Jeremiah 5:1-5

1The Lord said, ‘Run along all the streets of Jerusalem. Look carefully all around you. Look in all the public places of the city. Try to find one person who is honest. Try to find one person who wants to know the truth. If you find one person like that, I will forgive all the people in the city.

2They make promises and they say, “I will do it, as surely as the Lord lives.” But what they say is all lies.’

3Lord, you want people to be honest and true. You have punished your people, but they did not feel any pain. You nearly destroyed them, but they still refuse to change. Their minds have become as hard as rock. They refuse to turn back to you.

4I thought, ‘These are poor, foolish people. They do not understand what the Lord wants them to do. They do not know his commands.

5So I will go to speak to the leaders. They will surely understand what the Lord wants. They will know his commands.’ But all of them have turned against the Lord too. They refuse to obey his authority.