Evil Everywhere

       Roam through the streets of Jerusalem,

          look around and take careful note;

          search through the public squares.

       If you can find even one person

          who acts justly and seeks the truth,

          I will pardon this city.

       Even though they say, "As THE LORD

              lives,"

          they are in fact swearing falsely.

       Do your eyes not search for truth, O LORD?

          When YOU struck them, they felt no

              anguish;

          when YOU brought them down, they

              refused correction.

       They have made their faces harder than stone

          and refused to repent.

       Then I thought, "These are only the poor;

          they tend to act foolishly.

       For they do not know the way of THE LORD

          or the ordinances of their GOD.

       Therefore, I will go to their leaders

          and speak to them.

       Surely they will know the way of THE LORD

          and their responsibilities to their GOD."

       But those, too, had broken the yoke

          and torn away from their bonds.

       Therefore, lions from the forest will tear them

              to pieces,

          and wolves from the desert will ravage

              them.

       Leopards will be on the prowl around their

              cities;

          all those who depart from them

          will be torn to pieces

       because of their many crimes

          and their apostasies

          without number.

       Why should I forgive you?

          Your children have forsaken ME to swear

              by gods

          that are not gods in any way.

       When I gave them everything they needed,

          they committed adultery

          and hastened to the houses of prostitutes.

       They are well-fed and lusty stallions,

          each one neighing for his neighbor's wife.

       Shall I not punish them for these things?

          asks THE LORD.

       Shall I not take vengeance on a nation such

              as this?

       Ascend to her vineyards and ravage them

          but do not totally destroy them.

       Strip off her branches,

          for these people no longer belong to THE

              LORD.

       Both the house of Israel and the house of

              Judah

          have been completely unfaithful to ME,

              says THE LORD.

       They have denied THE LORD,

          boldly asserting, "He will do nothing.

       No harm will come to us;

          we will not endure either sword or famine.

       The prophets are nothing but wind;

          the word is not in them.

          Their dire predictions will redound upon

              them."

       Therefore, THE LORD, THE GOD OF

              HOSTS,

          has this to say:

       Because you have said these things,

          MY words will become a fire in your mouth,

       and I will make this people like wood

          that the fire will consume.

       Be forewarned that I will bring against you

          a nation from a great distance,

          O house of Israel, says THE LORD--

       a long-existent nation,

          a nation founded long ago,

       a people whose language you do not know

          and whose speech you cannot understand.

       The quivers of these people are like open

              graves;

          all of them are mighty warriors.

       They 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;

       with their swords they will destroy

          your fortified towns in which you place

              your trust.

              Yet even in those days, declares THE LORD, I will not completely destroy you. And when the people ask, "Why has THE LORD, our GOD, done all this to us?" reply to them, "As you have forsaken THE LORD and served alien gods in your own land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours."

       Announce this in the house of Jacob,

          proclaim it in Judah:

       Pay attention to this,

          you foolish and senseless people,

       who have eyes but do not see,

          who have ears but do not hear.

       Do you have no fear of ME? asks THE

              LORD.

          Do you not tremble before ME?

       I was THE ONE who established the sand

          as the boundary for the sea,

          a perpetual barrier that it can never pass.

       Its waves may rise up but cannot prevail;

          they may roar but cannot cross the limits.

       But this people has a rebellious and stubborn

          heart;

       they have risen up in defiance and gone away.

       Nor do they say to themselves,

          "Let us fear THE LORD, our GOD,

       who gives us in their proper season

          the autumn and spring rains

       and unfailingly provides for us

          the weeks designated for the harvest."

       Your iniquities have upset the order of nature,

          and your sins have deprived you of its

              bounty.

       For there are wicked scoundrels among MY

              people

          who, like fowlers, set traps,

          but with men as their quarry.

       Like a cage full of birds,

          their houses are full of treachery.

       As a result, they have grown rich and

              powerful,

          well fed and well groomed.

       Their wickedness knows no bounds,

          and they do not practice justice in their

              dealings.

       They do not uphold the rights of the orphan

          or defend the cause of the needy.

       How can I fail to punish such things?

          says THE LORD.

       How can I refuse to exact vengeance on a

              nation such as this?

       An appalling and outrageous situation

          has occurred in the land.

       The prophets prophesy falsely,

          the priests are in league with them,

       and the people are delighted with this

              situation.

          But when the end comes, what will you do?

JEREMIAH: CHAPTER 5

Invasion and Destruction

       O people of Jerusalem, flee for safety!

          Depart immediately from Jerusalem!

       Sound the trumpet in Tekoa!

          Raise a signal over Beth-haccherem!

       For disaster looms from the north,

          immense destruction will ensue.

       The beautiful and delicate daughter Zion

          faces imminent destruction.

       Shepherds will advance against her with their

              flocks;

          they will pitch their tents all around her,

          each one grazing his own portion of the

              pasture.

       "Prepare for war against her!

          Arise! We will attack at noon."

       "It is now too late.

          The daylight is fading,

          and the evening shadows have begun to

              lengthen."

       "On your feet! Let us attack by night

          and destroy her palaces."

       These are the words of THE LORD OF

              HOSTS:

          Cut down her trees

          and raise up siege-ramps against

              Jerusalem.

       This city must be punished,

          for oppression is rampant within her.

       As a well keeps its water fresh,

          so she keeps fresh her wickedness.

       Sounds of violence and destruction resound

              within her;

          sickness and wounds are never out of MY

              sight.

       Heed MY warning, O Jerusalem,

          or I will turn away from you in revulsion

       and reduce you to a desert,

          a desolate land where no man dwells.

       These are the words of THE LORD OF

              HOSTS:

          Glean thoroughly like a vine

          the remnant of Israel.

       Like one who picks the grapes,

          pass your hand once again over its

              branches.

       To whom should I speak and issue warning

          so that they may hear?

       See, their ears are closed,

          and so they cannot pay heed

       They regard the word of THE LORD as

              offensive

          and they take no pleasure in it.

       However, I am filled with the wrath of THE

              LORD,

          and I am weary of holding it in.

       I will pour it out on the children in the street

          as well as on the gatherings of young men.

       Both husband and wife will be taken,

          the elderly and those far advanced in years.

       Their houses will be turned over to others,

          together with their fields and their wives,

       when I stretch out MY hand

          against those who dwell in the land,

          says THE LORD.

       For from the least to the greatest,

          all are greedy for gain.

       All of them practice fraud,

          prophets and priests alike.

       They treat the wound of MY people

          as though it were a minor bruise,

       saying, "All is well,"

          when in reality, disaster looms on the

              horizon.

       They should be ashamed

          because of their abominable deeds.

       Yet they are never ashamed

          they do not know how to blush.

       Therefore, they will fall along with the others;

          they will be cast down when I punish them,

          says THE LORD.

       These are the words of THE LORD OF

              HOSTS:

          Stand at the crossroads and look around;

          ask for the ancient paths.

       When you are shown where the good way lies,

          walk along it and your souls will find rest.

          However, they said, "We will not take it."

       I also posted sentinels for you and said,

          "Listen to the sound of the trumpet!"

          But they said, "We will not give it any

              heed."

       Therefore, hear, you nations,

          and come to understand, you people,

          the fate that will befall them.

       Let all on earth come to understand

          the extent of the disaster I will inflict on this

             people,

          the inescapable fruit of their schemes,

       because they have not given heed to MY

              words

          and have rejected MY law.

       What use do I have for incense imported from

              Sheba

          or fragrant cane from a distant land?

       I do not regard your burnt offerings as

              acceptable,

          nor are your sacrifices pleasing to ME.

       Therefore, thus says THE LORD:

          Behold, I will now place obstacles before

              this people

          that will cause them to stumble.

       Fathers and sons, friends and neighbors,

          will all perish together.

       These are the words of THE LORD OF

              HOSTS:

          Behold, a people is approaching

          from the land of the north;

       a great nation is coming forth

          from the ends of the earth.

       Armed with bow and javelin,

          they are cruel and lack any semblance of

              mercy.

       Their sound is like the thunder of the sea

          as they ride forth on their horses;

       they approach in battle formation

          to fight against you, O daughter of Zion.

       As news about them reaches us,

          our hands become limp.

       Anguish has gripped us,

          pain like that of a woman in labor.

       Do not venture forth into the countryside

          or walk along the roads.

       Terror lurks on every side

          from the swords of the enemy.

       O daughter of MY people,

          wrap yourselves in sackcloth

          and roll in the ashes.

       Mourn as you would for an only child

          with bitter lamentation.

       For suddenly approaching us,

          we will behold the destroyer.

       I have designated you as a tester of MY

              people

          so that you may learn and test their ways.

       All of them are unrepentant rebels,

          comfortable in slander and corrupt without

              exception,

          hard as bronze and iron.

       The bellows roar

          and the lead is consumed by the fire.

       In vain does the smelter do his work,

          for the wicked are not purged out.

       They are called "rejected silver,"

          for THE LORD has indeed rejected them.

JEREMIAH: CHAPTER 6

True Worship.

 This is the word of THE LORD that was delivered to Jeremiah: Stand at the gate of the house of THE LORD, and proclaim there this message: Hear the word of THE LORD, all you people of Judah who enter through these gates to worship THE LORD. This is the message that THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, proclaims to you: Amend your ways and your deeds so that I may remain with you in this place. Do not place your trust in these deceptive words: This is the temple of THE LORD, the temple of THE LORD, the temple of THE LORD.
       However, if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you are upright in your dealings with your neighbor; if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow; if you do not shed innocent blood in this place; and if you do not follow other gods and thereby cause your own destruction, then I will allow you to live in this place, in the land that I gave as a permanent gift to your fathers long ago.
       You have been placing your trust in deceitful words that are completely worthless. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, engage in perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods about whom you know nothing, and then come and stand before ME in this house which bears MY name and say, "We are safe," all the while intending to continue doing these abominable deeds? Has this house which bears MY name become in your eyes a den of thieves? Be assured that I am fully aware of what you are doing, says THE LORD.
       Go now to MY shrine of Shiloh which I originally designated as the dwelling place of MY name. There you can observe what I did to it as the result of the wickedness of MY people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, says THE LORD, and refused to listen when I spoke to you continuously, and would not answer when I called you, I therefore will do to the house that bears MY name, to this house in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, just what I did to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of MY sight, just as I cast out all your kinsfolk, all the offspring of Ephraim.

JEREMIAH: CHAPTER 7, VERSES 1 - 15

Abuses in Worship.

       For your part, Jeremiah, do not intercede for this people, do not raise a plea or a prayer on their behalf, and do not intercede with ME, for I will not listen to you. Do you not observe what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather up the wood, their fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And to arouse MY anger they pour out drink offerings to other gods.

       But am I the one whom they hurt? asks THE LORD. Is it not rather themselves, to their own shame? Therefore, says THE LORD GOD, MY anger and wrath will pour forth on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the fruits of the earth, and burn without being quenched.

       Thus says THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and consume all the flesh yourselves. For when I brought forth your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I gave them no commands in regard to burnt offerings and sacrifices. What I commanded them was this: Listen to MY voice, and I will be your GOD, and you will be MY people. If you follow all the ways that I command you, then you will prosper.

       However, they did not obey or pay heed to MY words. Rather, they persisted in following their own evil inclinations with stubborn hearts and turned their backs to ME, not their faces. From the day your ancestors left Egypt until today, I unfailingly sent all MY servants the prophets to them. Yet they have not listened to ME or paid attention; instead they stiffened their necks and proved to be worse than their ancestors.

       When you speak all these words to them, they will not listen to you. When you call out to them, they will not answer you. Then you are to say to them: This is the nation that did not obey THE LORD, their GOD, or accept correction. Truth has perished. It no longer issues forth from their mouths.

       Cut off your hair and cast it away;

          raise a lamentation on the barren heights.

       For THE LORD has rejected and abandoned

          the generation that has provoked HIS

              wrath.

       The people of Judah have perpetrated deeds that are evil in MY sight, says THE LORD. They have defiled the house that bears MY name by setting up within it their loathsome idols. Furthermore, they have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire--a deed that I never ordered and that never even entered MY mind.

       Therefore, beware, for the days are coming, says THE LORD, when the names of Topheth and the Valley of Ben-hinnom will no longer be used. They will rather be referred to as the Valley of Slaughter. Because of a scarcity of space, Topheth will become a burial ground. The corpses of this people will serve as food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth, and no one will frighten them away. In the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem I will banish all sounds of joy and gladness and the voices of the bridegroom and bride, for the entire land will have become a desert.

       At that time, says THE LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of its priests and prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be exhumed from their graves. They will be spread out before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven which they loved and served, and which they followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up and buried but will be left upon the ground like dung. And death will be preferred to life by the survivors of the wicked race in any of the places to which I have banished them, says THE LORD OF HOSTS.

JEREMIAH: CHAPTER 7, VERSES 16 - 34 & CHAPTER 8, VERSES 1 - 3

Israel's Infidelity

       Then you are to say to them,

          Thus says THE LORD:

       When someone falls, does he not stand up

              again?

          If people go astray, do they not turn back

       Why then do these people continue to rebel

          and persist in their obstinate infidelity?

       Why do they continue in their treachery

          and refuse to turn back?

       I have listened to them attentively

          but they never utter a truthful word.

       Not a single one repents of his wickedness,

          saying, "What have I done?"

       All of them continue to follow the same

              course

          like a horse charging into battle.

       Even the stork in the sky

          knows its appointed seasons;

       turtledoves, swallows, and cranes

          are aware when it is time to migrate.

       But MY people do not know

          the ordinances of THE LORD.

       How can you say, "We are wise,

          for we have the law of THE LORD,"

       when that law has been falsified

          by the lying pen of the scribes?

       The wise will be put to shame;

          they will be dismayed and caught in errors.

       Since they have rejected the word of THE

              LORD,

          of what value is their wisdom?

JEREMIAH: CHAPTER 8, VERSES 4 - 9