So are their houses full of deceitandtreachery;

Therefore they have become influential and rich.

28 ‘They are fat and they are sleek (prosperous),

Theyexcel in acts of wickedness;

They do not plead the cause,

The cause of the orphan, so that they [the wicked] may prosper,

And they do not defend the rights of the poor.

29 ‘Shall I not punish them [for these things]?’ says the Lord.

‘Shall I not avenge Myself

On such a nation as this?’

30 “An appalling and horrible thing [bringing desolation and destruction]

Has come to pass in the land:

31 The prophets prophesy falsely,

And the priests ruleon their own authority;

And My people love [to have] it so!

But what will you do when the end comes?

Destruction of Jerusalem Impending

1 “Run for safety, you children of Benjamin,

Out of the midst of Jerusalem!

And blow a trumpet in Tekoa [in Judah]

And raise a signal-fire in Beth-haccherem [near Jerusalem];

For evil is looking down [with eager anticipation] from the north,

And great destruction.

2 “I will destroy the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem), the lovely and delicate one [so like a luxurious pasture].

3 “Shepherds with their flocks will come against her;

They will pitch their tents all around her;

They will pasture, each one in his place [eating up all her rich grasses].

4 “[They shout], ‘Prepare for war against her;

Arise, let us [take her by surprise and] attack her at noon.

But alas, the daylight pales,

The evening shadows grow long.

5 ‘Arise, let us [awaken to] attack her at night

And destroy her [fortified] palaces!’”

6 For the Lordof hosts has said,

“Cut down her trees

And build a siege [mound] against Jerusalem.

This is the city which must be punished;

There is nothing but oppression inside her [walls].

7 “As a fountain springs upandpours out its fresh waters,

So she [continually] pours out her fresh wickedness.

Violence and destruction are heard inside her [walls];

Sickness and wounds are always before Me.

8 “Be wiseandbe warned, O Jerusalem,

Or I will be alienated from you,

And make you a desolation,

An uninhabited land.”

9 Thus says the Lordof hosts,

“They will thoroughly gather like [fruit on] a vine what is left of Israel;

Pass your hand [over the vine] againandagain [Babylon, tool of destruction] like a grape gatherer,

Over the branches [stripping the tendrils off the vine].”

10 To whom shall I (Jeremiah) speak and give warning

That they may hear?

Behold, their ears areclosed [absolutely deaf to God]

And they cannot listen.

Behold, the word of the Lordhas become a reprimandandan object of scorn to them;

They have no delight in it.

11 But I am full of the wrath (judgment) of the Lord;

I am tired of restraining it.

“[I will] pour it out on the children in the street

And on the young men gathered together;

For both the husband and wife shall be taken,

The aged and the very old [though full of days they are not exempt from judgment].

12 “Their houses shall be turned over to others,

Their fields and their wives together;

For I will stretch out My hand

Against the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord.

13 “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them,

Everyone is greedy for [unfair] gain;

And from the prophet even to the priest

Everyone deals deceitfully.

14 “They have treated superficially the [bloody] broken wound of My people,

Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’

When there is no peace.

15 “Were they ashamed because they had committed disgustingandvile things?

No, they were not at all ashamed;

They did not even know how to blush [at their idolatry].

Therefore they will fall among those who fall;

At the time that I punish them

They will be overthrown,” says the Lord.

16 Thus says the Lord,

“Stand by the roads and look; ask for the ancient paths,

Where the good way is; then walk in it,

And you will find rest for your souls.

But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’

17 “I have set watchmen (prophets) over you,

Saying, ‘Listenandpay attention to the [warning] sound of the trumpet!’

But they said, ‘We will not listen.’

18 “Therefore hear, O [Gentile] nations,

And see, O congregation, what [vengeful act] is to be done to them.

19 “Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people,

The fruit of their schemes,

Because they have not listenedandpaid attention to My words,

And as for My law, they have rejected it also.

20 “For what purpose does frankincense come to Me fromSheba

And the sweet cane from a distant land?

Your burnt offerings are not acceptable

And your sacrifices are not sweetandpleasing to Me.”

21 Therefore, thus says the Lord,

“Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people.

The fathers and the sons together

Will stumble against them;

The neighbor and his friend will perish.”

The Enemy from the North

22 Thus says the Lord,

“Behold, a people is coming from the north country,

And a great nation shall be stirred upandput into action from the remote parts of the earth.

23 “They seize bow and spear;

They are cruelandinhuman and have no mercy.

Their voice sounds like the roaring sea;

They ride [in formation] on horses,

Arrayed as a man for battle

Against you, O Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem)!”

24 We have heard the report of it;

Our hands become limpandhelpless.

Anguish has gripped us,

Pain like that of a woman in childbirth.

25 Do not go out into the field

Nor walk on the road,

For the enemy is armed with the sword;

Terror is on every side.

26 O daughter of my people [says Jeremiah],

Clothe yourself in sackcloth and wallow in ashes;

Mourn [aloud] as for an only son,

A most bitter cry [of sorrow and regret],

For suddenly the destroyer will come upon us [on both prophet and people].

27 “I [the Lord] have set you as an assayer [O Jeremiah] and as a tester [of the ore] of My people,

That you may know and analyze their acts.”

28 They are all the worst [kind] of [stiff-necked, godless] rebels,

Going around spreading slander.

They are [not gold and silver ore, but] bronze and iron;

They are all corrupt.

29 The bellows blow fiercely,

The lead is consumed by the fire;

In vain they continue refining,

But the wicked are not separatedandremoved.

30 They call them rejected silver [only dross, without value],

Because the Lordhas rejected them.

Message at the Temple Gate

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

2 “Stand in the gate of the Lord’shouse and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter by these gates to worship the Lord.’”

3 Thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, “Change your ways and your behavior, and I will let you live in this place.

4 Do not trust in the deceptiveandlying words [of the false prophets who claim that Jerusalem will be protected by God because of the temple], saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’

5 For if you thoroughly change your ways and your behavior, if you thoroughlyandhonestly practice justice between a man and his neighbor,

6 if you do not oppress the transientandthe foreigner, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood [by oppression and by unjust judicial murders] in Jerusalem, nor follow after other gods to your own ruin,

7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers [to live in] forever and ever.

8 “Behold, you are trusting in deceptiveanduseless words that bring no benefit.

9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear [oaths] falsely, offer sacrificesorburn incense to Baal, and follow after other gods that you have not known,

10 and [then dare to] come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by MyName, and say, ‘We are protectedandset free [by this act of religious ritual]!’–only to go on with this wickednessandthese disgusting and loathsome things?

11 Has this house, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes [a place of retreat for you between acts of violence]? Behold, I Myself have seen it,” says the Lord.

12 “But go now to My place which was in Shiloh [in Ephraim], where I first set My Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.

13 And now, because you have done all these things,” says the Lord, “and I spoke [persistently] to you, even rising up early and speaking, but you did not listen, and I called you but you did not answer,

14 therefore, I will do to this house (the temple) which is called by My Name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your fathers, just as I did to Shiloh.

15 I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brothers (relatives through Jacob), all the descendants of Ephraim.

16 “Therefore, do not pray for this people [of Judah] or lift up a cry or entreaty for them or make intercession to Me, for I do not hear you.

17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

18 The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for thequeen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods that they may offendandprovoke Me to anger.

19 Do they offendandprovoke Me to anger?” says the Lord. “Is it not themselves [they offend], to their own shame?”

20 Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and [the fire will] not be quenched.”

21 Thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat the meat.

22 For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.

23 But this thing I did command them: ‘Listen toandobey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, so that it may be well with you.’

24 But they did not obey Me or bend their ear [to hear Me], but followed the counsels and the stubbornness of their [own] evil heart (mind), and [they turned and] went backward instead of forward.

25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have [persistently] sent you all My servants the prophets, sending them daily, early [and late].

26 Yet they did not listen to Meandobey Me or bend their ear [to hear Me], but stiffened their neck; they did more evilandbehaved worse than their fathers.

27 “You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall [also] call to them, but they will not answer you.

28 You shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lordtheir God or accept correctionandwarning; truthandfaithfulness have perished and have completely vanished from their mouths.

29 ‘Cut off your hair [your crown, O Jerusalem] and throw it away,

And take up a mournful cry on the barren heights,

For the Lordhas rejected and abandoned

The generation of His wrath.’

30 For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight,” says the Lord; “they have set their disgustingandshamefully vile things in the house which is called by My Name, to defile it.

31 They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom (son of Hinnom), to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire [to honor Molech, the fire god]–which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart (mind).

32 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of the Slaughter, for [in bloody warfare] they will bury [the dead] in Topheth until there is no more room.

33 And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth and no one will frighten them away.

34 Then I will cause the voices of joy and gladness, and the voices of the bridegroom and the bride to vanish from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem; for the land will become a ruin–a wasteland.

The Sin and Treachery of Judah

1 “At that time,” says the Lord, “they [the Babylonian army] will bring out from their graves thebones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2 They will [carelessly scatter and] spread them out before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which the dead have loved and which they have served, and which they have walked after and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered or be buried; they will be likedung on the face of the earth.

3 And death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant of those who remain of this evil family (nation), who remain in all the places to which I have driven them,” says the Lordof hosts.

4 “Moreover [Jeremiah], you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord,

“Do men fall and not rise up again?

Does one turn away [from God] and not repentandreturn [to Him]?

5 “Why then has this people of Jerusalem

Turned away with a perpetual turning away [from Me]?

They hold tightly todeceit (idolatry);

They refuse to repentandreturn [to God].

6 “I have listened and heard,

But they have spoken what is not right;

No man repented of his wickedness,

Saying, ‘What have I done?’

Everyone turns to his [individual] course,

As the horse rushes like a torrent into battle.

7 “Even the stork in the sky

Knows her seasons [of migration],

And the turtledove, the swallow and the crane

Observe the time of their return.

But My people do not know

The law of the Lord.

8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise,

And the law of the Lordis with us [and we are learned in its language and teachings]’?

Behold, [the truth is that] the lying pen of the scribes

Has made the law into a lie [a mere code of ceremonial observances].

9 “The wise men are shamed,

They are dismayed and caught.

Behold, they have [manipulated and] rejected the [truth in the] word of the Lord,

And what kind of wisdomandinsight do they have?

10 “Therefore I will give their wives to others

And their fields to new owners;

Because from the least even to the greatest

Everyone is greedy for [unjust] gain;

From the prophet even to the priest

Everyone practices deceitanddeals in corruption.

11 “For they have treated the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially,

Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’

When there is no peace.

12 “Were they ashamed because of the extremely disgustingandshamefully vile things they had done?

They were not at all ashamed,

And they did not know how to blush.

Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall;

At the time of their punishment they shall be overthrown,”

Says the Lord.

13 “I will gatherandsnatch them away [utterly consuming them],” says the Lord.

“There will be no grapes on the vine,

Nor figs on the fig tree,

And even the leaf will wither;

And the things that I have given them will pass away [by the hand of those whom I have appointed].”’”

14 Why are we sitting still [the people wonder]?

Assemble yourselves, and let us enter the fortified cities

And let us die there,

For the Lordour God has decreed our ruin

And given us bitterandpoisonous water to drink,

Because we have sinned against the Lord.

15 We waited for peaceandsalvation, but no good came,

And for a time of healing, but behold, terror!

16 The snorting of [Nebuchadnezzar’s] horses is heard from Dan [on Palestine’s northern border].

At the sound of the neighing of his strong stallions

The whole land quakes;

For they come and devour the land and all that is in it,

The city and those who live in it.

17 “For behold, I am sending serpents among you,

Vipers which cannot be charmed,

And they will bite you,” says the Lord.

18 Oh, that I (Jeremiah) could find comfort from my sorrow [for my grief is beyond healing],

My heart is sickandfaintwithin me!

19 Behold, [hear the sound of] the cry of the daughter of my people from the distant land [of Babylon]:

“Is not the Lordin Zion? Is not her King within her?”

[But the Lordanswers] “Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images and with foreign idols?”

20 “The harvest is past, the summer has endedandthe gathering of fruit is over,

But we are not saved,” [comes the voice of the people again].

21 For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I (Jeremiah) am broken;

I mourn, anxiety has gripped me.

22 Is there no balm inGilead?

Is there no physician there?

Why then has not the [spiritual] health of the daughter of my people been restored?