Jeremiah 2

The Lord’s Case against His People

1The Lord gave me another message. He said, 2“Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says:

“I remember how eager you were to please me

as a young bride long ago,

how you loved me and followed me

even through the barren wilderness.

3In those days Israel was holy to the Lord,

the first of his children.*2:3 Hebrew the firstfruits of his harvest.

All who harmed his people were declared guilty,

and disaster fell on them.

I, the Lord, have spoken!”

4Listen to the word of the Lord, people of Jacob—all you families of Israel! 5This is what the Lord says:

“What did your ancestors find wrong with me

that led them to stray so far from me?

They worshiped worthless idols,

only to become worthless themselves.

6They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord

who brought us safely out of Egypt

and led us through the barren wilderness—

a land of deserts and pits,

a land of drought and death,

where no one lives or even travels?’

7“And when I brought you into a fruitful land

to enjoy its bounty and goodness,

you defiled my land

and corrupted the possession I had promised you.

8The priests did not ask,

‘Where is the Lord?’

Those who taught my word ignored me,

the rulers turned against me,

and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,

wasting their time on worthless idols.

9Therefore, I will bring my case against you,”

says the Lord.

“I will even bring charges against your children’s children

in the years to come.

10“Go west and look in the land of Cyprus*2:10 Hebrew Kittim.;

go east and search through the land of Kedar.

Has anyone ever heard of anything

as strange as this?

11Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,

even though they are not gods at all?

Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God*2:11 Hebrew their glory.

for worthless idols!

12The heavens are shocked at such a thing

and shrink back in horror and dismay,”

says the Lord.

13“For my people have done two evil things:

They have abandoned me—

the fountain of living water.

And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns

that can hold no water at all!

The Results of Israel’s Sin

14“Why has Israel become a slave?

Why has he been carried away as plunder?

15Strong lions have roared against him,

and the land has been destroyed.

The towns are now in ruins,

and no one lives in them anymore.

16Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis*2:16 Hebrew Noph. and Tahpanhes,

have destroyed Israel’s glory and power.

17And you have brought this upon yourselves

by rebelling against the Lord your God,

even though he was leading you on the way!

18“What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt

and your covenants with Assyria?

What good to you are the streams of the Nile*2:18a Hebrew of Shihor, a branch of the Nile River.

or the waters of the Euphrates River?*2:18b Hebrew the river?

19Your wickedness will bring its own punishment.

Your turning from me will shame you.

You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is

to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him.

I, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!

20“Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you

and tore away the chains of your slavery,

but still you said,

‘I will not serve you.’

On every hill and under every green tree,

you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols.

21But I was the one who planted you,

choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best.

How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?

22No amount of soap or lye can make you clean.

I still see the stain of your guilt.

I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!

Israel, an Unfaithful Wife

23“You say, ‘That’s not true!

I haven’t worshiped the images of Baal!’

But how can you say that?

Go and look in any valley in the land!

Face the awful sins you have done.

You are like a restless female camel

desperately searching for a mate.

24You are like a wild donkey,

sniffing the wind at mating time.

Who can restrain her lust?

Those who desire her don’t need to search,

for she goes running to them!

25When will you stop running?

When will you stop panting after other gods?

But you say, ‘Save your breath.

I’m in love with these foreign gods,

and I can’t stop loving them now!’

26“Israel is like a thief

who feels shame only when he gets caught.

They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets—

all are alike in this.

27To an image carved from a piece of wood they say,

‘You are my father.’

To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say,

‘You are my mother.’

They turn their backs on me,

but in times of trouble they cry out to me,

‘Come and save us!’

28But why not call on these gods you have made?

When trouble comes, let them save you if they can!

For you have as many gods

as there are towns in Judah.

29Why do you accuse me of doing wrong?

You are the ones who have rebelled,”

says the Lord.

30“I have punished your children,

but they did not respond to my discipline.

You yourselves have killed your prophets

as a lion kills its prey.

31“O my people, listen to the words of the Lord!

Have I been like a desert to Israel?

Have I been to them a land of darkness?

Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God!

We don’t need him anymore!’

32Does a young woman forget her jewelry,

or a bride her wedding dress?

Yet for years on end

my people have forgotten me.

33“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers.

Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!

34Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor,

though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses!

35And yet you say,

‘I have done nothing wrong.

Surely God isn’t angry with me!’

But now I will punish you severely

because you claim you have not sinned.

36First here, then there—

you flit from one ally to another asking for help.

But your new friends in Egypt will let you down,

just as Assyria did before.

37In despair, you will be led into exile

with your hands on your heads,

for the Lord has rejected the nations you trust.

They will not help you at all.

Jeremiah 3

1“If a man divorces a woman

and she goes and marries someone else,

he will not take her back again,

for that would surely corrupt the land.

But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers,

so why are you trying to come back to me?”

says the Lord.

2“Look at the shrines on every hilltop.

Is there any place you have not been defiled

by your adultery with other gods?

You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a customer.

You sit alone like a nomad in the desert.

You have polluted the land with your prostitution

and your wickedness.

3That’s why even the spring rains have failed.

For you are a brazen prostitute and completely shameless.

4Yet you say to me,

‘Father, you have been my guide since my youth.

5Surely you won’t be angry forever!

Surely you can forget about it!’

So you talk,

but you keep on doing all the evil you can.”

Judah Follows Israel’s Example

6During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree. 7I thought, ‘After she has done all this, she will return to me.’ But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this. 8She saw*3:8 As in Dead Sea Scrolls, one Greek manuscript, and Syriac version; Masoretic Text reads I saw. that I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery. But that treacherous sister Judah had no fear, and now she, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution. 9Israel treated it all so lightly—she thought nothing of committing adultery by worshiping idols made of wood and stone. So now the land has been polluted. 10But despite all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Hope for Wayward Israel

11Then the Lord said to me, “Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah! 12Therefore, go and give this message to Israel.*3:12 Hebrew toward the north. This is what the Lord says:

“O Israel, my faithless people,

come home to me again,

for I am merciful.

I will not be angry with you forever.

13Only acknowledge your guilt.

Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God

and committed adultery against him

by worshiping idols under every green tree.

Confess that you refused to listen to my voice.

I, the Lord, have spoken!

14“Return home, you wayward children,”

says the Lord,

“for I am your master.

I will bring you back to the land of Israel*3:14 Hebrew to Zion.—

one from this town and two from that family—

from wherever you are scattered.

15And I will give you shepherds after my own heart,

who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.

16“And when your land is once more filled with people,” says the Lord, “you will no longer wish for ‘the good old days’ when you possessed the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark. 17In that day Jerusalem will be known as ‘The Throne of the Lord.’ All nations will come there to honor the Lord. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires. 18In those days the people of Judah and Israel will return together from exile in the north. They will return to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance forever.

19“I thought to myself,

‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’

I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land—

the finest possession in the world.

I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’

and I wanted you never to turn from me.

20But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel!

You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband.

I, the Lord, have spoken.”

21Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains,

the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people.

For they have chosen crooked paths

and have forgotten the Lord their God.

22“My wayward children,” says the Lord,

“come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”

“Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply,

“for you are the Lord our God.

23Our worship of idols on the hills

and our religious orgies on the mountains

are a delusion.

Only in the Lord our God

will Israel ever find salvation.

24From childhood we have watched

as everything our ancestors worked for—

their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters—

was squandered on a delusion.

25Let us now lie down in shame

and cover ourselves with dishonor,

for we and our ancestors have sinned

against the Lord our God.

From our childhood to this day

we have never obeyed him.”

Jeremiah 4

1“O Israel,” says the Lord,

“if you wanted to return to me, you could.

You could throw away your detestable idols

and stray away no more.

2Then when you swear by my name, saying,

‘As surely as the Lord lives,’

you could do so

with truth, justice, and righteousness.

Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,

and all people would come and praise my name.”

Coming Judgment against Judah

3This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:

“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts!

Do not waste your good seed among thorns.

4O people of Judah and Jerusalem,

surrender your pride and power.

Change your hearts before the Lord,*4:4 Hebrew Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart.

or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire

because of all your sins.

5“Shout to Judah, and broadcast to Jerusalem!

Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land:

‘Run for your lives!

Flee to the fortified cities!’

6Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem*4:6 Hebrew Zion.:

‘Flee now! Do not delay!’

For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you

from the north.”

7A lion stalks from its den,

a destroyer of nations.

It has left its lair and is headed your way.

It’s going to devastate your land!

Your towns will lie in ruins,

with no one living in them anymore.

8So put on clothes of mourning

and weep with broken hearts,

for the fierce anger of the Lord

is still upon us.

9“In that day,” says the Lord,

“the king and the officials will tremble in fear.

The priests will be struck with horror,

and the prophets will be appalled.”

10Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord,

the people have been deceived by what you said,

for you promised peace for Jerusalem.

But the sword is held at their throats!”

11The time is coming when the Lord will say

to the people of Jerusalem,

“My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert,

and it’s not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain.

12It is a roaring blast sent by me!

Now I will pronounce your destruction!”

13Our enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds!

His chariots are like whirlwinds.

His horses are swifter than eagles.

How terrible it will be, for we are doomed!

14O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart

that you may be saved.

How long will you harbor

your evil thoughts?

15Your destruction has been announced

from Dan and the hill country of Ephraim.

16“Warn the surrounding nations

and announce this to Jerusalem:

The enemy is coming from a distant land,

raising a battle cry against the towns of Judah.

17They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field,

for my people have rebelled against me,”

says the Lord.

18“Your own actions have brought this upon you.

This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!”

Jeremiah Weeps for His People

19My heart, my heart—I writhe in pain!

My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still.

For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets

and the roar of their battle cries.

20Waves of destruction roll over the land,

until it lies in complete desolation.

Suddenly my tents are destroyed;

in a moment my shelters are crushed.

21How long must I see the battle flags

and hear the trumpets of war?

22“My people are foolish

and do not know me,” says the Lord.

“They are stupid children

who have no understanding.

They are clever enough at doing wrong,

but they have no idea how to do right!”

Jeremiah’s Vision of Coming Disaster

23I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless.

I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.

24I looked at the mountains and hills,

and they trembled and shook.

25I looked, and all the people were gone.

All the birds of the sky had flown away.

26I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness.

The towns lay in ruins,

crushed by the Lord’s fierce anger.

27This is what the Lord says:

“The whole land will be ruined,

but I will not destroy it completely.

28The earth will mourn

and the heavens will be draped in black

because of my decree against my people.

I have made up my mind and will not change it.”

29At the noise of charioteers and archers,

the people flee in terror.

They hide in the bushes

and run for the mountains.

All the towns have been abandoned—

not a person remains!

30What are you doing,

you who have been plundered?

Why do you dress up in beautiful clothing

and put on gold jewelry?

Why do you brighten your eyes with mascara?

Your primping will do you no good!

The allies who were your lovers

despise you and seek to kill you.

31I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor,

the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child.

It is beautiful Jerusalem*4:31 Hebrew the daughter of Zion.

gasping for breath and crying out,

“Help! I’m being murdered!”

Jeremiah 5

The Sins of Judah

1“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord.

“Look high and low; search throughout the city!

If you can find even one just and honest person,

I will not destroy the city.

2But even when they are under oath,

saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’

they are still telling lies!”

3Lord, you are searching for honesty.

You struck your people,

but they paid no attention.

You crushed them,

but they refused to be corrected.

They are determined, with faces set like stone;

they have refused to repent.

4Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor?

They are ignorant.

They don’t know the ways of the Lord.

They don’t understand God’s laws.

5So I will go and speak to their leaders.

Surely they know the ways of the Lord

and understand God’s laws.”

But the leaders, too, as one man,

had thrown off God’s yoke

and broken his chains.

6So now a lion from the forest will attack them;

a wolf from the desert will pounce on them.

A leopard will lurk near their towns,

tearing apart any who dare to venture out.

For their rebellion is great,

and their sins are many.

7“How can I pardon you?

For even your children have turned from me.

They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all!

I fed my people until they were full.

But they thanked me by committing adultery

and lining up at the brothels.

8They are well-fed, lusty stallions,

each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.

9Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.

“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?

10“Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines,

leaving a scattered few alive.

Strip the branches from the vines,

for these people do not belong to the Lord.

11The people of Israel and Judah

are full of treachery against me,”

says the Lord.

12“They have lied about the Lord

and said, ‘He won’t bother us!

No disasters will come upon us.

There will be no war or famine.

13God’s prophets are all windbags

who don’t really speak for him.

Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’”

14Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Because the people are talking like this,

my messages will flame out of your mouth

and burn the people like kindling wood.

15O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,”

says the Lord.

“It is a mighty nation,

an ancient nation,

a people whose language you do not know,

whose speech you cannot understand.

16Their weapons are deadly;

their warriors are mighty.

17They will devour the food of your harvest;

they will devour your sons and daughters.

They will devour your flocks and herds;

they will devour your grapes and figs.

And they will destroy your fortified towns,

which you think are so safe.

18“Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely,” says the Lord. 19“And when your people ask, ‘Why did the Lord our God do all this to us?’ you must reply, ‘You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’

A Warning for God’s People

20“Make this announcement to Israel,*5:20 Hebrew to the house of Jacob. The names “Jacob” and “Israel” are often interchanged throughout the Old Testament, referring sometimes to the individual patriarch and sometimes to the nation.

and say this to Judah:

21Listen, you foolish and senseless people,

with eyes that do not see

and ears that do not hear.

22Have you no respect for me?

Why don’t you tremble in my presence?

I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline

as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross.

The waves may toss and roar,

but they can never pass the boundaries I set.

23But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.

They have turned away and abandoned me.

24They do not say from the heart,

‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God,

for he gives us rain each spring and fall,

assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’

25Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.

Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.

26“Among my people are wicked men

who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind.

They continually set traps

to catch people.

27Like a cage filled with birds,

their homes are filled with evil plots.

And now they are great and rich.

28They are fat and sleek,

and there is no limit to their wicked deeds.

They refuse to provide justice to orphans

and deny the rights of the poor.

29Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.

“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?

30A horrible and shocking thing

has happened in this land—

31the prophets give false prophecies,

and the priests rule with an iron hand.

Worse yet, my people like it that way!

But what will you do when the end comes?

Jeremiah 6

Jerusalem’s Last Warning

1“Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin!

Get out of Jerusalem!

Sound the alarm in Tekoa!

Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem!

A powerful army is coming from the north,

coming with disaster and destruction.

2O Jerusalem,*6:2 Hebrew Daughter of Zion. you are my beautiful and delicate daughter—

but I will destroy you!

3Enemies will surround you, like shepherds camped around the city.

Each chooses a place for his troops to devour.

4They shout, ‘Prepare for battle!

Attack at noon!’

‘No, it’s too late; the day is fading,

and the evening shadows are falling.’

5‘Well then, let’s attack at night

and destroy her palaces!’”

6This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Cut down the trees for battering rams.

Build siege ramps against the walls of Jerusalem.

This is the city to be punished,

for she is wicked through and through.

7She spouts evil like a fountain.

Her streets echo with the sounds of violence and destruction.

I always see her sickness and sores.

8Listen to this warning, Jerusalem,

or I will turn from you in disgust.

Listen, or I will turn you into a heap of ruins,

a land where no one lives.”

9This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Even the few who remain in Israel

will be picked over again,

as when a harvester checks each vine a second time

to pick the grapes that were missed.”

Judah’s Constant Rebellion

10To whom can I give warning?

Who will listen when I speak?

Their ears are closed,

and they cannot hear.

They scorn the word of the Lord.

They don’t want to listen at all.

11So now I am filled with the Lord’s fury.

Yes, I am tired of holding it in!

“I will pour out my fury on children playing in the streets

and on gatherings of young men,

on husbands and wives

and on those who are old and gray.

12Their homes will be turned over to their enemies,

as will their fields and their wives.

For I will raise my powerful fist

against the people of this land,”

says the Lord.

13“From the least to the greatest,

their lives are ruled by greed.

From prophets to priests,

they are all frauds.

14They offer superficial treatments

for my people’s mortal wound.

They give assurances of peace

when there is no peace.

15Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions?

Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush!

Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered.

They will be brought down when I punish them,”

says the Lord.

Judah Rejects the Lord’s Way

16This is what the Lord says:

“Stop at the crossroads and look around.

Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.

Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.

But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’

17I posted watchmen over you who said,

‘Listen for the sound of the alarm.’

But you replied,

‘No! We won’t pay attention!’

18“Therefore, listen to this, all you nations.

Take note of my people’s situation.

19Listen, all the earth!

I will bring disaster on my people.

It is the fruit of their own schemes,

because they refuse to listen to me.

They have rejected my word.

20There’s no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba.

Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands!

I will not accept your burnt offerings.

Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me.”

21Therefore, this is what the Lord says:

“I will put obstacles in my people’s path.

Fathers and sons will both fall over them.

Neighbors and friends will die together.”

An Invasion from the North

22This is what the Lord says:

“Look! A great army coming from the north!

A great nation is rising against you from far-off lands.

23They are armed with bows and spears.

They are cruel and show no mercy.

They sound like a roaring sea

as they ride forward on horses.

They are coming in battle formation,

planning to destroy you, beautiful Jerusalem.*6:23 Hebrew daughter of Zion.”

24We have heard reports about the enemy,

and we wring our hands in fright.

Pangs of anguish have gripped us,

like those of a woman in labor.

25Don’t go out to the fields!

Don’t travel on the roads!

The enemy’s sword is everywhere

and terrorizes us at every turn!

26Oh, my people, dress yourselves in burlap

and sit among the ashes.

Mourn and weep bitterly, as for the loss of an only son.

For suddenly the destroying armies will be upon you!

27“Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals,*6:27 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads a tester of my people a fortress.

that you may determine the quality of my people.

28They are the worst kind of rebel,

full of slander.

They are as hard as bronze and iron,

and they lead others into corruption.

29The bellows fiercely fan the flames

to burn out the corruption.

But it does not purify them,

for the wickedness remains.

30I will label them ‘Rejected Silver,’

for I, the Lord, am discarding them.”

Jeremiah 7

Jeremiah Speaks at the Temple

1The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2“Go to the entrance of the Lord’s Temple, and give this message to the people: ‘O Judah, listen to this message from the Lord! Listen to it, all of you who worship here! 3This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:

“‘Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land. 4But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!” 5But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; 6only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols. 7Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever.

8“‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie! 9Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, 10and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again? 11Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken!

12“‘Go now to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle that bore my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites. 13While you were doing these wicked things, says the Lord, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer. 14So just as I destroyed Shiloh, I will now destroy this Temple that bears my name, this Temple that you trust in for help, this place that I gave to you and your ancestors. 15And I will send you out of my sight into exile, just as I did your relatives, the people of Israel.*7:15 Hebrew of Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel.’

Judah’s Persistent Idolatry

16“Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don’t beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you. 17Don’t you see what they are doing throughout the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods! 19Am I the one they are hurting?” asks the Lord. “Most of all, they hurt themselves, to their own shame.”

20So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I will pour out my terrible fury on this place. Its people, animals, trees, and crops will be consumed by the unquenchable fire of my anger.”

21This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Take your burnt offerings and your other sacrifices and eat them yourselves! 22When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. 23This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’

24“But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. 25From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets—day in and day out. 26But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful—even worse than their ancestors.

27“Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond. 28Say to them, ‘This is the nation whose people will not obey the Lord their God and who refuse to be taught. Truth has vanished from among them; it is no longer heard on their lips. 29Shave your head in mourning, and weep alone on the mountains. For the Lord has rejected and forsaken this generation that has provoked his fury.’

The Valley of Slaughter

30“The people of Judah have sinned before my very eyes,” says the Lord. “They have set up their abominable idols right in the Temple that bears my name, defiling it. 31They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing! 32So beware, for the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when that garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. They will bury the bodies in Topheth until there is no more room for them. 33The bodies of my people will be food for the vultures and wild animals, and no one will be left to scare them away. 34I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in the streets of Jerusalem. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard in the towns of Judah. The land will lie in complete desolation.

Jeremiah 8

1“In that day,” says the Lord, “the enemy will break open the graves of the kings and officials of Judah, and the graves of the priests, prophets, and common people of Jerusalem. 2They will spread out their bones on the ground before the sun, moon, and stars—the gods my people have loved, served, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up again or buried but will be scattered on the ground like manure. 3And the people of this evil nation who survive will wish to die rather than live where I will send them. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!

Deception by False Prophets

4“Jeremiah, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘When people fall down, don’t they get up again?

When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back?

5Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path?

Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back?

They cling tightly to their lies

and will not turn around.

6I listen to their conversations

and don’t hear a word of truth.

Is anyone sorry for doing wrong?

Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”?

No! All are running down the path of sin

as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!

7Even the stork that flies across the sky

knows the time of her migration,

as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane.*8:7 The identification of some of these birds is uncertain.

They all return at the proper time each year.

But not my people!

They do not know the Lord’s laws.

8“‘How can you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,”

when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?

9These wise teachers will fall

into the trap of their own foolishness,

for they have rejected the word of the Lord.

Are they so wise after all?

10I will give their wives to others

and their farms to strangers.

From the least to the greatest,

their lives are ruled by greed.

Yes, even my prophets and priests are like that.

They are all frauds.

11They offer superficial treatments

for my people’s mortal wound.

They give assurances of peace

when there is no peace.

12Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions?

Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush!

Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered.

They will be brought down when I punish them,

says the Lord.

13I will surely consume them.

There will be no more harvests of figs and grapes.

Their fruit trees will all die.

Whatever I gave them will soon be gone.

I, the Lord, have spoken!’

14“Then the people will say,

‘Why should we wait here to die?

Come, let’s go to the fortified towns and die there.

For the Lord our God has decreed our destruction

and has given us a cup of poison to drink

because we sinned against the Lord.

15We hoped for peace, but no peace came.

We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.’

16“The snorting of the enemies’ warhorses can be heard

all the way from the land of Dan in the north!

The neighing of their stallions makes the whole land tremble.

They are coming to devour the land and everything in it—

cities and people alike.

17I will send these enemy troops among you

like poisonous snakes you cannot charm.

They will bite you, and you will die.

I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Jeremiah Weeps for Sinful Judah

18My grief is beyond healing;

my heart is broken.

19Listen to the weeping of my people;

it can be heard all across the land.

“Has the Lord abandoned Jerusalem?*8:19 Hebrew Zion?” the people ask.

“Is her King no longer there?”

“Oh, why have they provoked my anger with their carved idols

and their worthless foreign gods?” says the Lord.

20“The harvest is finished,

and the summer is gone,” the people cry,

“yet we are not saved!”

21I hurt with the hurt of my people.

I mourn and am overcome with grief.

22Is there no medicine in Gilead?

Is there no physician there?

Why is there no healing

for the wounds of my people?

Jeremiah 9

1*9:1 Verse 9:1 is numbered 8:23 in Hebrew text.If only my head were a pool of water

and my eyes a fountain of tears,

I would weep day and night

for all my people who have been slaughtered.

2*9:2 Verses 9:2-26 are numbered 9:1-25 in Hebrew text.Oh, that I could go away and forget my people

and live in a travelers’ shack in the desert.

For they are all adulterers—

a pack of treacherous liars.

Judgment for Disobedience

3“My people bend their tongues like bows

to shoot out lies.

They refuse to stand up for the truth.

They only go from bad to worse.

They do not know me,”

says the Lord.

4“Beware of your neighbor!

Don’t even trust your brother!

For brother takes advantage of brother,

and friend slanders friend.

5They all fool and defraud each other;

no one tells the truth.

With practiced tongues they tell lies;

they wear themselves out with all their sinning.

6They pile lie upon lie

and utterly refuse to acknowledge me,”

says the Lord.

7Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“See, I will melt them down in a crucible

and test them like metal.

What else can I do with my people?*9:7 Hebrew with the daughter of my people? Greek version reads with the evil daughter of my people?

8For their tongues shoot lies like poisoned arrows.

They speak friendly words to their neighbors

while scheming in their heart to kill them.

9Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.

“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?”

10I will weep for the mountains

and wail for the wilderness pastures.

For they are desolate and empty of life;

the lowing of cattle is heard no more;

the birds and wild animals have all fled.

11“I will make Jerusalem into a heap of ruins,” says the Lord.

“It will be a place haunted by jackals.

The towns of Judah will be ghost towns,

with no one living in them.”

12Who is wise enough to understand all this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it to others? Why has the land been so ruined that no one dares to travel through it?

13The Lord replies, “This has happened because my people have abandoned my instructions; they have refused to obey what I said. 14Instead, they have stubbornly followed their own desires and worshiped the images of Baal, as their ancestors taught them. 15So now, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Look! I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. 16I will scatter them around the world, in places they and their ancestors never heard of, and even there I will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely.”

Weeping in Jerusalem

17This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Consider all this, and call for the mourners.

Send for the women who mourn at funerals.

18Quick! Begin your weeping!

Let the tears flow from your eyes.

19Hear the people of Jerusalem*9:19 Hebrew Zion. crying in despair,

‘We are ruined! We are completely humiliated!

We must leave our land,

because our homes have been torn down.’”

20Listen, you women, to the words of the Lord;

open your ears to what he has to say.

Teach your daughters to wail;

teach one another how to lament.

21For death has crept in through our windows

and has entered our mansions.

It has killed off the flower of our youth:

Children no longer play in the streets,

and young men no longer gather in the squares.

22This is what the Lord says:

“Bodies will be scattered across the fields like clumps of manure,

like bundles of grain after the harvest.

No one will be left to bury them.”

23This is what the Lord says:

“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,

or the powerful boast in their power,

or the rich boast in their riches.

24But those who wish to boast

should boast in this alone:

that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord

who demonstrates unfailing love

and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,

and that I delight in these things.

I, the Lord, have spoken!

25“A time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit—26the Egyptians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, the people who live in the desert in remote places,*9:26 Or in the desert and clip the corners of their hair. and yes, even the people of Judah. And like all these pagan nations, the people of Israel also have uncircumcised hearts.”

Jeremiah 10

Idolatry Brings Destruction

1Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O Israel! 2This is what the Lord says:

“Do not act like the other nations,

who try to read their future in the stars.

Do not be afraid of their predictions,

even though other nations are terrified by them.

3Their ways are futile and foolish.

They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.

4They decorate it with gold and silver

and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails

so it won’t fall over.

5Their gods are like

helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field!

They cannot speak,

and they need to be carried because they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of such gods,

for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

6Lord, there is no one like you!

For you are great, and your name is full of power.

7Who would not fear you, O King of nations?

That title belongs to you alone!

Among all the wise people of the earth

and in all the kingdoms of the world,

there is no one like you.

8People who worship idols are stupid and foolish.

The things they worship are made of wood!

9They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish

and gold from Uphaz,

and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen

who make their idols.

Then they dress these gods in royal blue and purple robes

made by expert tailors.

10But the Lord is the only true God.

He is the living God and the everlasting King!

The whole earth trembles at his anger.

The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.

11Say this to those who worship other gods: “Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens.”*10:11 The original text of this verse is in Aramaic.

12But the Lord made the earth by his power,

and he preserves it by his wisdom.

With his own understanding

he stretched out the heavens.

13When he speaks in the thunder,

the heavens roar with rain.

He causes the clouds to rise over the earth.

He sends the lightning with the rain

and releases the wind from his storehouses.

14The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge!

The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make,

for their carefully shaped works are a fraud.

These idols have no breath or power.

15Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies!

On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.

16But the God of Israel*10:16 Hebrew the Portion of Jacob. See note on 5:20. is no idol!

He is the Creator of everything that exists,

including Israel, his own special possession.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!

The Coming Destruction

17Pack your bags and prepare to leave;

the siege is about to begin.

18For this is what the Lord says:

“Suddenly, I will fling out

all you who live in this land.

I will pour great troubles upon you,

and at last you will feel my anger.”

19My wound is severe,

and my grief is great.

My sickness is incurable,

but I must bear it.

20My home is gone,

and no one is left to help me rebuild it.

My children have been taken away,

and I will never see them again.

21The shepherds of my people have lost their senses.

They no longer seek wisdom from the Lord.

Therefore, they fail completely,

and their flocks are scattered.

22Listen! Hear the terrifying roar of great armies

as they roll down from the north.

The towns of Judah will be destroyed

and become a haunt for jackals.

Jeremiah’s Prayer

23I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own.

We are not able to plan our own course.

24So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle.

Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.

25Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you—

on the peoples that do not call upon your name.

For they have devoured your people Israel*10:25 Hebrew devoured Jacob. See note on 5:20.;

they have devoured and consumed them,

making the land a desolate wilderness.

Jeremiah 11

Judah’s Broken Covenant

1The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2“Remind the people of Judah and Jerusalem about the terms of my covenant with them. 3Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of my covenant! 4For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, “If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my people, and I will be your God.” 5I said this so I could keep my promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing with milk and honey—the land you live in today.’”

Then I replied, “Amen, Lord! May it be so.”

6Then the Lord said, “Broadcast this message in the streets of Jerusalem. Go from town to town throughout the land and say, ‘Remember the ancient covenant, and do everything it requires. 7For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, “Obey me!” I have repeated this warning over and over to this day, 8but your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought upon them all the curses described in this covenant.’”

9Again the Lord spoke to me and said, “I have discovered a conspiracy against me among the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 10They have returned to the sins of their ancestors. They have refused to listen to me and are worshiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am going to bring calamity upon them, and they will not escape. Though they beg for mercy, I will not listen to their cries. 12Then the people of Judah and Jerusalem will pray to their idols and burn incense before them. But the idols will not save them when disaster strikes! 13Look now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame—altars for burning incense to your god Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem.

14“Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress.

15“What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple,

when they have done so many immoral things?

Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction?

They actually rejoice in doing evil!

16I, the Lord, once called them a thriving olive tree,

beautiful to see and full of good fruit.

But now I have sent the fury of their enemies

to burn them with fire,

leaving them charred and broken.

17“I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil, arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal.”

A Plot against Jeremiah

18Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me. 19I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”

20O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

you make righteous judgments,

and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets.

Let me see your vengeance against them,

for I have committed my cause to you.

21This is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who wanted me dead. They had said, “We will kill you if you do not stop prophesying in the Lord’s name.” 22So this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says about them: “I will punish them! Their young men will die in battle, and their boys and girls will starve to death. 23Not one of these plotters from Anathoth will survive, for I will bring disaster upon them when their time of punishment comes.”

Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah Questions the Lord’s Justice

1Lord, you always give me justice

when I bring a case before you.

So let me bring you this complaint:

Why are the wicked so prosperous?

Why are evil people so happy?

2You have planted them,

and they have taken root and prospered.

Your name is on their lips,

but you are far from their hearts.

3But as for me, Lord, you know my heart.

You see me and test my thoughts.

Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered!

Set them aside to be slaughtered!

4How long must this land mourn?

Even the grass in the fields has withered.

The wild animals and birds have disappeared

because of the evil in the land.

For the people have said,

“The Lord doesn’t see what’s ahead for us!”

The Lord’s Reply to Jeremiah

5“If racing against mere men makes you tired,

how will you race against horses?

If you stumble and fall on open ground,

what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?

6Even your brothers, members of your own family,

have turned against you.

They plot and raise complaints against you.

Do not trust them,

no matter how pleasantly they speak.

7“I have abandoned my people, my special possession.

I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies.

8My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest,

so I have treated them with contempt.

9My chosen people act like speckled vultures,*12:9 Or speckled hyenas.

but they themselves are surrounded by vultures.

Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean!

10“Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard,

trampling down the vines

and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness.

11They have made it an empty wasteland;

I hear its mournful cry.

The whole land is desolate,

and no one even cares.

12On all the bare hilltops,

destroying armies can be seen.

The sword of the Lord devours people

from one end of the nation to the other.

No one will escape!

13My people have planted wheat

but are harvesting thorns.

They have worn themselves out,

but it has done them no good.

They will harvest a crop of shame

because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

A Message for Israel’s Neighbors

14Now this is what the Lord says: “I will uproot from their land all the evil nations reaching out for the possession I gave my people Israel. And I will uproot Judah from among them. 15But afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession. 16And if these nations truly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’ (just as they taught my people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people. 17But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Jeremiah 13

Jeremiah’s Linen Loincloth

1This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it.” 2So I bought the loincloth as the Lord directed me, and I put it on.

3Then the Lord gave me another message: 4“Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River.*13:4 Hebrew Perath; also in 13:5, 6, 7. Hide it there in a hole in the rocks.” 5So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the Lord had instructed me.

6A long time afterward the Lord said to me, “Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there.” 7So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing.

8Then I received this message from the Lord: 9“This is what the Lord says: This shows how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. 10These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth—good for nothing! 11As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me.

12“So tell them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: May all your jars be filled with wine.’ And they will reply, ‘Of course! Jars are made to be filled with wine!’

13“Then tell them, ‘No, this is what the Lord means: I will fill everyone in this land with drunkenness—from the king sitting on David’s throne to the priests and the prophets, right down to the common people of Jerusalem. 14I will smash them against each other, even parents against children, says the Lord. I will not let my pity or mercy or compassion keep me from destroying them.’”

A Warning against Pride

15Listen and pay attention!

Do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.

16Give glory to the Lord your God

before it is too late.

Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you,

causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains.

For then, when you look for light,

you will find only terrible darkness and gloom.

17And if you still refuse to listen,

I will weep alone because of your pride.

My eyes will overflow with tears,

because the Lord’s flock will be led away into exile.

18Say to the king and his mother,

“Come down from your thrones

and sit in the dust,

for your glorious crowns

will soon be snatched from your heads.”

19The towns of the Negev will close their gates,

and no one will be able to open them.

The people of Judah will be taken away as captives.

All will be carried into exile.

20Open up your eyes and see

the armies marching down from the north!

Where is your flock—

your beautiful flock—

that he gave you to care for?

21What will you say when the Lord takes the allies you have cultivated

and appoints them as your rulers?

Pangs of anguish will grip you,

like those of a woman in labor!

22You may ask yourself,

“Why is all this happening to me?”

It is because of your many sins!

That is why you have been stripped

and raped by invading armies.

23Can an Ethiopian*13:23 Hebrew a Cushite. change the color of his skin?

Can a leopard take away its spots?

Neither can you start doing good,

for you have always done evil.

24“I will scatter you like chaff

that is blown away by the desert winds.

25This is your allotment,

the portion I have assigned to you,”

says the Lord,

“for you have forgotten me,

putting your trust in false gods.

26I myself will strip you

and expose you to shame.

27I have seen your adultery and lust,

and your disgusting idol worship out in the fields and on the hills.

What sorrow awaits you, Jerusalem!

How long before you are pure?”

Jeremiah 14

Judah’s Terrible Drought

1This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord, explaining why he was holding back the rain:

2“Judah wilts;

commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt.

All the people sit on the ground in mourning,

and a great cry rises from Jerusalem.

3The nobles send servants to get water,

but all the wells are dry.

The servants return with empty pitchers,

confused and desperate,

covering their heads in grief.

4The ground is parched

and cracked for lack of rain.

The farmers are deeply troubled;

they, too, cover their heads.

5Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn

because there is no grass in the field.

6The wild donkeys stand on the bare hills

panting like thirsty jackals.

They strain their eyes looking for grass,

but there is none to be found.”

7The people say, “Our wickedness has caught up with us, Lord,

but help us for the sake of your own reputation.

We have turned away from you

and sinned against you again and again.

8O Hope of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble,

why are you like a stranger to us?

Why are you like a traveler passing through the land,

stopping only for the night?

9Are you also confused?

Is our champion helpless to save us?

You are right here among us, Lord.

We are known as your people.

Please don’t abandon us now!”

10So this is what the Lord says to his people:

“You love to wander far from me

and do not restrain yourselves.

Therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people.

Now I will remember all your wickedness

and will punish you for your sins.”

The Lord Forbids Jeremiah to Intercede

11Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for these people anymore. 12When they fast, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease.”

13Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, their prophets are telling them, ‘All is well—no war or famine will come. The Lord will surely send you peace.’”

14Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts. 15Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine! 16As for the people to whom they prophesy—their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters—all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them. 17Now, Jeremiah, say this to them:

“Night and day my eyes overflow with tears.

I cannot stop weeping,

for my virgin daughter—my precious people—

has been struck down

and lies mortally wounded.

18If I go out into the fields,

I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy.

If I walk the city streets,

I see people who have died of starvation.

The prophets and priests continue with their work,

but they don’t know what they’re doing.”

A Prayer for Healing

19Lord, have you completely rejected Judah?

Do you really hate Jerusalem?*14:19 Hebrew Zion?

Why have you wounded us past all hope of healing?

We hoped for peace, but no peace came.

We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.

20Lord, we confess our wickedness

and that of our ancestors, too.

We all have sinned against you.

21For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us.

Do not disgrace your own glorious throne.

Please remember us,

and do not break your covenant with us.

22Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain?

Does it fall from the sky by itself?

No, you are the one, O Lord our God!

Only you can do such things.

So we will wait for you to help us.

Jeremiah 15

Judah’s Inevitable Doom

1Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I wouldn’t help them. Away with them! Get them out of my sight! 2And if they say to you, ‘But where can we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘Those who are destined for death, to death;

those who are destined for war, to war;

those who are destined for famine, to famine;

those who are destined for captivity, to captivity.’

3“I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” says the Lord. “I will send the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what is left. 4Because of the wicked things Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem, I will make my people an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

5“Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem?

Who will weep for you?

Who will even bother to ask how you are?

6You have abandoned me

and turned your back on me,”

says the Lord.

“Therefore, I will raise my fist to destroy you.

I am tired of always giving you another chance.

7I will winnow you like grain at the gates of your cities

and take away the children you hold dear.

I will destroy my own people,

because they refuse to change their evil ways.

8There will be more widows

than the grains of sand on the seashore.

At noontime I will bring a destroyer

against the mothers of young men.

I will cause anguish and terror

to come upon them suddenly.

9The mother of seven grows faint and gasps for breath;

her sun has gone down while it is still day.

She sits childless now,

disgraced and humiliated.

And I will hand over those who are left

to be killed by the enemy.

I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Jeremiah’s Complaint

10Then I said,

“What sorrow is mine, my mother.

Oh, that I had died at birth!

I am hated everywhere I go.

I am neither a lender who threatens to foreclose

nor a borrower who refuses to pay—

yet they all curse me.”

11The Lord replied,

“I will take care of you, Jeremiah.

Your enemies will ask you to plead on their behalf

in times of trouble and distress.

12Can a man break a bar of iron from the north,

or a bar of bronze?

13At no cost to them,

I will hand over your wealth and treasures

as plunder to your enemies,

for sin runs rampant in your land.

14I will tell your enemies to take you

as captives to a foreign land.

For my anger blazes like a fire

that will burn forever.*15:14 As in some Hebrew manuscripts (see also 17:4); most Hebrew manuscripts read will burn against you.”

15Then I said,

“Lord, you know what’s happening to me.

Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors!

Please give me time; don’t let me die young.

It’s for your sake that I am suffering.

16When I discovered your words, I devoured them.

They are my joy and my heart’s delight,

for I bear your name,

O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.

17I never joined the people in their merry feasts.

I sat alone because your hand was on me.

I was filled with indignation at their sins.

18Why then does my suffering continue?

Why is my wound so incurable?

Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook,

like a spring that has gone dry.”

19This is how the Lord responds:

“If you return to me, I will restore you

so you can continue to serve me.

If you speak good words rather than worthless ones,

you will be my spokesman.

You must influence them;

do not let them influence you!

20They will fight against you like an attacking army,

but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze.

They will not conquer you,

for I am with you to protect and rescue you.

I, the Lord, have spoken!

21Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men.

I will rescue you from their cruel hands.”

Jeremiah 16

Jeremiah Forbidden to Marry

1The Lord gave me another message. He said, 2“Do not get married or have children in this place. 3For this is what the Lord says about the children born here in this city and about their mothers and fathers: 4They will die from terrible diseases. No one will mourn for them or bury them, and they will lie scattered on the ground like manure. They will die from war and famine, and their bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.”

Judah’s Coming Punishment

5This is what the Lord says: “Do not go to funerals to mourn and show sympathy for these people, for I have removed my protection and peace from them. I have taken away my unfailing love and my mercy. 6Both the great and the lowly will die in this land. No one will bury them or mourn for them. Their friends will not cut themselves in sorrow or shave their heads in sadness. 7No one will offer a meal to comfort those who mourn for the dead—not even at the death of a mother or father. No one will send a cup of wine to console them.

8“And do not go to their feasts and parties. Do not eat and drink with them at all. 9For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: In your own lifetime, before your very eyes, I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in this land. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard.

10“When you tell the people all these things, they will ask, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such terrible things against us? What have we done to deserve such treatment? What is our sin against the Lord our God?’

11“Then you will give them the Lord’s reply: ‘It is because your ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word. 12And you are even worse than your ancestors! You stubbornly follow your own evil desires and refuse to listen to me. 13So I will throw you out of this land and send you into a foreign land where you and your ancestors have never been. There you can worship idols day and night—and I will grant you no favors!’

Hope despite the Disaster

14“But the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ 15Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ For I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors.

16“But now I am sending for many fishermen who will catch them,” says the Lord. “I am sending for hunters who will hunt them down in the mountains, hills, and caves. 17I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me. 18I will double their punishment for all their sins, because they have defiled my land with lifeless images of their detestable gods and have filled my territory with their evil deeds.”

Jeremiah’s Prayer of Confidence

19Lord, you are my strength and fortress,

my refuge in the day of trouble!

Nations from around the world

will come to you and say,

“Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage,

for they worshiped worthless idols.

20Can people make their own gods?

These are not real gods at all!”

21The Lord says,

“Now I will show them my power;

now I will show them my might.

At last they will know and understand

that I am the Lord.

Jeremiah 17

Judah’s Sin and Punishment

1“The sin of Judah

is inscribed with an iron chisel—

engraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts

and on the corners of their altars.

2Even their children go to worship

at their pagan altars and Asherah poles,

beneath every green tree

and on every high hill.

3So I will hand over my holy mountain—

along with all your wealth and treasures

and your pagan shrines—

as plunder to your enemies,

for sin runs rampant in your land.

4The wonderful possession I have reserved for you

will slip from your hands.

I will tell your enemies to take you

as captives to a foreign land.

For my anger blazes like a fire

that will burn forever.”

Wisdom from the Lord

5This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,

who rely on human strength

and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

6They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,

with no hope for the future.

They will live in the barren wilderness,

in an uninhabited salty land.

7“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord

and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

8They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat

or worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green,

and they never stop producing fruit.

9“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,

and desperately wicked.

Who really knows how bad it is?

10But I, the Lord, search all hearts

and examine secret motives.

I give all people their due rewards,

according to what their actions deserve.”

Jeremiah’s Trust in the Lord

11Like a partridge that hatches eggs she has not laid,

so are those who get their wealth by unjust means.

At midlife they will lose their riches;

in the end, they will become poor old fools.

12But we worship at your throne—

eternal, high, and glorious!

13O Lord, the hope of Israel,

all who turn away from you will be disgraced.

They will be buried in the dust of the earth,

for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.

14O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed;

if you save me, I will be truly saved.

My praises are for you alone!

15People scoff at me and say,

“What is this ‘message from the Lord’ you talk about?

Why don’t your predictions come true?”

16Lord, I have not abandoned my job

as a shepherd for your people.

I have not urged you to send disaster.

You have heard everything I’ve said.

17Lord, don’t terrorize me!

You alone are my hope in the day of disaster.

18Bring shame and dismay on all who persecute me,

but don’t let me experience shame and dismay.

Bring a day of terror on them.

Yes, bring double destruction upon them!

Observing the Sabbath

19This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand in the gates of Jerusalem, first in the gate where the king goes in and out, and then in each of the other gates. 20Say to all the people, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem. 21This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day. 22Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors, 23but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept my discipline.

24“‘But if you obey me, says the Lord, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy, 25then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever. There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever. 26And from all around Jerusalem, from the towns of Judah and Benjamin, from the western foothills*17:26 Hebrew the Shephelah. and the hill country and the Negev, the people will come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will bring their grain offerings, frankincense, and thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s Temple.

27“‘But if you do not listen to me and refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and if on the Sabbath day you bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates. The fire will spread to the palaces, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames.’”

Jeremiah 18

The Potter and the Clay

1The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2“Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

5Then the Lord gave me this message: 6“O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. 7If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, 8but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. 9And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, 10but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.

11“Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”

12But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”

13So this is what the Lord says:

“Has anyone ever heard of such a thing,

even among the pagan nations?

My virgin daughter Israel

has done something terrible!

14Does the snow ever disappear from the mountaintops of Lebanon?

Do the cold streams flowing from those distant mountains ever run dry?

15But my people are not so reliable, for they have deserted me;

they burn incense to worthless idols.

They have stumbled off the ancient highways

and walk in muddy paths.

16Therefore, their land will become desolate,

a monument to their stupidity.

All who pass by will be astonished

and will shake their heads in amazement.

17I will scatter my people before their enemies

as the east wind scatters dust.

And in all their trouble I will turn my back on them

and refuse to notice their distress.”

A Plot against Jeremiah

18Then the people said, “Come on, let’s plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don’t need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what he says.”

19Lord, hear me and help me!

Listen to what my enemies are saying.

20Should they repay evil for good?

They have dug a pit to kill me,

though I pleaded for them

and tried to protect them from your anger.

21So let their children starve!

Let them die by the sword!

Let their wives become childless widows.

Let their old men die in a plague,

and let their young men be killed in battle!

22Let screaming be heard from their homes

as warriors come suddenly upon them.

For they have dug a pit for me

and have hidden traps along my path.

23Lord, you know all about their murderous plots against me.

Don’t forgive their crimes and blot out their sins.

Let them die before you.

Deal with them in your anger.

Jeremiah 19

Jeremiah’s Shattered Jar

1This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you. 2Go out through the Gate of Broken Pots to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and give them this message. 3Say to them, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will bring a terrible disaster on this place, and the ears of those who hear about it will ring!

4“‘For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods—idols never before acknowledged by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children. 5They have built pagan shrines to Baal, and there they burn their sons as sacrifices to Baal. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing! 6So beware, for the time is coming, says the Lord, when this garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.

7“‘For I will upset the careful plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will allow the people to be slaughtered by invading armies, and I will leave their dead bodies as food for the vultures and wild animals. 8I will reduce Jerusalem to ruins, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will gasp at the destruction they see there. 9I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.’

10“As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought. 11Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. They will bury the bodies here in Topheth, the garbage dump, until there is no more room for them. 12This is what I will do to this place and its people, says the Lord. I will cause this city to become defiled like Topheth. 13Yes, all the houses in Jerusalem, including the palace of Judah’s kings, will become like Topheth—all the houses where you burned incense on the rooftops to your star gods, and where liquid offerings were poured out to your idols.’”

14Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth, the garbage dump where he had delivered this message, and he stopped in front of the Temple of the Lord. He said to the people there, 15“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will bring disaster upon this city and its surrounding towns as I promised, because you have stubbornly refused to listen to me.’”

Jeremiah 20

Jeremiah and Pashhur

1Now Pashhur son of Immer, the priest in charge of the Temple of the Lord, heard what Jeremiah was prophesying. 2So he arrested Jeremiah the prophet and had him whipped and put in stocks at the Benjamin Gate of the Lord’s Temple.

3The next day, when Pashhur finally released him, Jeremiah said, “Pashhur, the Lord has changed your name. From now on you are to be called ‘The Man Who Lives in Terror.’*20:3 Hebrew Magor-missabib, which means “surrounded by terror”; also in 20:10. 4For this is what the Lord says: ‘I will send terror upon you and all your friends, and you will watch as they are slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. I will hand the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will take them captive to Babylon or run them through with the sword. 5And I will let your enemies plunder Jerusalem. All the famed treasures of the city—the precious jewels and gold and silver of your kings—will be carried off to Babylon. 6As for you, Pashhur, you and all your household will go as captives to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you prophesied that everything would be all right.’”

Jeremiah’s Complaint

7O Lord, you misled me,

and I allowed myself to be misled.

You are stronger than I am,

and you overpowered me.

Now I am mocked every day;

everyone laughs at me.

8When I speak, the words burst out.

“Violence and destruction!” I shout.

So these messages from the Lord

have made me a household joke.

9But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord

or speak in his name,

his word burns in my heart like a fire.

It’s like a fire in my bones!

I am worn out trying to hold it in!

I can’t do it!

10I have heard the many rumors about me.

They call me “The Man Who Lives in Terror.”

They threaten, “If you say anything, we will report it.”

Even my old friends are watching me,

waiting for a fatal slip.

“He will trap himself,” they say,

“and then we will get our revenge on him.”

11But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior.

Before him my persecutors will stumble.

They cannot defeat me.

They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated.

Their dishonor will never be forgotten.

12O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

you test those who are righteous,

and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets.

Let me see your vengeance against them,

for I have committed my cause to you.

13Sing to the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

For though I was poor and needy,

he rescued me from my oppressors.

14Yet I curse the day I was born!

May no one celebrate the day of my birth.

15I curse the messenger who told my father,

“Good news—you have a son!”

16Let him be destroyed like the cities of old

that the Lord overthrew without mercy.

Terrify him all day long with battle shouts,

17because he did not kill me at birth.

Oh, that I had died in my mother’s womb,

that her body had been my grave!

18Why was I ever born?

My entire life has been filled

with trouble, sorrow, and shame.