Yirmeyahu (Jer) 11

1Here is the word that came to Yirmeyahu from Adonai: 2“Listen to the words of this covenant; then speak to the people of Y’hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim; 3tell them that Adonai the God of Isra’el says: ‘A curse on anyone who does not pay attention to the words of this covenant, 4which I enjoined on your ancestors at the time that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of that iron-smelter. I said,

“Listen to my voice,

and carry out all my orders;

then you will be my people,

and I will be your God;

5so that I can fulfill the oath

that I swore to your ancestors,

to give them a land flowing with milk and honey,

as it is today.”’”

Then I responded, “Amen, Adonai.”

6Adonai said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Y’hudah and in the streets of Yerushalayim: ‘Listen to the words of this covenant, and obey them. 7For I solemnly warned your ancestors at the time when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; and until this day I have frequently warned them, “Listen to my voice!” 8But they have not listened or paid attention; instead, each one has lived according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart. For this reason I have brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I ordered them to obey, but which they did not obey.’”

9Then Adonai said to me, “The men of Y’hudah and the people living in Yerushalayim have formed a conspiracy. 10They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to hear my words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Isra’el and the house of Y’hudah have broken my covenant which I made with their ancestors.” 11Therefore Adonai says, “I am going to bring on them a disaster which they will not be able to escape; and even if they cry to me, I will not listen to them. 12Then the cities of Y’hudah and the people living in Yerushalayim will go and cry to the gods to whom they are making offerings; but they will not save them at all in their time of trouble. 13For you have as many gods, Y’hudah, as you have towns; and you have erected as many altars for sacrificing to that shameful thing, Ba‘al, as there are streets in Yerushalayim.

14“So you, [Yirmeyahu,] don’t pray for this people! Don’t cry or pray on their behalf, because I won’t listen to them when they cry to me because of their troubles. 15What right does my beloved have to be in my house, when she has behaved so shamelessly with so many? Offerings of consecrated meat can no longer help, because it is when you are doing evil that you are happy.”

16Adonai once called you an olive tree,

beautiful, full of leaves and good fruit.

Now with the roar of a violent storm,

he has set it on fire;

and its branches will be consumed.

17For Adonai-Tzva’ot, who planted you,

has decreed evil for you.

“It is because of the evil which the house of Isra’el and the house of Y’hudah did to themselves, provoking me with their offerings of incense to Ba‘al.”

18Adonai made this known to me, and then I knew —

you showed me what they were doing.

19But I was like a tame lamb

led to be slaughtered;

I did not know that they were plotting

schemes against me —

“Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit,

we’ll cut him off from the land of the living,

so that his name will be forgotten.”

20Adonai-Tzva’ot, righteous judge,

tester of motives and thoughts,

I have committed my cause to you;

so let me see your vengeance on them.

21Therefore, here is what Adonai says concerning the men from ‘Anatot who seek your life and who tell you, “Stop prophesying in the name of Adonai, or we will kill you ourselves” — 22this is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine. 23None of them will remain, for I will bring disaster on the men from ‘Anatot when the year comes for them to be punished.”

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Yirmeyahu (Jer) 11: CJB

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Jeremiah 11

The Agreement Is Broken

1These are the words that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah: 2“Listen to the words of this agreement. Tell the people of Judah about it. Tell it to those living in Jerusalem. 3Tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Trouble will come to anyone who does not obey this agreement. 4I am talking about the agreement I made with your ancestors. I made it with them 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. If you do this, you will be my people. And I will be your God. 5Then I will keep the promise I made to your ancestors. I promised to give them a land where much food grows.’ And you are living in that country today!”

I, Jeremiah, answered, “Amen, Lord.”

6The Lord said this to me: “Prophesy this message in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the words of this agreement. Then 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! 8But your ancestors did not listen to me. They were stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted. The agreement says curses will come upon them if they don’t obey it. So I made all those curses 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 are doing the same sins their ancestors did! Their ancestors refused to listen to my message. They followed and worshiped other gods. 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. They will not be able to escape! And 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 for help. They will burn incense to their idols. But those idols will not be able to help when that terrible time comes! 13The people of Judah have as many idols as there are towns in Judah. They have built many altars for worshiping that shameful god Baal. There are as many altars as there are streets in Jerusalem!’

14“As for you, Jeremiah, don’t pray for these people. Don’t 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 lover, Judah, doing in my Temple?

She makes many evil plans.

Does she think animal sacrifices will stop her punishment?

When you do your evil, then you are happy.”

16The Lord called you “a leafy olive tree,

with beautiful fruit to look at.”

But with a strong storm

the Lord will set that tree on fire.

And its branches will be burned up.

17The Lord of heaven’s armies planted you. And he has announced that disaster will come to you. This is because the families of Israel and Judah have done evil things. They have made him angry by offering sacrifices to Baal.

Evil Plans Against Jeremiah

18The Lord showed me that men were making plans against me. The Lord showed me what they were doing. So 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. They said:

“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit!

Let’s kill him!

Then people will forget him!”

20But, Lord of heaven’s armies, you are a fair judge.

You know how to test peoples’ hearts and minds.

I will tell you what I have against them.

And I will let you give them the punishment they should have!

21So the Lord speaks about the men from Anathoth who were planning to kill Jeremiah. Those men say, “Don’t prophesy in the name of the Lord. If you do, we will kill you!” 22So this is what the Lord of heaven’s armies 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. I will cause a disaster to happen to them that year.”

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