Jeremiah 5

Jerusalem’s Godlessness

1“1Roam about through the streets of Jerusalem, And look and take notice. And seek in her public squares, If you can 2find a person, 3If there is one who does justice, who seeks honesty, Then I will forgive 4her.2And 5although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ Certainly they swear falsely.”3Lord, do 6Your eyes not look for honesty? You have 7struck them, But they did not 8weaken; You have consumed them, But they 9refused to accept discipline. They have 10made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent.

4Then I said, “They are only the poor, They are foolish; For they 11do not know the way of the Lord Or the judgment of their God.5I will go to the great And speak to them, For 12they know the way of the Lord And the judgment of their God.” But together they too have 13broken the yoke And burst the restraints.6Therefore 14a lion from the forest will kill them, A 15wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A 16leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces, Because their 17wrongdoings are many, Their apostasies are numerous.

7“Why should I forgive you? Your sons have forsaken Me And 18sworn by those who are 19not gods. When I had fed them to the full, They 20committed adultery And stayed at the prostitute’s house.8They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing at his 21neighbor’s wife.9Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the Lord, “And 22shall I not avenge Myself On a nation such as this?

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 23house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord.12They have 24lied about the Lord And said, “2526Not He; Misfortune will 27not come upon us, 28Nor will we see sword or famine.13The 29prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. So it will be done to them!”

Judgment Proclaimed

14Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of armies says: “Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am 30making My words fire in your mouth, And this people wood, and it will consume them.15Behold, I am 31bringing a nation against you from far away, you house of Israel,” declares the Lord. “It is an enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose 32language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say.16Their 33quiver is like an 34open grave, All of them are warriors.17They will 35devour 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 36vines and your fig trees; They will demolish your 37fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.

18“Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not make a complete destruction of you. 19And it shall come about 38when 39they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you have abandoned Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will 40serve 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, you foolish and 41senseless people, Who have 42eyes but do not see, Who have ears but do not hear.22Do you not 43fear Me?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have 44placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal limit, and it will not cross over it. Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; Though they roar, they will not cross over it.23But this people has a 45stubborn 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 46gives rain in its season, Both 47the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The 48appointed weeks of the harvest.”25Your 49wrongdoings have turned these away, And your sins have kept good away from you.26For wicked people are found among My people, They 50watch like fowlers 51lying in wait; They set a trap, They catch people.27Like a cage full of birds, So their houses are full of 52deceit; Therefore they have become great and rich.28They are 53fat, they are sleek, They also 54excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the 5556orphan, so that they may be successful; And they do not 57defend the rights of the poor.2958Shall I not punish them for these things?’ declares the Lord, ‘Or shall I not avenge Myself On a nation such as this?’

30“An appalling and 59horrible thing Has happened in the land:31The 60prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule 61on their own authority; And My people 62love it this way! But what will you do 63when the end comes?