Jeremiah 5

1 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city.

2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”

3 O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

4 Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.

5 I will go to the powerful and speak to them. Surely they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke and torn off the chains.

6 Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.

7 “Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.

8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.

9 Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

10 Go up through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not finish them off. Strip off her branches, for they do not belong to the LORD.

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,” declares the LORD.

12 They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.

13 The prophets are but wind, for the word is not in them. So let their own predictions befall them.”

14 Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.

15 Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.

16 Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men.

17 They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”

18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you.

19 And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’”

20 Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:

21 “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

22 Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.

23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away.

24 They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’

25 Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty.

26 For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.

27 Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich.

28 They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.

29 Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

30 A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.

31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

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

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

3 O LORD, [are] not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, [but] they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

4 Therefore I said, Surely these [are] poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, [nor] the judgment of their God.

5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, [and] the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, [and] burst the bonds.

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

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

8 They were [as] fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.

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

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

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

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

13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word [is] not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

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

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

17 And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, [which] thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.

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

19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these [things] unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land [that is] not yours.

20 ¶ Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

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

22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand [for] the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

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

24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

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

26 For among my people are found wicked [men]: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

27 As a cage is full of birds, so [are] their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

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

30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love [to have it] so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

1 Go ye through the streets of Jerusalem, and see, and know, and search in her streets, if ye find any that do right, and enquire after faith; and I will be gracious unto her.

2 And though they speak: By the living God, they swear falsely.

3 O Lord, thine eyes are upon faith. Thou smitest them, but they feel it not: thou afflictest them, but they amend not. They have a hard face like a rock, and will not be converted.

4 And I said, Well, this poor company is without understanding, and knoweth not the way of the LORD, nor the righteousness of their God.

5 I will go to the mighty, and speak unto them: they shall know the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but they all had broken the yoke, and rent the cords.

6 Therefore also the lion that cometh out of the forest shall tear them, and the wolf that cometh out of the wilderness shall destroy them, and the leopard shall lie in wait for their cities; and all that go out therein shall he devour. For their sins are too many, and they are hardened in their rebellion.

7 How then shall I be gracious unto thee, because thy children forsake me, and swear by him that is not God? And when I have filled them, they commit adultery, and run into the whorehouse.

8 Every man neigheth after his neighbour's wife, as the full and idle stallions.

9 And shall I not punish them for these things? saith the LORD; and shall not my soul take vengeance on such a people as these?

10 Overthrow their walls, and cast them down, and make them not at all. Take away their branches; for they are not the LORD'S,

10 The land is a dreadful and abominable place.

11 But they despise me, both the house of Israel, and the house of Judah, saith the LORD.

12 They deny the LORD, and say: This is he not, and so evil shall it not be unto us; sword and famine shall we not see;

13 Yea, the prophets are washers, neither have they the word of God: so let it pass over themselves!

14 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts; Because ye do such words, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and will consume them.

15 Behold, I will bring upon you of the house of Israel, saith the LORD, a nation from afar, a mighty nation, which were the first nation, a nation whose language thou canst not understand, neither canst thou hear what they say.

16 His quivers are open graves, they are vain giants.

17 They shall devour thy harvest and thy bread, they shall devour thy sons and thy daughters, they shall devour thy sheep and thy oxen, they shall devour thy vines and thy fig trees; thy strong cities, wherein thou trustedst, shall they destroy with the sword.

18 And I will not, saith the LORD, finish it in that day.

19 And if they say, Why doth the LORD our God do these things unto us? thou shalt answer them: As ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your own land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

20 These things shall ye proclaim in the house of Jacob, and preach in Judah, saying:

21 Give ear, ye foolish people, which have no understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not.

22 Will ye not fear me, saith the LORD, and be afraid of me? For I have set the sand of the sea for a shore, wherein it shall dwell for ever, and it shall not pass over it: though it roll, it shall not be able; though the waves thereof rage, they shall not pass over it.

23 But this people have an apostate and disobedient heart; they remain apostate, and go away continually.

24 And say not even in their heart, Let us fear the LORD our God, which giveth us early rain, and rain in due season, and keepeth us the harvest faithfully year by year.

25 But your iniquities hinder such things, and your sins turn away such good from you.

26 For wicked men are found among my people, pursuing after men, and setting snares to catch them, as the reeves do with cobs.

27 And their houses are full of deceit, as a fowler is full of decoys. Therefore they become mighty and rich, fat and smooth.

28 They deal wickedly; they keep not justice; they promote not the cause of the fatherless, and prosper them; they help not the poor to justice.

29 Shall I not then visit these things, saith the LORD, and shall not my soul take vengeance on such a people as these?

31 The prophets teach falsely, and the priests rule in their office, and my people are pleased so. How will ye fare at the last?