Jeremiah 5
5
God’s Just Judgment
1Roam the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares! If you can find a person, if there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, then I will pardon the city.
2Though they say, “As Adonai lives!” surely they swear falsely.
3Adonai, do Your eyes not look for faithfulness? You struck them, but they did not grieve. You disciplined them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone. They refused to return.
4Then I said: These are only the poor. They are foolish. For they do not know the way of Adonai, the ordinance of their God.
5I will go to the distinguished and speak to them. Surely they know the way of Adonai, the ordinance of their God. But they too had broken the yoke and torn off the bonds.
6Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them. A desert wolf will ravage them. A leopard watches over their cities. Everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces, For their rebellion is great, their backslidings frequent.
7“Why therefore should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those who are not gods. Even though I fed them well, they committed adultery and thronged to the prostitute houses.
8They are well-fed, lustful stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
9For such, should I not punish them?” It is a declaration of Adonai. “On such a nation as this should I not avenge Myself?
10Go up into her vines and ravage them, but do not completely destroy them. Strip away her branches for they are not Adonai’s.
11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
12They have lied about Adonai saying: “Not He! No harm will come to us. Nor will we see sword or famine.
13The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them. Let what they say be done to them!”
14Therefore thus says Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot: “Because you speak this word, behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire and this people wood— and it will devour them.
15See, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “It is an enduring nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you neither know nor understand what they say.
16Their quiver is an open grave. They are all mighty warriors.
17They will devour 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 vines and your fig trees. They will demolish your fortified cities —the ones in which you trust— with the sword.
18“Yet even in those days,” declares Adonai, “I will not completely destroy you.
19So it will come to pass that when you ask, ‘Why has Adonai Eloheinu done all these things to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
20“Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah, saying:
21‘Hear this you foolish people who have no understanding, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
22Do you not fear Me?’ says Adonai. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence?’ For I made the sand a boundary of the sea, an everlasting decree that cannot be broken. Though the waves roll, they cannot prevail. Though they roar, they cannot cross it.
23But this people have a stubborn and rebellious heart. They have turned aside and gone away.
24They do not say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear Adonai Eloheinu, who gives rain in its season —fall rain and spring rain— who reserves for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
25Your iniquities have turned these away, your sins have deprived you of bounty.
26For among My people are wicked men, watching like bait-layers lying in wait. They set a trap—they catch men.
27As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. That is why they grew great and rich.
28They grew fat and sleek. They also overlooked evil deeds. They do not uphold a cause— the cause of an orphan to prosper— nor do they defend the right of the poor.
29Should I not punish them?” says Adonai. “On such a nation should I not avenge Myself?
30An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land.
31The prophets prophesy falsely, the kohanim rule by their own authority, and My people love it this way! But what will you do in the end?”
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Jeremiah 5: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Jeremiah 5
5
Universal Corruption
1Roam the streets of Jerusalem,
look about and observe,
Search through her squares,
to find even one
Who acts justly
and seeks honesty,
and I will pardon her!
2They say, “As the Lord lives,”
but in fact they swear falsely.
3Lord, do your eyes not search for honesty?
You struck them, but they did not flinch;
you laid them low, but they refused correction;
They set their faces harder than stone,
and refused to return.#Jer 2:30.
4I thought: These are only the lowly,
they behave foolishly;
For they do not know the way of the Lord,
the justice of their God.#Jer 8:7.
5Let me go to the leaders
and speak with them;
For they must know the way of the Lord,
the justice of their God.
But, one and all, they have broken the yoke,
torn off the harness.#Jer 6:13.
6Therefore, lions from the forest slay them,
wolves of the desert ravage them,
Leopards keep watch round their cities:
all who come out are torn to pieces,
For their crimes are many,
their rebellions numerous.
7Why should I pardon you?
Your children have forsaken me,
they swear by gods that are no gods.
I fed them, but they commit adultery;
to the prostitute’s house they throng.
8They are lustful stallions,
each neighs after the other’s wife.#Jer 13:27.
9Should I not punish them for this?—oracle of the Lord;
on a nation like this should I not take vengeance?
10Climb her terraces, and ravage them,
destroy them completely.
Tear away her tendrils,
they do not belong to the Lord.#Jer 2:21.
11For they have openly rebelled against me,
both the house of Israel and the house of Judah—
oracle of the Lord.#Jer 3:20.
12They denied the Lord,#They denied the Lord: the people act as though God does not matter and will not interfere.
saying, “He is nothing,
No evil shall come to us,
neither sword nor famine shall we see.#Jer 14:13; Is 28:15.
13The prophets are wind,
and the word is not with them.
Let it be done to them!”
14Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts,
because you have said this—
See! I make my words
a fire in your mouth,
And this people the wood
that it shall devour!—
15Beware! I will bring against you
a nation from far away,
O House of Israel—oracle of the Lord;
A long-lived nation, an ancient nation,
a people whose language you do not know,
whose speech you cannot understand.#Dt 28:49.
16Their quivers are like open graves;
all of them are warriors.
17They will devour your harvest and your bread,
devour your sons and your daughters,
Devour your sheep and cattle,
devour your vines and fig trees;
With their swords they will beat down
the fortified cities in which you trust.#Dt 28:31.
18Yet even in those days—oracle of the Lord—I will not completely destroy you.#Jer 4:27. 19And when they ask, “Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?” say to them, “As you have abandoned me to serve foreign gods in your own land, so shall you serve foreigners in a land not your own.”
20Announce this to the house of Jacob,
proclaim it in Judah:
21Pay attention to this,
you foolish and senseless people,
Who have eyes and do not see,
who have ears and do not hear.#Is 6:9.
22Should you not fear me—oracle of the Lord—
should you not tremble before me?
I made the sandy shore the sea’s limit,
which by eternal decree it may not overstep.
Toss though it may, it is to no avail;
though its billows roar, they cannot overstep.#Jb 38:10–11.
23But this people’s heart is stubborn and rebellious;
they turn and go away,
24And do not say in their hearts,
“Let us fear the Lord, our God,
Who gives us rain
early and late,#Rain early and late: autumn and spring rains respectively. Appointed weeks of harvest: the seven weeks between the Passover (Dt 16:9–10) and the feast of Weeks (Pentecost), when it did not ordinarily rain. in its time;
Who watches for us
over the appointed weeks of harvest.”#Gn 8:22; Dt 11:14.
25Your crimes have prevented these things,
your sins have turned these blessings away from you.#Jer 2:17, 19.
26For criminals lurk among my people;
like fowlers they set traps,
but it is human beings they catch.#Prv 1:11.
27Their houses are as full of treachery
as a bird-cage is of birds;
Therefore they grow powerful and rich,
28fat and sleek.
They pass over wicked deeds;
justice they do not defend
By advancing the claim of the orphan
or judging the cause of the poor.#Jer 12:1; Is 1:23.
29Shall I not punish these things?—oracle of the Lord;
on a nation such as this shall I not take vengeance?
30Something shocking and horrible
has happened in the land:
31The prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests teach on their own authority;
Yet my people like it this way;
what will you do when the end comes?#Jer 14:14; Mi 2:11.
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