Jeremiah 5
5
Futile search for a good person
1Search every street in Jerusalem,
comb the squares,
look far and wide
for one person,
even one who acts justly
and seeks truth that I may pardon her!
2Even when making a pledge—“As the LORD lives”—
they swear falsely.
3 LORD, don’t you look for integrity?
You have struck them down,
but they didn’t even cringe.
You have crushed them,
but they have ignored your discipline.
They make their faces harder than rock
and refuse to return.
4Then I thought to myself,
These are the poor who don’t know better!
They don’t understand the LORD’s way
or the justice of their God.
5Let me go and speak to the powerful people,
for they will surely know the LORD’s way
and the justice of their God.
But they too have broken their yoke
and shattered the chains.
6Therefore, a lion from the forest will attack them;
a wolf from the desert will destroy them;
a leopard prowling around their towns
will tear to pieces anyone venturing out—
because of their many crimes
and countless acts of unfaithfulness.
7How can I pardon you?
Your children have forsaken me
and swear by gods that are not gods.
Although I could have satisfied them,
they committed adultery,
dashing off to the prostitution house.
8They are lusty stallions roving about,
snorting for another’s wife.
9The LORD declares:
Shouldn’t I confront these acts?
Shouldn’t I take revenge on such a nation?
Contempt for God
10Climb through her vineyards and ravage them,
although not completely.
Prune back her branches,
because they aren’t the LORD’s.
11The people of Israel and Judah
have been utterly faithless to me,
declares the LORD.
12They have lied about the LORD
and said, “He’ll do nothing!#5.12 Or not he
Disaster won’t come upon us;
we won’t see war or famine.”
13The prophets are so much wind;
the word isn’t in them.
Thus and so may it be done to them.
14Therefore, the LORD God of heavenly forces proclaims:
Because you have spoken this way,
I will put my words
in your mouth as a fire;
it will consume the people,
who are but kindling.
15I am about to bring a distant nation against you,
people of Israel,
declares the LORD.
It is an established nation,
an ancient nation,
a nation whose language you don’t know,
whose speech you won’t understand.
16Its weapons are deadly;#5.16 Or Its quiver is like an open grave
its warriors are many.
17It will devour your harvest and food;
it will devour your sons and daughters;
it will devour your flocks and herds;
it will devour your vines and fig trees;
it will shatter your fortified towns in which you trust—
with the sword!
18Yet even in those days, declares the LORD, I won’t completely destroy you. 19And when they ask, “Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?” you must reply, “Just as you have abandoned me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land not your own.”
Shouldn’t you fear me?
20Declare this to the people of Jacob,
announce it in Judah:
21Listen, you foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but don’t see
and ears but don’t hear.
22Shouldn’t you fear me,
declares the LORD,
and tremble before me,
the one who set the shoreline for the sea,
an ancient boundary that it can’t pass?
Though its waves may rise and roar,
they can’t pass the limits I have set.
23And yet the people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
they turn and go their own way.
24They don’t say in their hearts,
Let’s fear the LORD our God,
who provides rain in autumn and spring
and who assures us of a harvest in its season.
25Your wrongdoing has turned these blessings#5.25 Heb lacks blessings. away.
Your sin has robbed you of good.
26Criminals are found among my people;
they set traps to catch people,
like hunters lying in wait.#5.26 Heb uncertain
27Like a cage full of birds,
so their houses are full of loot.
No wonder they are rich and powerful
28and have grown fat and sleek!
To be sure, their evil deeds exceed all limits,
and yet they prosper.
They are indifferent to the plight of the orphan,
reluctant to defend the rights of the poor.
29Shouldn’t I punish such acts?
declares the LORD.
Shouldn’t I repay that nation for its deeds?
30An awful, a terrible thing
has happened in the land:
31The prophets prophesy falsely,
the priests rule at their sides,#5.31 Or by their hands
and my people love it this way!
But what will you do when the end comes?
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Jeremiah 5: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 5
5
1 “Roam about through the streets of Jerusalem,
and look please, and take note,
and search at its public squares,
if you can find a person who does justice,
who seeks honesty,
so that I may forgive it.
2And though they say, ‘As Yahweh lives,’#Literally “Life of Yahweh”
therefore#Literally “to thus” they swear falsely.”
3O Yahweh, do not your eyes look for honesty?
You have struck them, but they felt no pain,
you have destroyed them, they refused to take discipline.
They have hardened their faces more than rock,
they have refused to turn back.
4Then I said, “They are just simple people,
they are foolish,
for they know not the way of Yahweh,
the law#Or “ordinance” of their God.
5Let me go to the great,
and let me speak with them,
for they know the way of Yahweh,
the law#Or “ordinance” of their God.”
However, they together have broken the yoke,
they have torn to pieces the bonds.
6Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them,
A wolf from the desert plains#Or “Arabah” will devastate them.
A leopard is watching their cities,
everyone who goes out from there will be torn,
because their transgressions are many,
their apostasies are numerous.
7“How#Literally “Why to this” can I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me,
and they have sworn by those who are not gods.
But I fed them to the full,
and they committed adultery,
and flocked to the house of a prostitute.
8They were well-fed lusty horses,
they neighed each to the wife of his neighbor.
9Because of these things shall I not punish?” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh,
“and on a nation who is like this, shall I not take revenge?
10Go up through her vineyards and destroy,
but you must not make complete destruction.
Remove her branches,
for they are not to Yahweh.
11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
have dealt utterly treacherously with me,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
12“They have denied Yahweh, and have said,
‘Not he, for#Literally “and” evil will not come on us,
we will see neither sword nor famine.
13And the prophets are like wind,
and the word is not in them.’
Thus it will be done to them.”
14Therefore#Literally “To thus” thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts,
“Because you have spoken this word,
look, I am making my words in your mouth like a fire,
and this people wood, and it will devour them.
15Look, I am about to bring on you a nation from afar,
O house of Israel,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
“It is an enduring nation, it is an ancient nation.#Literally “a nation from a long time ago”
A nation whose language you do not know,
and you cannot understand what they speak.
16Their quiver is like an open tomb,
all of them are warriors.
17And they will eat your harvest and your food,
they will eat your sons and your daughters,
they will eat your flock and your herd,
they will eat your vine and your fig tree,
they will smash with the sword your fortified cities,#Literally “the cities of your fortification”
in which you trust.
18“But even in those days,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh, “I will not make you a complete destruction. 19And then,#Literally “And it will happen” when you people say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all of these things to us?’ Then you will say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and have served gods of a foreign land in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land that does not belong to you.’#Literally “a land not to you”
20“Declare this in the house of Jacob,
and proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21‘Hear this please, O foolish and senseless#Literally “without heart” people,
who have eyes#Literally “eyes for them” but do not see,
who have ears#Literally “ears for them” but do not hear.’
22Do you not revere me?” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh,
“Do you not tremble before me?#Literally “from the face of me”
For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
as an everlasting limit,#Literally “a limit of eternity” and it cannot pass over it,
and they rise and fall loudly, but they cannot prevail,
and its waves roar, but they cannot pass over it.
23But for this people is a stubborn and rebellious heart,
they have turned aside and have gone away.
24And they do not say in their hearts,
‘Let us fear please Yahweh our God,
the one who gives the autumn rain#Hebrew “early rain” and the spring rain#Hebrew “late rain” in its season,
the set times of the harvest#Literally “weeks due harvest” he keeps for us.’
25Your iniquities have disturbed these,
and your sins have kept away the good from you.
26For wicked people are found among my people,
they lie in wait like the hiding of fowlers,
they set up a trap,
they catch humans.
27Like a cage full of birds,#Hebrew “bird”
so their houses are full of fraud.
Therefore#Literally “Unto thus” they have become great,
and they have become rich.
28They have grown fat,
they have grown sleek,
also, their evil deeds have no limit.#Literally “they cross over evil deeds”
They do not judge with justice,
the legal cause of the orphan,
or allow it to succeed,
and the legal case of the poor,
they do not defend.
29Because of these things shall I not punish?” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh,
“and on a nation who is like this, shall I not take revenge?
30A horrific event and something horrible has happened in the land.
31The prophets prophesy falsely,#Literally “in the lie”
and the priests rule by their own authority,#Literally “by their hands”
and my people love it#Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation so much.
But what will you do when the end comes?#Literally “to end her”
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