Jeremiah 11
11
The Agreement Is Broken
1These are the words that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah: 2“Listen to the words of this agreement and tell them to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. 3Tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the person who does not obey the words of this agreement 4that I made with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt. Egypt was like a furnace for melting iron!’ I told them, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5Then I will keep the promise I made to your ancestors to give them a fertile land.’ And you are living in that country today.”
I answered, “Amen, Lord.”
6The Lord said to me, “Announce this message in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the words of this agreement and obey them. 7I warned your ancestors to obey me when I brought them out of Egypt. I have warned them again and again to this very day: “Obey me!” 8But your ancestors did not listen to me. They were stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted. So I made all the curses of this agreement come upon them. I commanded them to obey the agreement, but they did not.’ ”
9Then the Lord said to me, “I know the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem have made secret plans. 10They have gone back to the same sins their ancestors did. Their ancestors refused to listen to my message and followed and worshiped other gods instead. The families of Israel and Judah have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors. 11So this is what the Lord says: ‘I will soon bring a disaster on the people of Judah which they will not be able to escape. They will cry to me for help, but I will not listen to them. 12The people living in the towns of Judah and the city of Jerusalem will pray to their idols to whom they burn incense. But those idols will not be able to help when disaster comes. 13Look, people of Judah, you have as many idols as there are towns in Judah. You have built as many altars to burn incense to that shameful god Baal as there are streets in Jerusalem.’
14“As for you, Jeremiah, don’t pray for these people or cry out for them or ask anything for them. I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble.
15“What is my beloved Judah doing in my Temple
when she makes many evil plans?
Do you think animal sacrifices will stop your punishment?
When you do your evil, then you are happy.”
16The Lord called you “a leafy olive tree,
with beautiful fruit and shape.”
But with the roar of a strong storm
he will set that tree on fire,
and its branches will be burned up.
17The Lord All-Powerful, who planted you, has announced that disaster will come to you. This is because the families of Israel and Judah have done evil and have made him angry by burning incense to Baal.
Evil Plans Against Jeremiah
18The Lord showed me that people were making plans against me. Because he showed me what they were doing, I knew they were against me. 19Before this, I was like a gentle lamb waiting to be butchered. I did not know they had made plans against me, saying:
“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit.
Let’s kill him so people will forget him.”
20But, Lord All-Powerful, you are a fair judge.
You know how to test peoples’ hearts and minds.
I have told you what I have against them.
So let me see you give them the punishment they deserve.
21So the Lord speaks about the people from Anathoth who plan to kill Jeremiah and say, “Don’t prophesy in the name of the Lord, or we will kill you!” 22So this is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “I will soon punish the men from Anathoth. Their young men will die in war. Their sons and daughters will die from hunger. 23No one from the city of Anathoth will be left alive, because I will cause a disaster to happen to them that year.”
Currently Selected:
Jeremiah 11: NCV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 11
11
1 The word that came from the Lord to Jeremiah, saying:
2 "Listen to the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
3 And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed is the man who will not listen to the words of this covenant,
4 which I commanded to your fathers in the day when I led them away from the land of Egypt, away from the iron furnace, saying: Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you, and then you will be my people and I will be your God.
5 So shall I uphold the oath which I swore to your fathers, that I would give them a land flowing with milk and honey, just as it is this day." And I answered by saying: "Amen, O Lord."
6 And the Lord said to me: "Shout all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Listen to the words of the covenant, and do them.
7 For when testing, I tested your fathers in the day when I led them away from the land of Egypt, even until this day. Rising early, I tested them, and I said: Listen to my voice.
8 But they did not listen, nor did they incline their ear. Instead, each one of them walked in the depravity of his own evil heart. And so, I brought over them all the words of this covenant, which I instructed them to do. But they would not do them."
9 And the Lord said to me: "A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 They have returned to the former iniquities of their fathers, who refused to listen to my words. And likewise, they have gone after strange gods, so that they may serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have treated as void my covenant, which I made with their fathers.
11 For this reason, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will lead evils over them, from which they will not be able to escape. And they will cry out to me, and I will not heed them.
12 And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go forth, and they will cry out to the gods, to whom they offer libations, and they will not save them in the time of their affliction.
13 For according to the number of your cities, so were your gods, O Judah. And according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem, so did you establish altars of confusion, altars to offer libations to Baal.
14 Therefore, you should not choose to pray for this people, and you should not take up praise and petitioning on their behalf. For I will not heed them in the time of their outcry to me, in the time of their affliction.
15 Why has my beloved wrought great wickedness in my house? How can the holy flesh take away from you your wickedness, in which you have gloried?
16 The Lord has called your name: a beautiful, fruitful, splendid, and productive olive tree. At the voice of a word, a great fire was kindled in it, and its greenery was burned up.
17 And the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced an evil against you, concerning the evils of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves so as to provoke me, by offering libations to Baal."
18 But you, O Lord, have revealed this to me, and I have understood. Then you displayed their efforts to me.
19 And I was like a meek lamb, who is being carried to be a victim. And I did not realize that they had devised plans against me, saying: "Let us place wood upon his bread, and let us eradicate him from the land of the living, and let his name no longer be remembered."
20 But you, O Lord of hosts, who judges justly, and who tests the temperament and the heart, let me see your vengeance against them. For I have revealed my case to you.
21 "Because of this, thus says the Lord to the men of Anathoth, who are seeking your life, and who are saying: 'You shall not prophesy in the name of the Lord, and you shall not die by our hands.'
22 Because of this, thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will visit upon them. Their young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by famine.
23 And there will be nothing left of them. For I will lead an evil over the men of Anathoth: the year of their visitation."
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in