Jeremiah 5

Jerusalem’s Godlessness

1“1Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, And look now and take note. And seek in her open squares, If you can 2find a man, 3If there is one who does justice, who seeks 4truth, Then I will pardon her.2And 5although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ Surely they swear falsely.”3O Lord, do not 6Your eyes look for 7truth? You have 8smitten them, But they did not 9weaken; You have consumed them, But they 10refused to take correction. They have 11made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent.

4Then I said, “They are only the poor, They are foolish; For they 12do not know the way of the Lord Or the ordinance of their God.5I will go to the great And will speak to them, For 13they know the way of the Lord And the ordinance of their God.” But they too, with one accord, have 14broken the yoke And burst the bonds.6Therefore 15a lion from the forest will slay them, A 16wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A 17leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces, Because their 18transgressions are many, Their apostasies are numerous.

7“Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And 19sworn by those who are 20not gods. When I had fed them to the full, They 21committed adultery And trooped to the harlot’s house.8They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his 22neighbor’s wife.9Shall I not punish 23these people,” declares the Lord, “And on a nation such as this 24Shall I not avenge Myself?

10“Go up through her vine rows and destroy, But do not execute a complete destruction; Strip away her branches, For they are not the Lord’s.11For the 25house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord.12They have 26lied about the Lord And said, “2728Not He; Misfortune will 29not come on us, And we 30will not see sword or famine.13The 31prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!”

Judgment Proclaimed

14Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, “Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am 32making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them.15Behold, I am 33bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord. “It is an enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose 34language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say.16Their 35quiver is like an 36open grave, All of them are mighty men.17They will 37devour your harvest and your food; They will devour your sons and your daughters; They will devour your flocks and your herds; They will devour your 38vines and your fig trees; They will demolish with the sword your 39fortified cities in which you trust.

18“Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not make you a complete destruction. 19It shall come about 40when 41they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will 42serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’

20“Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying,21‘Now hear this, O foolish and 43senseless people, Who have 44eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear.22Do you not 45fear Me?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have 46placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.23But this people has a 47stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed.24They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who 48gives rain in its season, Both 49the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The 50appointed weeks of the harvest.”25Your 51iniquities have turned these away, And your sins have withheld good from you.26For wicked men are found among My people, They 52watch like fowlers 53lying in wait; They set a trap, They catch men.27Like a cage full of birds, So their houses are full of 54deceit; Therefore they have become great and rich.28They are 55fat, they are sleek, They also 56excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the 5758orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not 59defend the rights of the poor.2960Shall I not punish 61these people?’ declares the Lord, ‘On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?’

30“An appalling and 62horrible thing Has happened in the land:31The 63prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule 64on their own authority; And My people 65love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?