Jeremiah 11

The Broken Covenant

1The word that 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, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “3Cursed is the one who does not obey the words of this covenant 4which I commanded your forefathers on 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 that 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 replied, “10Amen, 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 on the 15day I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, 16warning them persistently, saying, “17Listen to My voice.” 8Yet they 18did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart, each one of them; therefore I brought on them all the 19words of this covenant which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”

9Then the Lord said to me, “A 20conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10They have 21turned back to the wrongdoings of their 22ancestors who 23refused to hear My words, and they 24have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have 25broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” 11Therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am 26bringing disaster on them which they will 27not be able to escape; though they will 28cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will 29go and cry out to the gods to whom they 30burn incense, but they certainly will not save them in the time of their disaster. 13For your gods are 3132as many as your cities, Judah; and 33as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the 34shameful thing, altars for 3536burning incense to Baal.

14“So as for you, 37do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will 38not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.15What right has My 39beloved in My house When 40she has carried out many evil schemes? Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster, 41So that you can rejoice?”16The Lord named you “A 42green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”; With the 43noise of a great 44tumult He has 45set fire to it, And its branches are worthless. 17The Lord of armies, who 46planted you, has 47pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have 48done to provoke Me by 4950offering sacrifices to Baal.

Plots against Jeremiah

18Moreover, the Lord 51made it known to me and I knew it; Then You showed me their deeds.19But I was like a gentle 52lamb led to the slaughter; And I did not know that they had 53devised plots against me, saying, “Let’s destroy the tree with its 54fruit, And 55let’s cut him off from the 56land of the living, So that his 57name will no longer be remembered.”20But, Lord of armies, who 58judges righteously, Who 59puts the 60feelings and the heart to the test, Let me see Your vengeance on them, For to You I have 61committed my cause.

21Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the people of 62Anathoth, who are 63seeking your life, saying: “64Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you do not 65die by our hand”; 22therefore, this is what the Lord of armies says: “Behold, I am going to 66punish them! The 67young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine; 23and a remnant 68will not be left to them, because I will 69bring disaster on the people of Anathoth--70the year of their punishment.”