Jeremiah 11

The Broken Covenant

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2“1Hear the words of this 2covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “3Cursed is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant 4which I commanded your forefathers in the 4day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the 5iron furnace, saying, ‘6Listen to My voice, and 7do according to all which I command you; so you shall be 8My people, and I will be your God,’ 5in order to confirm the 9oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I said, “10Amen, O Lord.”

6And the Lord said to me, “11Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘12Hear the words of this covenant and 13do them. 7For I solemnly 14warned your fathers in the 15day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, 1617warning persistently, saying, “18Listen to My voice.” 8Yet they 19did not obey or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the 20words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”

9Then the Lord said to me, “A 21conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10They have 22turned back to the iniquities of their 23ancestors who 24refused to hear My words, and they 25have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have 26broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” 11Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold I am 27bringing disaster on them which they will 28not be able to escape; though they will 29cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them. 12Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will 30go and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they surely will not save them in the time of their disaster. 13For your gods are 3132as many as your cities, O Judah; and 33as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the 34shameful thing, altars to 35burn incense to Baal.

14“Therefore 36do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will 37not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.15What right has My 38beloved in My house When 39she has done many vile deeds? Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster, 40So that you can rejoice?”16The Lord called your name, “A 41green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”; With the 42noise of a great tumult He has 43kindled fire on it, And its branches are worthless. 17The Lord of hosts, who 44planted you, has 45pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have 46done to provoke Me by 4748offering up sacrifices to Baal.

Plots against Jeremiah

18Moreover, the Lord 49made it known to me and I knew it; Then You showed me their deeds.19But I was like a gentle 50lamb led to the slaughter; And I did not know that they had 51devised plots against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its 52fruit, And 53let us cut him off from the 54land of the living, That his 55name be remembered no more.”20But, O Lord of hosts, who 56judges righteously, Who 57tries the 58feelings and the heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them, For to You have I 59committed my cause.

21Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of 60Anathoth, who 61seek your life, saying, “62Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you will not 63die at our hand”; 22therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, I am about to 64punish them! The 65young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine; 23and a remnant 66will not be left to them, for I will 67bring disaster on the men of Anathoth--68the year of their punishment.”