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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Jeremiah 5: LEB
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Jeremiah 5
5
Is Anyone Honest and Faithful?
The Lord said to me:
1“Search Jerusalem
for honest people
who try to be faithful.
If you can find even one,
I'll forgive the whole city.
2Everyone breaks promises
made in my name.”
3I answered, “I know
that you look for truth.
You punished your people
for their lies,
but in spite of the pain,
they became more stubborn
and refused to turn back
to you.”
4Then I thought to myself,
“These common people
act like fools,
and they have never learned
what the Lord their God
demands of them.
5So I'll go and talk to the leaders.
They know what God demands.”
But even they had decided
not to obey the Lord.
6The people have rebelled
and rejected the Lord
too many times.
So enemies will attack
like lions from the forest
or wolves from the desert.
Those enemies will watch
the towns of Judah,
and like leopards
they will tear to pieces
whoever goes outside.
Enemies Will Punish Judah
The Lord said:
7People of Judah,
how can I forgive you?
I gave you everything,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped idols.
You men go to prostitutes
and are unfaithful
to your wives.
8You are no better than animals,
and you always want sex
with someone else's wife.
9Why shouldn't I punish
the people of Judah?
10I will tell their enemies,
“Go through my vineyard.
Don't destroy the vines,
but cut off the branches,
because they are the people
who don't belong to me.”
11In every way, Judah and Israel
have been unfaithful to me.
* 12Their prophets lie and say,
“The Lord won't punish us.
We will have peace
and plenty of food.”
13They tell these lies in my name,
so now they will be killed in war
or starve to death.
14I am the Lord God All-Powerful.
Jeremiah, I will tell you
exactly what to say.
Your words will be a fire;
Israel and Judah
will be the fuel.
15People of Israel,
I have made my decision.
An army from a distant country
will attack you.
I've chosen an ancient nation,
and you won't understand
their language.
16All of them are warriors,
and their arrows bring death.
17This nation will eat your crops
and livestock;
they will leave no fruit
on your vines or fig trees.
And although you feel safe
behind thick walls,
your towns will be destroyed
and your children killed.
Israel Refused To Worship the Lord
18The Lord said:
Jeremiah, the enemy army won't kill everyone in Judah. 19And the people who survive will ask, “Why did the Lord our God do such terrible things to us?” Then tell them:
I am the Lord,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped other gods
in your own land.
Now you will be slaves
in a foreign country.
20Tell these things to each other,
you people of Judah,
you descendants of Jacob.
21 #
Is 6.9,10; Ez 12.2; Mk 8.18. You fools! Why don't you listen
when I speak?
Why can't you understand
22 #
Job 38.8-11. that you should worship me
with fear and trembling?
I'm the one who made the shore
to hold back the ocean.
Waves may crash on the beach,
but they can come no farther.
23You stubborn people have rebelled
and turned your backs on me.
24You refuse to say,
“Let's worship the Lord!
He's the one who sends rain
in spring and autumn
and gives us a good harvest.”
25That's why I cannot bless you!
* 26A hunter traps birds
and puts them in a cage,
but some of you trap humans
and make them your slaves.
27You are evil, and you lie and cheat
to make yourselves rich.
You are powerful
28and prosperous,
but you refuse to help#5.28 refuse to help: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. the poor
get the justice they deserve.
29You need to be punished,
and so I will take revenge.
30Look at the terrible things
going on in this country.
I am shocked!
31Prophets give their messages
in the name of a false god,#5.31 give … god: Or “tell lies.”
my priests don't want
to serve me,#5.31 don't … me: Or “don't care what I want.”
and you—my own people—
like it this way!
But on the day of disaster,
where will you turn for help?
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.