1  THE WORDS of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

2  to whom the word of YHWH came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

2  accordingly as the word of God came to him in the days of Josias son of Amos king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

2  The word of the Lord, which came to him in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,

3  It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

3  And it was in the days of Joakim, son of Josias king of Juda, until the eleventh year of Sedekias king of Juda, even until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

3  and which came to him in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, even until the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, even until the transmigration of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4  And the word of YHWH came unto me, saying

4  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.

5  “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you went forth from the womb, I sanctified you. And I made you a prophet to the nations.”

6  Then said I: 'Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child.'

6  And I said, O Lord, thou that art supreme Lord, behold, I know not how to speak, for I am a child.

6  And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a boy.”

7  But YHWH said unto me: say not: I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak.

7  And the Lord said to me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all to whomsoever I shall send thee, and according to all the words that I shall command thee, thou shalt speak.

7  And the Lord said to me: “Do not choose to say, ‘I am a boy.’ For you shall go forth to everyone to whom I will send you. And you shall speak all that I will command you.

8  Be not afraid of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith YHWH.

8  You should not be afraid before their face. For I am with you, so that I may deliver you,” says the Lord.

9  Then YHWH put forth His hand, and touched my mouth; and the YHWH said unto me: Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth;

9  And the Lord stretched forth his hand to me, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put my words into thy mouth.

9  Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

10  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, and to destroy and to overthrow; to build, and to plant.

10  Behold, I have appointed thee this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to rebuild, and to plant.

10  Behold, today I have appointed you over nations and over kingdoms, so that you may root up, and pull down, and destroy, and scatter, and so that you may build and plant.”

11  Moreover the word of YHWH came unto me, saying: 'Jeremiah, what seest thou?' And I said: 'I see a rod of an almond-tree.'

11  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A rod of an almond tree.

12  Then said YHWH unto me: 'Thou hast well seen; for I watch over My word to perform it.'

12  And the Lord said to me, Thou hast well seen: for I have watched over my words to perform them.

12  Then the LORD said to me, You have well seen; for I will hasten my word to perform it.

13  And the word of YHWH came unto me the second time, saying: 'What seest thou?' And I said: 'I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is from the north.'

13  And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a cooking pot upon a fire, and its face is before the face of the north.”

14  Then YHWH said unto me: 'Out of the north the evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

14  And the Lord said to me, From the north shall flame forth evils upon all the inhabitants of the land.

15  For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith YHWH; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

15  For behold, I will call together all the close associates of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord. And they will arrive, and each one of them will place his throne at the entrance to the gates of Jerusalem, and over all its surrounding walls, and over all the cities of Judah.

16  And I will utter My judgments against them touching all their wickedness; in that they have forsaken me, and have offered unto other gods, and worshipped the work of their own hands.

16  And I will speak to them in judgement, concerning all their iniquity, forasmuch as they have forsaken me, and sacrificed to strange gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

17  Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee; be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them.

17  And do thou gird up thy loins, and stand up, and speak all the words that I shall command thee: be not afraid of their face, neither be thou alarmed before them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

17  Therefore, you should gird your waist, and rise up, and speak to them everything that I instruct you. You should not have dread before their face. For I will cause you to be unafraid of their countenance.

18  For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

18  Behold, I have made thee this day as a strong city, and as a brazen wall, strong against all the kings of Juda, and the princes thereof, and the people of the land.

18  For certainly, this day, I have made you like a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and a brass wall, over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, and to the priests, and to the people of the land.

19  And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; For I am with thee, saith YHWH, to deliver thee.'

19  And they will make war against you, but they will not prevail. For I am with you, says the Lord, so that I may free you.”

19  And they shall fight with you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

2:1  And the word of YHWH came to me, saying

1  And he said, Thus saith the Lord,

1  MOREOVER the word of the LORD came upon me, saying,

2:2  Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith YHWH: I remember for thee the affection of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; how thou wentest after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

2  I remember the kindness of thy youth, and the love of thine espousals,

2:3  Israel is YHWH'S hallowed portion, His first-fruits of the increase; all that devour him shall be held guilty, evil shall come upon them, saith the YHWH.

3  in following the Holy One of Israel, saith the Lord, Israel was the holy people to the Lord, and the first-fruits of his increase: al that devoured him shall offend; evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.

3  Israel has sanctified to the LORD the first fruits of his crops; all those who embezzle them shall be condemned; evil shall come upon them, says the LORD.

2:4  Hear ye the word of YHWH, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel;

4  Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and every family of the house of Israel.

4  Listen to the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel.

2:5  Thus saith YHWH: What unrighteousness have your fathers found in Me, that they are gone far from Me, and have walked after things of nought, and are become nought?

5  Thus says the Lord: “What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they would draw far away from me, and would walk after emptiness, and would become empty?

2:6  Neither said they: 'Where is YHWH that brought us up out of the land of Egypt; that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?'

6  And they said not, Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who guided us in the wilderness, in an untried and trackless land, in a land which no man at all went through, and no man dwelt there?

6  And they have not said: ‘Where is the Lord, who caused us to ascend from the land of Egypt; who led us through the desert, through an uninhabited and impassable land, through a land of drought and of the image of death, through a land in which no one walked and in which no man lived?’

2:7  And I brought you into a land of fruitful fields, to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled My land, and made My heritage an abomination.

7  And I led you into the land of Carmel, so that you would eat from its fruit and from its excellence. And having entered it, you defiled my land, and you turned my inheritance into an abomination.

2:8  The priests said not: 'Where is YHWH?' And they that handle the law knew Me not, and the rulers transgressed against Me; the prophets also prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

8  The priests have not sad: ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who held the law did not know me. And the pastors betrayed me. And the prophets prophesied in Baal and followed idols.

2:9  Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith YHWH, and with your children's children will I plead.

9  Because of this, I will still contend in judgment against you, says the Lord, and I will dispute with your sons.

9  Therefore I will yet contend with you, says the LORD; and with your children's children I will contend.

2:10  For pass over to the isles of the Kittites, and see, and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there hath been such a thing.

2:11  Hath a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? But My people hath changed its glory for that which doth not profit.

11  if the nations will change their gods, though they are not gods: but my people have changed their glory, for that from which they shall not be profited.

11  See if a nation has ever changed their gods, though certainly those are not gods. Yet truly, my people have exchanged their glory for an idol.

2:12  Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye exceeding amazed, saith YHWH.

12  The heaven is amazed at this, and is very exceedingly horror-struck, saith the Lord.

12  Be astonished at this, O heavens, and be utterly desolate, O gates of heaven, says the Lord.

2:13  For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

2:14  Is Israel a servant? Is he a home-born slave? Why is he become a prey?

2:15  The young lions have roared upon him, and let their voice resound; and they have made his land desolate, his cities are laid waste, without inhabitant.

15  The lions have roared over him, and they have uttered their voice. They have set his land in solitude; his cities have been burned up, and there is no one who lives in them.

2:16  The children also of Noph and Tahpanhes feed upon the crown of thy head.

16  Also certain rulers of the inhabitants of Memphis and Tahapanes shall rule over you.

2:17  Is it not this that doth cause it unto thee, that thou hast forsaken YHWH thy God, when He led thee by the way?

17  Has not thy forsaking me brought these things upon thee? saith the Lord thy God.

17  Has this not been done to you because you abandoned the Lord your God, in that time when he was leading you by the way?

2:18  And now what hast thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? Or what hast thou to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?

18  And now, why is it that you go in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? And why is it that you go in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river (Euphrates)?

2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing, that thou hast forsaken YHWH thy God, neither is My fear in thee, saith YHWH GOD of hosts.

19  Your own malice will reprove you, and your own apostasy will rebuke you! But know and perceive this: it is an evil and bitter thing for you to forsake the Lord your God, and to be without my fear within you, says the Lord, the God of hosts.

2:20  For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands, and thou saidst: 'I will not transgress'; upon every high hill and under every leafy tree thou didst recline, playing the harlot.

20  For of old thou hast broken thy yoke, and plucked asunder thy bands; and thou has said, I will not serve thee, but will go upon every high hill, and under every shady tree, there will I indulge in my fornication.

20  From ancient times, you have broken my yoke; you have torn apart my bonds, and you have said, ‘I will not serve.’ For on every high hill, and under every leafy tree, you have been debased, O harlot.

2:21  Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me?

21  Yet I planted thee a fruitful vine, entirely of the right sort: how art thou a strange vine turned to bitterness!

21  Yet I planted you as an elect vineyard, with only true seed. Then how have you been turned away from me, toward that which is depraved, O strange vineyard?

2:22  For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before Me, saith YHWH GOD.

22  Though thou shouldest wash thyself with nitre, and multiply to thyself soap, still thou art stained by thine iniquities before me, saith the Lord.

22  Even if you wash yourself with soap, and increase your use of herbal soaps, you are still stained by your iniquity in my sight, says the Lord God.

2:23  How canst thou say: 'I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baalim'? See thy way in the Valley, know what thou hast done; thou art a swift young camel traversing her ways;

23  How can you say: ‘I have not been polluted. I have not walked after Baal?’ Consider your ways in the steep valley. Acknowledge what you have done, so that you may be like a swift runner, following his course.

2:24  A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind in her desire; her lust, who can hinder it? All they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

24  You are like a wild ass which is untrained in the wilderness and follows her own will; you have snuffed up the wind, who can bring you back? Whoever seeks her shall weary himself, he shall find her only by means of her footprints.

2:25  Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst; but thou saidst: 'There is no hope; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.'

25  You should keep your foot from being naked, and your throat from being thirsty. But you have said: ‘I have lost hope. I will not do it. For certainly, I have loved strangers, and I will walk after them.’

2:26  As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets;

26  As is the shame of a thief when he is caught, so shall the children of Israel be ashamed; they, and their kings, and their princes, and their priests, and their prophets.

26  In the same way that a thief is confounded when he has been apprehended, so the house of Israel has been confounded, they and their kings, their leaders and priests and prophets.

2:27  Who say to a stock: 'Thou art my father', and to a stone: 'Thou hast brought us forth', for they have turned their back unto Me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say: 'Arise, and save us.'

27  They said to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou has begotten me: and they have turned their backs to me, and not their faces: yet in the time of their afflictions they will say, Arise, and save us.

27  For they say to a piece of wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You have conceived me.’ They have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their affliction, they will say: ‘Rise up and deliver us.’

2:28  But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble; for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

28  And where are thy gods, which thou madest for thyself? will they arise and save in the time of thine affliction? for according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem they sacrificed to Baal.

28  Where are your gods that you made for yourselves? Let them rise up and deliver you in the time of your affliction. For certainly, your gods were like the number of your cities, O Judah.

2:29  Wherefore will ye contend with Me? Ye all have transgressed against Me, saith YHWH.

29  Wherefore do ye speak unto me? ye all have been ungodly, and ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.

29  Why do you want to contend against me in judgment? You have all forsaken me, says the Lord.

2:30  In vain have I smitten your children--they received no correction; your sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

30  I have struck your children to no effect; they have not accepted discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets. Your generation is like a raging lion.

2:31  O generation, see ye the word of YHWH: have I been a wilderness unto Israel? or a land of thick darkness? Wherefore say My people: 'We roam at large; we will come no more unto Thee'?

31  Hear ye the word of the Lord: thus saith the Lord, Have I been a wilderness or a dry land to Israel? wherefore has my people said, We will not be ruled over, and will not come to thee any more?

31  Consider the word of the Lord. Have I become like a wilderness to Israel, or like a land late to bear fruit? Then why have my people said, ‘We are withdrawing; we will no longer approach you’?

2:32  Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.

32  Can a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride the covering across her breast? Yet truly, my people have forgotten me, for innumerable days.

2:33  How trimmest thou thy way to seek love! Therefore--even the wicked women hast thou taught thy ways;

33  What fair device wilt thou yet employ in thy ways, so as to seek love? it shall not be so; moreover thou has done wickedly in corrupting thy ways;

33  Why do you deck yourself to induce love? For behold you have also learned evil by means of your conduct.

2:34  Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor; thou didst not find them breaking in; yet for all these things

34  and in thine hands has been found the blood of innocent souls; I have not found them in holes, but on every oak.

34  and in your armpits there is found the blood of poor and innocent souls? I have found them, not in ditches, but everywhere that I mentioned previously.

2:35  Thou saidst: 'I am innocent; surely His anger is turned away from me'--behold, I will enter into judgment with thee, because thou sayest: 'I have not sinned.'

35  Yet thou saidst, I am innocent: only let his wrath be turned away from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, whereas thou sayest, I have not sinned.

35  And you have said: ‘I am innocent and without sin. And because of this, let your fury be turned away from me.’ Behold, I will contend with you in judgment, because you have said: ‘I have not sinned.’

2:36  How greatly dost thou cheapen thyself to change thy way? Thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou wast ashamed of Asshur.

36  How exceedingly vile you have become, repeating your ways again and again! And so, you will be ashamed of Egypt, just as you were ashamed of Assur.

2:37  From him also shalt thou go forth, with thy hands upon thy head; for YHWH hath rejected them in whom thou didst trust, and thou shalt not prosper in them.

37  For you will also depart from that place, and your hand will be upon your head. For the Lord has crushed your confidence, and you will have nothing prosperous by it.”

3:1  saying: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, may he return unto her again? Will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; and wouldest thou yet return to Me? saith YHWH.

1  If a man put away his wife, and she depart from him, and become another man’s, shall she return to him any more at all? shall not that woman be utterly defiled? yet thou hast gone a-whoring with many shepherds, and hast returned to me, saith the Lord.

1  “It is commonly said: ‘If a man has divorced his wife, and she departs from him, she will marry another man.’ So why would he return to her again? Is not that woman polluted and defiled? But you have fornicated yourself with many lovers. Even so, return to me, says the Lord, and I will accept you.

3:2  Lift up thine eyes unto the high hills, and see: Where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy harlotries and with thy wickedness.

2  Lift your eyes straight up, and see where you did not debase yourself. You were sitting in the roadways, waiting for them, like a robber in the wilderness. And you have polluted the land by your fornications and by your wickedness.

3:3  Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a harlot's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

3  And thou didst retain many shepherds for a stumbling-block to thyself: thou hadst a whore’s face, thou didst become shameless toward all.

3  For this reason, the rain showers were withheld, and there were no late season rains. You made your face like that of a promiscuous woman; you were not willing to blush.

3:4  Didst thou not just now cry unto Me: 'My father, Thou art the friend of my youth.

4  Hast thou not called me as it were a home, and the father and guide of thy virgin-time?

3:5  Will He bear grudge for ever? Will He keep it to the end?' Behold, thou hast spoken, but hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.

5  Why should you be angry unceasingly? And will you continue in this to the end? Behold, you have spoken and done evil, for you were able to do so.”

3:6  And YHWH said unto me in the days of Josiah the king: 'Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel did? she went up upon every high mountain and under every leafy tree, and there played the harlot.

6  And the Lord said to me in the days of Josias the king, Hast thou seen what things the house of Israel has done to me? they have gone on every high mountain, and under every shady tree, and have committed fornication there.

3:7  And I said: After she hath done all these things, she will return unto me; but she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

7  And I said after she had committed all these acts of fornication, Turn again to me. Yet she returned not. And faithless Juda saw her faithlessness.

7  And when she had done all these things, I said: ‘Return to me.’ But she did not return. And her deceitful sister Judah saw this

3:8  And I saw, when, forasmuch as backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, that yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot;

8  that because the apostate Israel had committed adultery, I had dismissed her and had given her a bill of divorce. Yet her deceitful sister Judah was not afraid. But she, too, went and committed fornication herself.

3:9  and it came to pass through the lightness of her harlotry, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks;

9  And her fornication was nothing accounted of; and she committed adultery with wood and stone.

3:10  and yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto Me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith YHWH--

10  And for all these things faithless Juda turned not to me with all her heart, but falsely.

10  And after all these things, her deceitful sister Judah has not returned to me with her whole heart, but with lies, says the Lord.”

3:11  even YHWH said unto me--backsliding Israel hath proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

11  And the Lord said to me, Israel has justified himself more than faithless Juda.

3:12  Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith YHWH; I will not frown upon you; for I am merciful, saith the YHWH, I will not bear grudge for ever.

12  Go and read these words toward the north, and thou shalt say, Return to me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not set my face against you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not be angry with you for ever.

12  Go proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Repent, O you inhabitant of Israel, says the LORD; and I will not be severe against you; for I am good, says the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against YHWH thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every leafy tree, and ye have not hearkened to My voice, saith the YHWH.

13  So then, truly acknowledge your iniquity, that you have betrayed the Lord your God, and that you have spread your ways to strangers, under every leafy tree, and that you have not listened to my voice, says the Lord.

3:14  Return, O backsliding children, saith YHWH; for I am a lord unto you, and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion;

14  Convert, O rebellious sons, says the Lord. For I am your leader. And so, I will take you, one from a city, and two from a family, and I will lead you into Zion.

14  Repent, O backsliding children, says the LORD; for I was pleased with you; and took one person of you from every town and two from every family, and I brought you to Zion.

3:15  and I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

3:16  And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith YHWH, they shall say no more: The ark of the covenant of the YHWH; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they make mention of it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.

16  And when you have been multiplied and increased in the land in those days, says the Lord, they will no longer say: ‘The Ark of the covenant of the Lord!’ And it will not enter into the heart, and they will not call it to mind. It will neither be visited, nor made use of, any longer.

3:17  At that time they shall call Jerusalem The throne of YHWH; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the YHWH, to Jerusalem; neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

17  In those days and at that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered to it: and they shall not walk any more after the imaginations of their evil heart.

17  In that time, Jerusalem will be called: ‘The Throne of the Lord.’ And all the nations will be gathered to it, in the name of the Lord, in Jerusalem. And they will not walk after the depravity of their own most wicked heart.

3:18  In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.'

3:19  But I said: 'How would I put thee among the sons, and give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest heritage of the nations!' And I said: 'Thou shalt call Me, My father; and shalt not turn away from following Me.'

19  And I said, So be it, Lord, for thou saidst I will set thee among children, and will give thee a choice land, the inheritance of the Almighty God of the Gentiles: and I said, Ye shall call me Father; and ye shall not turn away from me.

19  And I said, I will consider you as children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations; and I said, You shall call me, My father, and shall not turn away from me.

3:20  Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, saith YHWH.

20  But as a wife acts treacherously against her husband, so has the house of Israel dealt treacherously against me, saith the Lord.

20  But, in the same way that a woman spurns her lover, so also has the house of Israel spurned me, says the Lord.”

3:21  Hark! upon the high hills is heard the suppliant weeping of the children of Israel; for that they have perverted their way, they have forgotten YHWH their God.

21  A voice from the lips was heard, even of weeping and supplication of the children of Israel: for they have dealt unrighteously in their ways, they have forgotten God their Holy One.

21  A voice has been heard in the highways, the weeping and wailing of the sons of Israel. For they have made their own ways sinful; they have forgotten the Lord their God.

3:22  Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings.-- 'Here we are, we are come unto Thee; for Thou art YHWH our God.

22  “Convert, O rebellious sons! And I will heal your rebelliousness.” “Behold, we are returning to you. For you are the Lord our God!

3:23  Truly vain have proved the hills, the uproar on the mountains; truly in YHWH our God is the salvation of Israel.

23  Truly, the hills were liars, with the multitude of the mountains. Truly, the salvation of Israel is in the Lord our God.

23  Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from fortified mountains; truly, in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

3:24  But the shameful thing hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

3:25  Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against YHWH our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day; and we have not hearkened to the voice of the YHWH our God.'

25  We have lain down in our shame, and our disgrace has covered us: because we and our fathers have sinned before our God, from our youth until this day; and we have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God.

25  We will sleep in our confusion, and our disgrace will cover us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God: we and our fathers, from our youth, even to this day. And we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.”

4:1  If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith YHWH, yea, return unto Me; and if thou wilt put away thy detestable things out of My sight, and wilt not waver;

1  If Israel will return to me, saith the Lord, he shall return: and if he will remove his abominations out of his mouth, and fear before me, and swear,

1  “O Israel, if you would return, says the Lord, then be converted to me. If you remove your offense from before my face, then you will not be shaken.

4:2  And wilt swear: 'As YHWH liveth' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; then shall the nations bless themselves by Him, and in Him shall they glory.

2  The Lord lives, with truth, in judgement and righteousness, then shall nations bless by him, and by him they shall praise God in Jerusalem.

2  And you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth and in judgment and in justice.” And the Gentiles will bless him, and they will praise him.

4:3  For thus saith YHWH to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Break up for you a fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

3  For thus saith the Lord to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Break up fresh ground for yourselves, and sow not among thorns.

4:4  Circumcise yourselves to YHWH, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

4  Be circumcised to the Lord, and take away the foreskins from your hearts, O men of Judah, O inhabitants of Jerusalem. Otherwise my indignation may burst forth and flare up like a fire. And then there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the wickedness of your thoughts.

4:5  Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem, and say: 'Blow ye the horn in the land'; cry aloud and say: 'Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.'

5  Declare ye in Juda, and let it be heard in Jerusalem: say ye, Sound the trumpet in the land; cry ye aloud: say ye, Gather yourselves together, and let us enter into the fortified cities.

5  Declare it in Judah, and make it known in Jerusalem! Speak out and sound the trumpet in the land! Cry out strongly and say: ‘Gather yourselves! And let us go forth to fortified cities!’

4:6  Set up a standard toward Zion; put yourselves under covert, stay not; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

6  Gather up your wares and flee to Sion: hasten, stay not: for I will bring evils from the north, an great destruction.

6  Lift up a standard in Zion. Be strengthened! Do not choose to stand still. For I am bringing an evil from the north, with great destruction.

4:7  A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations is set out, gone forth from his place; to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.

7  The lion is gone up from his lair, he has roused himself to the destruction of the nations, and has gone forth out of his place, to make the land desolate; and the cities shall be destroyed, so as to be without inhabitant.

7  A powerful king is come up like a lion from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he has gone forth from his country to make your land desolate; and your cities shall be laid waste without an inhabitant.

4:8  For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of YHWH is not turned back from us.

8  For these things gird yourselves with sackclothes, and lament, and howl: for the anger of the Lord is not turned away from you.

8  Concerning this, wrap yourselves in haircloth, mourn and wail: ‘For the wrath of the fury of the Lord has not been turned away from us.’

4:9  And it shall come to pass at that day, saith YHWH, that the heart of the king shall fail, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

9  And this shall be in that day, says the Lord: The heart of the king will perish, with the heart of the princes. And the priests will be stupefied, and the prophets will be in consternation.”

4:10  Then said I: 'Ah, Lord GOD! surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.'

10  And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Could it be that you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: ‘Peace shall be yours,’ while, behold, the sword reaches even to the soul?”

10  Then I said, I beseech thee, O LORD God, surely I have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem; for I have said, You shall have peace; and behold, the sword reaches into the soul.

4:11  At that time shall it be said of this people and of Jerusalem; A hot wind of the high hills in the wilderness toward the daughter of My people, not to fan, nor to cleanse;

11  At that time they shall say to this people and to Jerusalem, There is a spirit of error in the wilderness: the way of the daughter of my people is not to purity, nor to holiness.

11  “In that time, it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: ‘A burning wind is in the ways that are in the desert, along the way of the daughter of my people, but not to winnow and not to cleanse.’

4:12  A wind too strong for this shall come for Me; now will I also utter judgments against them.

12  But a spirit of full vengeance shall come upon me; and now I declare my judgements against them.

12  A full spirit from these places will come to me. And now I will speak my judgments over them.

4:13  Behold, he cometh up as clouds, and his chariots are as the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles.--'Woe unto us! for we are undone.'--

13  Behold, he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are in misery.

13  Behold, he will ascend like a cloud, and his chariot will ascend like a tempest. His horses are swifter than eagles. ‘Woe to us! For we are being devastated!’

4:14  O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy baleful thoughts lodge within thee?

14  Cleanse thine heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayest be saved: how long will thy grievous thoughts be within thee?

14  Wash your heart from malice, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will harmful thoughts abide in you?

4:15  For hark! one declareth from Dan, and announceth calamity from the hills of Ephraim

15  For a voice of one publishing from Dan shall come, and trouble out of mount Ephraim shall be heard of.

4:16  'Make ye mention to the nations: Behold--publish concerning Jerusalem--watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.'

4:17  As keepers of a field are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against Me, saith YHWH.

17  They have been stationed over her, like the guardians of fields, all around. For she has provoked me to wrath, says the Lord.

4:18  Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness; yea, it is bitter, yea, it reacheth unto thy heart.

18  Your ways and your thoughts have brought these things upon you. This is your own wickedness. And it is bitter, because it has touched your heart.

4:19  My bowels, my bowels! I writhe in pain! The chambers of my heart! My heart moaneth within me! I cannot hold my peace! because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the horn, the alarm of war.

19  I am pained in my bowels, my bowels, and the sensitive powers of my heart; my soul is in great commotion, my heart is torn: I will not be silent, for my soul has heard the sound of a trumpet, the cry of war, and of distress: it calls on destruction;

4:20  Destruction followeth upon destruction, for the whole land is spoiled; suddenly are my tents spoiled, my curtains in a moment.

20  for all the land is distressed: suddenly my tabernacle is distressed, my curtains have been rent asunder.

20  Destruction upon destruction has been called forth. And the entire earth has been devastated. My tabernacles have been destroyed suddenly, and my tents in an instant.

4:21  How long shall I see the standard, shall I hear the sound of the horn?

4:22  For My people is foolish, they know Me not; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

22  For the princes of my people have not known me, they are foolish and unwise children: they are wise to do evil, but how to do good they have not known.

22  For my foolish people have not known me. They are foolish and mad sons. They are clever in doing evil, but they do not know how to do good.

4:23  I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

23  I looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was not; and to the sky, an there was no light in it.

23  I gazed upon the earth, and behold, it was empty and brought to nothing. And I gazed upon the heavens, but there was no light in them.

4:24  I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to and fro.

24  I watched the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills were shaken.

4:25  I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

25  I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky were scared.

25  I looked, and there was no man. And all the flying things of the air had gone away.

4:26  I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of YHWH, and before His fierce anger.

26  I saw, and, behold, Carmel was desert, and all the cities were burnt with fire at the presence of the Lord, and at the presence of his fierce anger they were utterly destroyed.

26  I gazed, and behold, Carmel was a desert, and all its cities were destroyed before the face of the Lord, and before the face of the wrath of his fury.”

4:27  For thus saith YHWH: The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

27  Thus saith the Lord, The whole land shall be desolate; but I will not make a full end.

27  For thus says the Lord: “All the earth will be desolate, but I will not yet bring about its consummation.

4:28  For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.

28  For these things let the earth mourn, and let the sky be dark above: for I have spoken, and I will not repent; I have purposed, and I will not turn back from it.

28  The earth will mourn, and the heavens will lament from above. For I have spoken, I have decided, and I have not regretted. Neither will I be turned away from it.

4:29  For the noise of the horsemen and bowmen the whole city fleeth; they go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks; every city is forsaken, and not a man dwelleth therein.

29  The whole land has recoiled from the noise of the horseman and the bent bow; they have gone into the caves, and have hidden themselves in the groves, and have gone up upon the rocks: every city was abandoned, no man dwelt in them.

29  Because of the noise of the horsemen and bowmen, the whole city has fled; enter into the forests and climb up upon the rocks; all towns are deserted and no man dwells therein

4:30  And thou, that art spoiled, what doest thou, that thou clothest thyself with scarlet, that thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, that thou enlargest thine eyes with paint? In vain dost thou make thyself fair; thy lovers despise thee, they seek thy life.

30  So then, when you have been devastated, what will you do? Though you will clothe yourself with scarlet, though you will adorn yourself with a gold necklace and tint your eyes with cosmetics, you will be dressing yourself up in vain. Your lovers have spurned you; they will be seeking your life.

4:31  For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that gaspeth for breath, that spreadeth her hands: 'Woe is me, now! for my soul fainteth before the murderers.'

5:1  Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that doeth justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her.

1  “Travel the streets of Jerusalem; and gaze, and consider, and seek, in its wide streets. If you can find a man exercising judgment and seeking faith, then I will be forgiving to them.

1  RUN to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and search in its broad places, if you can find a man, if there is any that executes justice, that seeks truth; and I will pardon them.

5:2  And though they say: 'As YHWH liveth', surely they swear falsely.

2  The Lord lives, they say; do they not therefore swear falsely?

2  For even though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in this, too, they swear falsely.”

5:3  O YHWH, are not Thine eyes upon truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they were not affected; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

3  O Lord, thine eyes are upon faithfulness: thou hast scourged them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them; but they would not receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; and they would not return.

3  O Lord, your eyes look with favor upon faith. You have struck them, and they have not grieved. You have bruised them, and they have refused to accept discipline. They have hardened their faces more than rock, and they are not willing to return.

5:4  And I said: 'Surely these are poor, they are foolish, for they know not the way of YHWH, nor the ordinance of their God;

4  Then I said, It may be they are poor; for they are weak, for they know not the way of the Lord, or the judgement of God.

5:5  I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they know the way of YHWH, and the ordinance of their God.' But these had altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bands.

5  Therefore, I will go to great men, and I will speak with them. For they have known the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God. And behold, these ones have broken the yoke all the more; they have torn apart the bonds.

5  I will go to the princes and will speak to them; for they have known the way of the LORD and the judgment of their God; but truly they have altogether broken the yoke; they have burst the bonds.

5:6  Wherefore a lion out of the forest doth slay them, a wolf of the deserts doth spoil them, a leopard watcheth over their cities, every one that goeth out thence is torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, their backslidings are increased.

6  Therefore has a lion out of the forest smitten them, and a wolf has destroyed them even to their houses, and a leopard has watched against their cities: all that go forth from them shall be hunted: for they have multiplied their ungodliness, they have strengthened themselves in their revoltings.

5:7  Wherefore should I pardon thee? The children have forsaken Me, and sworn by no-gods; and when I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots' houses.

7  In what way shall I forgive thee for these things? Thy sons have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: and I fed them to the full, and they committed adultery, and lodged in harlots’ houses.

7  “Over which things am I able to be merciful to you? Your sons have forsaken me, and they swear by those who are not gods. I gave them everything, and they committed adultery, and they indulged themselves in the house of the harlot.

5:8  They are become as well-fed horses, lusty stallions; every one neigheth after his neighbour's wife.

8  They became as wanton horses: they neighed each one after his neighbour’s wife.

8  They were wanton like stallions, every one lusting after his neighbor's wife.

5:9  Shall I not punish for these things? saith YHWH; and shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

9  Shall I not visit against these things, says the Lord? And shall my soul not take vengeance on a nation such as this?

5:10  Go ye up into her rows, and destroy, but make not a full end; take away her shoots; for they are not YHWH'S.

10  Go up upon her battlements, and break them down; but make not a full end: leave her buttresses: for they are the Lord’s.

10  Scale its walls and tear them down. But do not be willing to bring about its very end. Take away its plantings, for they are not the Lord’s.

5:11  For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against Me, saith YHWH.

5:12  They have belied YHWH, and said: 'It is not He, neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine;

12  have lied to their Lord, and they have said, These things are not so; no evils shall come upon us; and we shall not see sword or famine.

12  They have denied the Lord, and they have said, ‘It is not him,’ and, ‘Evil will not overwhelm us. We will not see famine and the sword.’

5:13  And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them; thus be it done unto them.'

13  Our prophets became wind, and the word of the Lord was not in them.

13  The prophets have spoken into the wind, and there was no answer with them. Therefore, these things will happen to them.”

5:14  Wherefore thus saith YHWH, the God of hosts: Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make My words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

14  Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: “Since you have spoken this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth like fire and this people like wood, and it will devour them.

5:15  Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith YHWH; it is an enduring nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

15  Behold, I will bring upon you a nation from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord; a nation the sound of whose language one shall not understand.

15  Behold, O house of Israel, I will lead over you a far away nation, says the Lord, a robust nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you will not know, nor will you understand what they are saying.

5:16  Their quiver is an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.

16  They are all mighty men

5:17  And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, they shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters, they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds, they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall batter thy fortified cities, wherein thou trusteth, with the sword.

17  and they shall devour you harvest, and your bread; and shall devour your sons, and your daughters; and they shall devour your sheep, and your calves, and devour your vineyards, and your fig-plantations, and your olive yards: and they shall utterly destroy your strong cities, wherein ye trusted, with the sword.

17  And they will consume your grain fields and your bread. They will devour your sons and your daughters. They will consume your flocks and your herds. They will consume your vineyards and your figs. And with the sword, they will crush your fortified cities, in which you have placed your trust.

5:18  But even in those days, saith YHWH, I will not make a full end with you.

18  And it shall come to pass in those days, saith the Lord thy God, that I will not utterly destroy you.

18  Yet truly, in those days, says the Lord, I will not bring the consummation over you.

5:19  And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say: 'Wherefore hath YHWH our God done all these things unto us?' then shalt Thou say unto them: 'Like as ye have forsaken Me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'

19  And if they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ You shall say to them: ‘Just as you have abandoned me and have served a strange god in your own land, so will you serve strangers in a land not your own.’

5:20  Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, and announce it in Judah, saying

20  Proclaim these things to the house of Jacob, and let them be heard in the house of Juda.

5:21  Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding, that have eyes, and see not, that have ears, and hear not

21  Hear ye now these things, O foolish and senseless people; who have eyes, and see not; and have ears, and hear not

21  Listen, O foolish people who have no heart! You have eyes, but you do not see, and ears, but you do not hear.

5:22  Fear ye not Me? saith YHWH; Will ye not tremble at My presence? Who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, an everlasting ordinance, which it cannot pass; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.

22  will ye not be afraid of me? saith the Lord; and will ye not fear before me, who have set the sand for a bound to the sea, as a perpetual ordinance, and it shall not pass it: yea, it shall rage, but not prevail; and its waves shall roar, but not pass over it.

22  So then, will you not fear me, says the Lord. And will you not have sorrow before my face? I have placed the shore as a limit for the sea, as an everlasting precept that it will not transgress. And its waves will crash, but they will not prevail; and its waves will swell, but they will not go across.

5:23  But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted, and gone.

23  But the heart of this people has become incredulous and provocative; they have turned away and departed.

5:24  Neither say they in their heart: 'Let us now fear YHWH our God, that giveth the former rain, and the latter in due season; that keepeth for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.'

24  and they have not said in their heart, Let us fear now the Lord our God, who gives us the early and latter rain, according to the season of the fulfillment of the ordinance of harvest, and has preserved it for us.

24  Neither do they say in their heart, Let us now worship the LORD our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, who preserves for us the summer crops for the winter.

5:25  Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good from you.

25  Your transgressions have turned away these things, and your sins have removed good things from you.

5:26  For among My people are found wicked men; they pry, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men.

26  For the impious are found among my people; they lie in ambush like fowlers setting snares, for they set traps to catch men.

5:27  As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit; therefore they are become great, and waxen rich;

27  As a snare which has been set is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore have they grown great, and become rich

27  Just as a snare is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. As a result, they have become exalted and enriched.

5:28  They are waxen fat, they are become sleek; yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they might make it to prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

28  and they have transgressed the rule of judgement; they have not judged the cause of the orphan, nor have they judged the cause of the widow.

28  Therefore they have become great and rich and have perverted judgment; they do not execute justice, and they do not judge aright the cause of the orphan; and the cause of the needy they did not judge.

5:29  Shall I not punish for these things? saith YHWH; Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

29  Shall I not visit against these things, says the Lord? Or shall my soul not take vengeance on a nation of this kind?

5:30  An appalling and horrible thing is come to pass in the land

30  Shocking and horrible deeds have been done on the land;

30  Astonishing and wondrous things have been done upon the earth.

5:31  The prophets prophesy in the service of falsehood, and the priests bear rule at their beck; and My people love to have it so; What then will ye do in the end thereof?

6:1  Put yourselves under covert, ye children of Benjamin, away from the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the horn in Tekoa, and set up a signal on Beth-cherem; for evil looketh forth from the north, and a great destruction.

1  O CHILDREN of Benjamin, flee out of the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet and set up a standard in Beth-keram; for I am bringing a calamity out of the north, and great destruction.

6:2  The comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will I cut off.

2  And thy pride, O daughter of Sion, shall be taken away.

2  I have compared the daughter of Zion to a beautiful and delicate woman.

6:3  Shepherds with their flocks come unto her; they pitch their tents against her round about; they feed bare every one what is nigh at hand.

3  The shepherds and their flocks shall come to her; and they shall pitch their tents against her round about, and shall feed their flocks each with his hand.

3  The pastors will come to her with their flocks. They have pitched their tents against her all around. Each one will feed those who are under his hand.

6:4  'Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon!' 'Woe unto us! for the day declineth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out!'

4  Prepare yourselves for war against her; rise up, and let us go up against her at noon. Woe to us! for the day has gone down, for the shadows of the day fail.

4  ‘Sanctify a war against her! Rise up together, and let us ascend at midday.’ ‘Woe to us! For the day has declined; for the shadows of the evening have grown longer.’

6:5  'Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.'

5  Rise, and let us go up against her by night, and destroy her foundations.

5  ‘Rise up, and let us ascend in the night, and let us destroy her houses.’ ”

6:6  For thus hath YHWH of hosts said: hew ye down her trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem; this is the city to be punished; everywhere there is oppression in the midst of her.

6  For thus saith the Lord, Hew down her trees, array a numerous force against Jerusalem. O false city; there is all oppression in her.

6  For thus says the Lord of hosts: “Cut down her trees, and build a rampart around Jerusalem. This is the city of visitation! Every kind of false claim is in her midst.

6:7  As a cistern welleth with her waters, so she welleth with her wickedness; violence and spoil is heard in her; before Me continually is sickness and wounds.

7  As a cistern cools water, so her wickedness cools her, ungodliness and misery shall be heard in her, as continually before her.

7  Just as a cistern makes its water cold, so has she made her wickedness cold. Iniquity and devastation will be heard in her; sickness and wounds will be ever before me.

6:8  Be thou corrected, O Jerusalem, lest My soul be alienated from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

8  Thou shalt be chastened, O Jerusalem, with pain and the scourge, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee a desert land, which shall not be inhabited.

8  O Jerusalem, accept instruction, lest perhaps my soul may withdraw from you; lest perhaps I may set you in a desert, in an uninhabitable land.”

6:9  Thus saith YHWH of hosts: They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel; turn again thy hand as a grape- gatherer upon the shoots.

9  Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They will gather the remnant of Israel, even as a single cluster of grapes is gathered from a vine. Direct your hand, as a grape-gatherer directs his hand to the basket.

6:10  To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is dull, and they cannot attend; behold, the word of YHWH is become unto them a reproach, they have no delight in it.

10  To whom should I speak, and to whom should I testify, so as to be heard? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and so they are unable to hear. Behold, for them, the word of the Lord has become a disgrace. And so they will not accept it.

6:11  Therefore I am full of the fury of YHWH, I am weary with holding in: pour it out upon the babes in the street, and upon the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.

11  And I allowed my wrath to come to full, yet I kept it in, and did not utterly destroy them: I will pour it out on the children without, and on the assembly of young men together: for man and woman shall be taken together, the old man with him that is full of days.

11  For this reason, I have been filled with the fury of the Lord. I labor to bear it. Let it be poured out upon the child outside, or upon a group of young men meeting together. For a man will be taken captive with a woman, an elder will be taken captive with one who is full of days.

6:12  And their houses shall be turned unto others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out My hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith YHWH.

12  Their houses shall be given to others, with their fields and wives together; for I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land, says the LORD.

6:13  For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is greedy for gain; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

13  Certainly, from the least of them even to the greatest, all of them practice greed. And from the prophet even to the priest, all of them act with deceit.

6:14  They have healed also the hurt of My people lightly, saying: 'Peace, peace', when there is no peace.

14  And they healed the breach of my people imperfectly, making light of it, and saying, Peace, peace, and where is peace?

14  And yet they try to heal the wound of the daughter of my people mockingly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.

6:15  They shall be put to shame because they have committed abomination; yea, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they how to blush; therefore they shall fall among them that fall, at the time that I punish them they shall stumble, saith YHWH.

15  They were ashamed because they failed; yet they were not ashamed as those who are truly ashamed, and they knew not their own disgrace: therefore shall they utterly fall when they do fall, and in the time of visitation shall they perish, said the Lord.

6:16  Thus saith YHWH: Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said: 'We will not walk therein.'

16  Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths of the Lord; and see what is the good way, and walk in it, and ye shall find purification for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in them.

16  Thus says the Lord: “Stand above the ways, and see and ask, about the ancient paths, as to which is the good way, and then walk in it. And you will find refreshment for your souls. But they said: ‘We will not walk.’

6:17  And I set watchmen over you: 'Attend to the sound of the horn', but they said: 'We will not attend.'

17  I have set watchmen over you, saying, Hear ye the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hear it.

17  And I appointed watchers over you, saying: ‘Listen for the sound of the trumpet.’ And they said: ‘We will not listen.’

6:18  Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is against them.

18  Therefore have the nations heard, and they that feed their flocks.

18  For this reason, hear, O Gentiles, and know, O congregation, how much I will do to them.

6:19  Hear, O earth: Behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not attended unto My words, and as for My teaching, they have rejected it.

6:20  To what purpose is to Me the frankincense that cometh from Sheba, and the sweet cane, from a far country? Your burnt- offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing unto Me.

20  Wherefore do ye bring me frankincense from Saba, and cinnamon from a land afar off? your whole-burnt-offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices have not been pleasant to me.

20  For what reason are you bringing me frankincense from Sheba, and sweet smelling reeds from a far away land? Your holocausts are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”

6:21  Therefore thus saith YHWH: Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them, the neighbour and his friend, and they shall perish.

21  Therefore, thus says the Lord: “Behold I will bring this people to utter ruin, and they will fall, with their fathers and sons; neighbor and relative will perish together.”

6:22  Thus saith YHWH: Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be roused from the uttermost parts of the earth.

22  Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people comes from the north, and nations shall be stirred up from the end of the earth.

6:23  They lay hold on bow and spear, they are cruel, and have no compassion; their voice is like the roaring sea, and they ride upon horses; set in array, as a man for war, against thee, O daughter of Zion.

23  They will take hold of arrow and shield. They are cruel, and they will not take pity. Their voice will roar like the ocean. And they will climb upon horses, for they have been prepared like men for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion.

6:24  'We have heard the fame thereof, our hands wax feeble, anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.'

24  We have heard the report of them: our hands are weakened: anguish has seized us, the pangs as of a woman in travail.

24  ‘We have heard of their fame. Our hands have become weakened. Tribulation has overtaken us, like the pains of a woman giving birth.’

6:25  Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for there is the sword of the enemy, and terror on every side.

25  Do not choose to go out into the fields, and you should not walk along the roadway. For the sword and the terror of the enemy is on every side.

6:26  O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes; make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

26  Wrap yourself in haircloth, O daughter of my people. And sprinkle yourself with ashes. Make a mourning for yourself, as for an only son, a bitter lamentation: ‘for the destroyer will overwhelm us suddenly.’

6:27  I have made thee a tower and a fortress among My people; that thou mayest know and try their way.

6:28  They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron; they all of them deal corruptly.

28  All these leaders who are turning away and walking deceitfully, they are brass and iron; they have all been corrupted.

28  Their rulers are all rebellious, walking treacherously; like brass and iron, they are corruptible.

6:29  The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed of the fire; in vain doth the founder refine, for the wicked are not separated.

29  The bellows have failed from the fire, the lead has failed: the silversmith works at his trade in vain; their wickedness is not consumed.

29  The bellows has failed; the lead has been consumed by fire; the molten metal was melted to no purpose. For their wickedness has not been consumed.

6:30  Refuse silver shall men call them, because YHWH hath rejected them.

30  Call ye them reprobate silver, because the Lord has rejected them.

30  Call them: ‘Rejected silver.’ For the Lord has cast them aside.”

7:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying

7:2  Stand in the gate of YHWH'S house, and proclaim there this word, and say: Hear the word of the YHWH, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.

2  Hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judea.

2  “Stand at the gate to the house of the Lord, and preach this word there, and say: Listen to the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter through these gates to adore the Lord.

7:3  Thus saith YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.

7:4  Trust ye not in lying words, saying: 'The temple of YHWH, the temple of the YHWH, the temple of the LORD, are these.'

4  Trust not in yourselves with lying words, for they shall not profit you at all, saying, It is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.

4  Do not choose to trust in lying words, saying: ‘This is the temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord!’

7:5  Nay, but if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbour;

5  For if ye thoroughly correct your ways and your practices, and do indeed execute judgement between a man and his neighbour;

5  For if you direct your ways and your intentions well, if you exercise judgment between a man and his neighbor,

7:6  if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt;

6  if you do not act with deceit toward the new arrival, the orphan, and the widow, and if you do not pour out innocent blood in this place, and if you do not walk after strange gods, which is to your own harm,

7:7  then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.

7  then I will live with you in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers from the beginning and even forever.

7:8  Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.

8  But whereas ye have trusted in lying words, whereby ye shall not be profited;

8  Behold, you trust in false words, which will not benefit you,

7:9  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and offer unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye have not known,

9  so as to steal, to murder, to commit adultery, to swear falsely, to offer libations to Baal, and to go after strange gods, which you do not know.

9  Indeed you are thieves, you are murderers, and you commit adultery and swear falsely and burn incense to Baal and walk after other gods whom you know not;

7:10  and come and stand before Me in this house, whereupon My name is called, and say: 'We are delivered', that ye may do all these abominations?

7:11  Is this house, whereupon My name is called, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith YHWH.

11  Is my house, whereon my name is called, a den of robbers in your eyes? And, behold, I have seen it, saith the Lord.

11  So then, has this house, where my name has been invoked, become a den of robbers in your eyes? It is I, I am, I have seen, says the Lord.

7:12  For go ye now unto My place which was in Shiloh, where I caused My name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My people Israel.

12  Go to my place in Shiloh, where my name has lived from the beginning, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.

7:13  And now, because ye have done all these works, saith YHWH, and I spoke unto you, speaking betimes and often, but ye heard not, and I called you, but ye answered not;

13  And now, because you have done all these works, says the Lord, and because I have spoken to you from your morning rising, and because I was speaking, but you were not listening, and because I have called you, but you have not responded

7:14  therefore will I do unto the house, whereupon My name is called, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

14  I will do to this house, in which my name is invoked, and in which you have confidence, even to this place which I gave to you and to your fathers, just as I have done to Shiloh.

14  Therefore I will do to this house which is called by my name, in which you trust, and to this city which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

7:15  And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.

7:16  Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to Me; for I will not hear thee.

16  Therefore, you should not pray for this people, nor take up praise and supplication on their behalf. And you should not stand in opposition to me. For then I will not heed you.

16  Therefore do not pray for this people, neither supplicate for them nor make intercession to me; for I will not hear you.

7:17  Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

17  Have you not seen what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

7:18  The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke Me.

18  The sons gather the wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the wives spread the grease, so as to make cakes to the queen of heaven and to offer libations to strange gods, and so as to provoke me to anger.

7:19  Do they provoke Me? saith YHWH; do they not provoke themselves, to the confusion of their own faces?

19  But are they provoking me to anger, says the Lord? Are they not provoking themselves, to the confusion of their own faces?”

19  It is not I that they provoke, says the LORD, but they provoke themselves so that they may be ashamed.

7:20  Therefore thus saith YHWH GOD: Behold, Mine anger and My fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the land; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.

20  Therefore, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, my fury and my indignation is kindled against this place, over men and over beasts, and over the trees of the countryside and over the fruits of the land, and it will burn and not be extinguished.”

7:21  Thus saith YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt-offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat ye flesh.

21  Thus saith the Lord, Gather your whole-burnt-offerings with your meat-offerings, and eat flesh.

21  Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your holocausts to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh.

7:22  For I spoke not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices;

22  For concerning the matter of holocausts and sacrifices, I did not speak with your fathers, and I did not instruct them, in the day when I led them away from the land of Egypt.

22  Neither did I command them concerning either burnt offerings or sacrifices in the day when I brought them out of the land of Egypt;

7:23  but this thing I commanded them, saying: 'Hearken unto My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people; and walk ye in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'

23  But on this matter I did instruct them, saying: Listen to my voice, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. And walk in the entire way that I have commanded you, so that it may be well with you.

7:24  But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in their own counsels, even in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward,

24  But they did not listen, nor did they incline their ear. Instead, they walked by their own will and in the depravity of their own wicked heart. And so, they went backward, and not forward,

7:25  even since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day; and though I have sent unto you all My servants the prophets, sending them daily betimes and often,

25  from the day that their fathers went forth out of the land of Egypt, even until this day. And I sent to you all my servants, the prophets, by day and early in the morning: yea, I sent them,

25  From the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt to this day I have sent to them all my servants the prophets, daily.

7:26  yet they hearkened not unto Me, nor inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff; they did worse than their fathers.

26  But they have not listened to me, nor have they inclined their ear. Instead, they have stiffened their neck, and they have behaved worse than their fathers did.

26  I sent them in advance to warn them; but they did not listen nor incline their ear toward me, but hardened their necks more than their fathers.

7:27  And thou shalt speak all these words unto them, but they will not hearken to thee; thou shalt also call unto them, but they will not answer thee.

27  Therefore thou shalt speak this word to them;

7:28  Therefore thou shalt say unto them: This is the nation that hath not hearkened to the voice of YHWH their God, nor received correction; faithfulness is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.

28  This is the nation which has not hearkened to the voice of the Lord, nor received correction: truth has failed from their mouth.

28  Truth is perished and is cut off from their mouth.

7:29  Cut off thy hair, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the high hills; for YHWH hath rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.

29  Cut off thine hair, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on thy lips; for the Lord has reprobated and rejected the generation that does these things.

29  Cut off your hair, and cast it away. And take up a lamentation on high. For the Lord has cast aside and abandoned this generation of his fury.

7:30  For the children of Judah have done that which is evil in My sight, saith YHWH; they have set their detestable things in the house whereon My name is called, to defile it.

30  For the sons of Judah have done evil in my eyes, says the Lord. They have stationed their abominations in the house where my name is invoked, so that they may defile it.

7:31  And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded not, neither came it into My mind.

7:32  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that it shall no more be called Topheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter; for they shall bury in Topheth, for lack of room.

32  For this reason, behold, the days will arrive, says the Lord, when it will no longer be called Topheth, nor the Valley of the son of Hinnom, but instead the Valley of Slaughter. Yet they will bury in Topheth, because there will be no other place.

7:33  And the carcasses of this people shall be food for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall frighten them away.

33  And the dead bodies of this people shall be for food to the birds of the sky, and to the wild beasts of the earth; and there shall be none to drive them away.

33  And the corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the air and for the wild beasts of the land, and there will be no one to drive them away.

7:34  Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land shall be desolate.

34  And I will destroy out of the cities of Juda, and the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of them that make merry, and the voice of them that rejoice, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride; for the whole land shall become a desolation.

8:1  At that time, saith YHWH, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves;

8:2  and they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped; they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

2  And they will spread them out before the sun and the moon and the entire army of the heavens, which they have loved, and served, and followed, and which they have sought and adored. They will not be collected, and they will not be buried. They will be like manure upon the face of the earth.

8:3  And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith YHWH of hosts.

3  because they chose death rather than life, even to all the remnant that are left of that family, in every place whither I shall drive them out.

3  And they will greatly prefer death to life: all those who will have been left from this wicked kindred, in all the forsaken places to which I will cast them out, says the Lord of hosts.

8:4  Moreover thou shalt say unto them: Thus saith YHWH: Do men fall, and not rise up again? Doth one turn away, and not return?

4  For thus saith the Lord, Shall not he that falls arise? or he that turns away, shall he not turn back again?

8:5  Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

5  Wherefore has this my people turned away with a shameless revolting, and strengthened themselves in their willfulness, and refused to return?

5  Then why have this people in Jerusalem turned away with a contentious loathing? They have taken hold of what is false, and they are not willing to return.

8:6  I attended and listened, but they spoke not aright; no man repenteth him of his wickedness, saying: 'What have I done?' Every one turneth away in his course, as a horse that rusheth headlong in the battle.

6  I paid close attention and I listened carefully. No one is speaking what is good. There is no one who does penance for his sin, saying: ‘What have I done?’ They have all turned to their own course, like a horse rushing with fury into battle.

6  I have given ear and heard, but they did not speak aright; no one repented of his evil, saying, What have I done? All of them walk according to their own will, as a horse that rushes into the battle.

8:7  Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the ordinance of YHWH.

7  The hawk in the heavens has known her time. The turtledove, and the swallow, and the stork have kept the time of their arrival. But my people have not known the judgment of the Lord.

8:8  How do ye say: 'We are wise, and the Law of YHWH is with us'? Lo, certainly in vain hath wrought the vain pen of the scribes.

8  How do you say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, surely the lying pen of the scribes has made it for falsehood.

8:9  The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken; Lo, they have rejected the word of YHWH; and what wisdom is in them?

9  The wise men have been confounded; they were terrified and captured. For they cast aside the word of the Lord, and there is no wisdom in them.

8:10  Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall possess them; for from the least even unto the greatest every one is greedy for gain, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

10  Therefore will I give their wives to others, and their fields to new inheritors; and they shall gather their fruits, saith the Lord.

10  Because of this, I will give their wives to outsiders and their fields to others as an inheritance. For from the least, even to the greatest, they all pursue avarice; from the prophet, even to the priest, they all act with deceit.

8:11  And they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people lightly, saying: 'Peace, peace', when there is no peace.

11  And they healed the destruction of the daughter of my people with disgrace, by saying: ‘Peace, peace,’ though there was no peace.

8:12  They shall be put to shame because they have committed abomination; yea, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they how to blush; therefore shall they fall among them that fall, in the time of their visitation they shall stumble, saith YHWH.

12  They have been confounded because they committed abomination. Or rather, they have not been confounded with shame, for they do not know how to blush. For this reason, they will fall among the fallen. In the time of their visitation, they will fall, says the Lord.

12  Now they are ashamed because they have committed abomination, but the impudent are not at all ashamed, neither do they know what chastisement is. Therefore they fall among the fallen; in the time of their punishment they shall be overthrown, says the LORD.

8:13  I will utterly consume them, saith YHWH; there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf is faded; and I gave them that which they transgress.

13  There are no grapes on the vines, and there are no figs on the fig-trees, and the leaves have fallen off.

13  When gathering, I will gather them together, says the Lord. There are no grapes on the vine, and there are no figs on the fig tree. The leaves have fallen. And I have given them the things that have passed away.”

8:14  'Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be cut off there; for YHWH our God hath cut us off, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the YHWH.

14  “Why are we sitting still? Assemble, and let us enter the fortified city, and let us remain silent there. For the Lord our God has brought us to silence, and he has given us the water of gall as a drink. For we have sinned against the Lord.

14  And they shall say, Why do we dwell here? Let us gather together and let us enter into the fortified cities and let us be silent there; for the LORD our God has silenced us and has given us bitter water to drink because we have sinned against the LORD.

8:15  We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold terror!'

15  We assembled for peace, but there was no prosperity; for a time of healing, but behold anxiety.

15  We expected peace, but there was nothing good. We expected a time of health, and behold, dread.”

8:16  The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan; at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembleth; for they are come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it, the city and those that dwell therein.

16  “From Dan, the snorting of his horses was heard; the entire land was shaken by the voice of the neighing of his fighters. And they arrived and devoured the land and its plenitude, the city and its inhabitants.

8:17  For, behold, I will send serpents, basilisks, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith YHWH.

17  For, behold, I send forth against you deadly serpents, which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you

17  For behold, I will send among you serpents, king snakes, against which there is no charm, and they will bite you, says the Lord.

8:18  Though I would take comfort against sorrow, my heart is faint within me.

18  mortally with the pain of your distressed heart.

18  My sorrow is beyond sorrow; my heart mourns within me.

8:19  Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far off: 'Is not YHWH in Zion? Is not her King in her?'-- 'Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, and with strange vanities?'--

19  Behold, there is a sound of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land afar off: Is not the Lord in Sion? is there not a king there? because they have provoked me with their graven images, and with strange vanities.

8:20  'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.'

20  The harvest has passed by, the summer is at an end, and we have not been saved.

8:21  For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I seized with anguish; I am black, appalment hath taken hold on me.

21  For the breach of the daughter of my people I have been saddened: in my perplexity pangs have seized upon me as of a woman in travail.

21  Over the destruction of the daughter of my people, I am contrite and saddened; astonishment has taken hold of me.

8:22  Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

22  And is there no balm in Galaad, or is there no physician there? why has not the healing of the daughter of my people taken place?

9:2  Oh that I were in the wilderness, in a lodging-place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

2  Who would give me a most distant lodge in the wilderness, that I might leave my people, and depart from them? for they all commit adultery, an assembly of treacherous men.

2  Who will provide me, in the wilderness, with a lodging place along the road? And then I will forsake my people, and withdraw from them. For they are all adulterers, a union of transgressors.

9:3  And they bend their tongue, their bow of falsehood; and they are grown mighty in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and Me they know not, saith YHWH.

3  And they have bent their tongue like a bow: falsehood and not faithfulness has prevailed upon the earth; for they have gone on from evil to evil, and have not known me, saith the Lord.

9:4  Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother acteth subtly, and every neighbour goeth about with slanders.

4  Beware ye each of his neighbour, and trust ye not in your brethren: for every one will surely supplant, and every friend will walk craftily.

4  Let each one guard himself against his neighbor, and let him have no trust in any brother of his. For every brother will utterly overthrow, and every friend will advance deceitfully.

9:5  And they deceive every one his neighbour, and truth they speak not; they have taught their tongue to speak lies, they weary themselves to commit iniquity.

5  Every one will mock his friend; they will not speak truth: their tongue has learned to speak falsehoods; they have committed iniquity, they ceased not, so as to return.

5  And every man will lie against his neighbor and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongues to speak lies, they are weary and worn out.

9:6  Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me, saith YHWH.

6  There is usury upon usury, and deceit upon deceit: they would not know me, saith the Lord.

6  Your habitation is in the midst of deceit. In their deceitfulness, they have refused to know me, says the Lord.”

9:7  Therefore thus saith YHWH of hosts: Behold, I will smelt them, and try them; for how else should I do, because of the daughter of My people?

7  Because of this, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them, and I will test them. For what else can I do before the face of the daughter of my people?

9:8  Their tongue is a sharpened arrow, it speaketh deceit; one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart he layeth wait for him.

9:9  Shall I not punish them for these things? saith YHWH; Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

9  Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a people as this?

9  Shall I not visit upon them concerning these things, says the Lord? Or shall my soul not take vengeance on a nation of this kind?

9:10  For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none passeth through. And they hear not the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled, and gone.

10  Take up a lamentation for the mountains, and a mournful dirge for the paths of the wilderness, for they are desolate for want of men; they heard not the sound of life from the birds of the sky, nor the cattle: they were amazed, they are gone.

10  I will take up weeping and lamentation over the mountains, and mourning over the beautiful places in the desert. For they have been scorched because no man is passing through them. And they have not heard the voice of any occupant. From the birds of the air, even to the cattle, they have migrated and withdrawn.

9:11  And I will make Jerusalem heaps, a lair of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without an inhabitant.

11  And I will remove the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and make it a dwelling-place of dragons; and I will utterly waste the cities of Juda, so that they shall not be inhabited.

9:12  Who is the wise man, that he may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of YHWH hath spoken, that he may declare it? Wherefore is the land perished and laid waste like a wilderness, so that none passeth through?

9:13  And YHWH saith: Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not hearkened to My voice, neither walked therein;

13  And the Lord said to me, Because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them, and have not hearkened to my voice;

13  And the Lord said: “It is because they have abandoned my law, which I gave to them, and they have not listened to my voice, and they have not walked by it.

9:14  But have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baalim, which their fathers taught them.

14  And they have gone after the depravity of their own heart, and after Baal, which they learned from their fathers.”

9:15  Therefore thus saith YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.

15  therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them with trouble and will cause them to drink water of gall

15  For this reason, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will feed this people with absinthe, and I will give them the water of gall to drink.

9:16  I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them.

16  And I will disperse them among nations, which they and their fathers have not known. And I will send the sword after them, until they are consumed.”

9:17  Thus saith YHWH of hosts: Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the wise women, that they may come;

17  Thus saith the Lord, Call ye the mourning women, and let them come; and send to the wise women, and let them utter their voice;

17  Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Consider and call upon the women mourners, and let them approach. And send to those women who are wise, and let them hurry.

9:18  And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.

18  and let them take up a lamentation for you, and let your eyes pour down tears, and your eyelids drop water.

18  ‘Let them hasten to take up a lamentation over us. Let our eyes shed tears, and our eyelids run with water.’

9:19  For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion: 'How are we undone! We are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.'

19  For a voice of lamentation has been heard in Sion, How are we become wretched! we are greatly ashamed, for we have forsaken the land, and have abandoned our tabernacles!

9:20  Yea, hear the word of YHWH, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of His mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation

20  “Therefore, listen, O women, to the word of the Lord! And let your ears take up the word of his mouth. And teach your daughters to lament. And let each one teach her neighbor to mourn

20  Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O women, and let your ears receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters lamentations, and every one to her neighbor a melody.

9:21  'For death is come up into our windows, it is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from the street, and the young men from the broad places.--

21  For death has come up through your windows, it has entered into our land, to destroy the infants without, and the young men from the streets.

21  ‘For death has climbed through our windows. It has entered our houses to perish the little children from the outdoors, the youths from the streets.’ ”

9:22  Speak: Thus saith YHWH--And the carcasses of men fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, which none gathereth.'

22  And the carcases of the men shall be for an example on the face of the field of your land, like grass after the mower, and there shall be none to gather them.

22  “Speak: Thus says the Lord: And the corpses of men will fall like manure over the face of the countryside, and like hay behind the back of the reaper, and there will be no one to gather it.”

9:23  Thus saith YHWH: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches;

23  Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the strong man boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in his wealth;

23  Thus says the Lord: “The wise man should not glory in his wisdom, and the strong man should not glory in his strength, and the rich man should not glory in his riches.

9:24  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth Me, that I am YHWH who exercise mercy, justice, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the YHWH.

24  But he who glories should glory in this: to know me and to know me well. For I am the Lord, who accomplishes mercy and judgment and justice upon the earth. For these things are pleasing to me, says the Lord.

24  But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who executes lovingkindness, justice and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says the LORD.

9:25  Behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that I will punish all them that are circumcised in their uncircumcision

9:26  Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners of their hair polled, that dwell in the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, but all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

26  on Egypt, and on Idumea, and on Edom, and on the children of Ammon, and on the children of Moab, and on every one that shaves his face round about, even them that dwell in the wilderness; for all the Gentiles are uncircumcised in flesh, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in their hearts.

26  upon Egypt, and upon Judah, and upon Edom, and upon the sons of Ammon, and upon Moab, and upon all who have shaved off their hair, living in the desert. For all the nations are uncircumcised in body, but all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.”

10:1  Hear ye the word which YHWH speaketh unto you, O house of Israel;

1  Listen to the word that the Lord has spoken concerning you, O house of Israel.

10:2  thus saith YHWH: Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them.

2  Thus saith the Lord, Learn ye not the ways of the heathen, and be not alarmed at the signs of the sky; for they are alarmed at them, falling on their faces.

2  Thus says the Lord: “Do not choose to learn according to the ways of the Gentiles. And do not be willing to dread the signs of heaven, which the Gentiles fear.

10:3  For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for it is but a tree which one cutteth out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.

3  For the laws of the people are empty. For the work of the hand of the craftsman has cut a tree from the forest with an axe.

3  For the gods of the Gentiles are nothing; they are cut from a tree in the forest, the work of the hands of a carpenter, things made with a plane.

10:4  They deck it with silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

4  They are beautified with silver and gold, they fix them with hammers and nails;

10:5  They are like a pillar in a garden of cucumbers, and speak not; they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.

5  they will set them up that they may not move; it is wrought silver, they will not walk, it is forged silver(10:5) They must certainly be borne, for they cannot ride of themselves. Fear them not; for they cannot do any evil, and there is no good in them.

5  They have been fabricated in the likeness of a palm tree, and they will not speak. They must be carried to be moved, because they do not have the ability to walk. Therefore, do not be willing to fear them, for they can do neither evil nor good.”

10:6  There is none like unto Thee, O YHWH; Thou art great, and Thy name is great in might.

6  O Lord, there is nothing similar to you. You are great, and your name is great in strength.

10:7  Who would not fear Thee, O king of the nations? For it befitteth Thee; forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royalty, there is none like unto Thee.

7  Who will not fear you, O King of the nations? For honor is yours. Among all the wise of the nations, and within all their kingdoms, there is nothing similar to you.

10:8  But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the vanities by which they are instructed are but a stock;

8  Together, they will all be proven to be unwise and foolish. The doctrine of their vanity is made of wood.

8  But altogether the vain doctrines of wooden image worship shall be utterly destroyed and consumed.

10:9  Silver beaten into plates which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; blue and purple is their clothing; they are all the work of skilful men.

9  brought from Tharsis, gold will come from Mophaz, and the work of goldsmiths: they are all the works of craftsmen, they will clothe themselves with blue and scarlet.

9  Fine silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Ophir; they are the work of the carpenter and of the hands of the silversmith; blue and purple is their clothing; they are woven by cunning men.

10:10  But YHWH God is the true God, He is the living God, and the everlasting King; at His wrath the earth trembleth, and the nations are not able to abide His indignation.

10  But the Lord is the true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. Before his indignation, the earth will shake. And the Gentiles will not be able to withstand his threats.

10:11  Thus shall ye say unto them: 'The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.'

11  “And so, you shall speak to them in this way: The gods that have not made heaven and earth, let them perish from the earth and from among those places which are under heaven.

10:12  He that hath made the earth by His power, that hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His understanding;

12  It is the Lord that made the earth by his strength, who set up the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the sky,

12  He made the earth by his power, he prepared the world in his wisdom, and he stretched out the heavens with his understanding.

10:13  At the sound of His giving a multitude of waters in the heavens, when He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; when He maketh lightnings with the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasuries;

13  and set abundance of waters in the sky, and brought up clouds from the ends of the earth; he made lightnings for the rain, and brought forth light out of his treasures.

10:14  Every man is proved to be brutish, without knowledge, every goldsmith is put to shame by the graven image, his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

14  Every man has acted foolishly because of lack of knowledge; all those who work in gold are ashamed because of the graven images which they made; for molten images are falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

10:15  They are vanity, a work of delusion; in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

15  These things are empty, and they are a work deserving of ridicule. In the time of their visitation, they will perish.

10:16  Not like these is the portion of Jacob; for He is the former of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; YHWH of hosts is His name.

16  Such is not the portion of Jacob; for he that formed all things, he is his inheritance; the Lord is his name.

16  Jacob’s portion is not like their portion. For his portion is from the One who formed all things. And Israel is the staff of his inheritance. The Lord of hosts is his name.

10:17  Gather up thy wares from the ground, O thou that abidest in the siege.

17  He has gathered thy substance from without the lodged in choice vessels.

10:18  For thus saith YHWH: Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and will distress them, that they may feel it.

10:19  Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is grievous; but I said: 'This is but a sickness, and I must bear it.'

19  Alas for thy ruin! thy plague is grievous: and I said, Surely this is thy wound, and it has overtaken thee.

19  Woe to me, concerning my destruction! My wound is very grievous. And yet I said: Clearly, this infirmity is mine, and I will carry it.

10:20  My tent is spoiled, and all my cords are broken; my children are gone forth of me, and they are not; there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

20  Thy tabernacle is in a ruinous state, it has perished; and all thy curtains have been torn asunder: my children and my cattle are no more: there is no more any place for my tabernacle, nor place for my curtains.

10:21  For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of YHWH; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.

21  For the pastors have acted foolishly, and they have not sought the Lord. Because of this, they have not understood, and all their flock has been dispersed.

10:22  Hark! a report, behold, it cometh, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, a dwelling-place of jackals.

22  Behold, there comes a sound of a noise, and a great earthquake from the land of the north, to make the cities of Juda a desolation, and a resting-place for ostriches.

10:23  O YHWH, I know that man's way is not his own; it is not in man to direct his steps as he walketh.

23  I know, O Lord, that man’s way is not his own; neither shall a man go, and direct his going.

23  I know that the ways of the LORD are not like the ways of men; he does not walk as a man directing his steps.

10:24  O YHWH, correct me, but in measure; not in Thine anger, lest Thou diminish me.

24  Correct me, O Lord, yet truly, do so with judgment, and not in your fury. Otherwise, you will reduce me to nothing.

10:25  Pour out Thy wrath upon the nations that know Thee not, and upon the families that call not on Thy name; for they have devoured Jacob, yea, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.

25  Pour out your indignation upon the nations that have not known you, and upon the provinces that have not invoked your name. For they have fed upon Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and they have utterly destroyed his honor.

11:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying

11:2  'Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

11:3  and say thou unto them: Thus saith YHWH, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man that heareth not the words of this covenant,

3  and thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Cursed is the man, who shall not hearken to the words of this covenant,

3  And you shall say to them. Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not obey the words of this covenant

11:4  which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying: Hearken to My voice, and do them, according to all which I command you; so shall ye be My people, and I will be your God;

11:5  that I may establish the oath which I swore unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.' Then answered I, and said: 'Amen, O YHWH.'

5  So shall I uphold the oath which I swore to your fathers, that I would give them a land flowing with milk and honey, just as it is this day.” And I answered by saying: “Amen, O Lord.”

11:6  And YHWH said unto me: 'Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.

6  And the Lord said to me: “Shout all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Listen to the words of the covenant, and do them.

11:7  For I earnestly forewarned your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, forewarning betimes and often, saying: Hearken to My voice.

7  For when testing, I tested your fathers in the day when I led them away from the land of Egypt, even until this day. Rising early, I tested them, and I said: Listen to my voice.

7  For I have solemnly testified against your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day; I sent messengers in advance, warning them, saying, Obey my voice.

11:8  Yet they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the stubbornness of their evil heart; therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.'

8  But they did them not.

8  But they did not listen, nor did they incline their ear. Instead, each one of them walked in the depravity of his own evil heart. And so, I brought over them all the words of this covenant, which I instructed them to do. But they would not do them.”

11:9  And YHWH said unto me: 'A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

9  And the Lord said to me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Juda, and among the dwellers in Jerusalem.

11:10  They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear My words; and they are gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.

10  They have returned to the former iniquities of their fathers, who refused to listen to my words. And likewise, they have gone after strange gods, so that they may serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have treated as void my covenant, which I made with their fathers.

11:11  Therefore thus saith YHWH: Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto Me, I will not hearken unto them.

11  For this reason, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will lead evils over them, from which they will not be able to escape. And they will cry out to me, and I will not heed them.

11:12  Then shall the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer; but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

12  And the cities of Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem shall go, and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense; which shall not deliver them in the time of their troubles.

12  And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go forth, and they will cry out to the gods, to whom they offer libations, and they will not save them in the time of their affliction.

11:13  For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars to offer unto Baal.

11:14  Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto Me for their trouble.'

14  And thou, pray not for this people, and intercede not for them in supplication and prayer: for I will not hear in the day in which they call upon me, in the day of their affliction.

14  Therefore, you should not choose to pray for this people, and you should not take up praise and petitioning on their behalf. For I will not heed them in the time of their outcry to me, in the time of their affliction.

11:15  What hath My beloved to do in My house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the hallowed flesh is passed from thee? When thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

15  Why has my beloved wrought abomination in my house? will prayers and holy offerings take away thy wickedness from thee, or shalt thou escape by these things?

11:16  YHWH called thy name a leafy olive-tree, fair with goodly fruit; with the noise of a great tumult He hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

16  The Lord called thy name a fair olive tree, of a goodly shade in appearance, at the noise of its being lopped, fire was kindled against it; great is the affliction coming upon thee: her branches are become good for nothing.

16  The Lord has called your name: a beautiful, fruitful, splendid, and productive olive tree. At the voice of a word, a great fire was kindled in it, and its greenery was burned up.

11:17  For YHWH of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have wrought for themselves in provoking Me by offering unto Baal.

17  And the Lord that planted thee has pronounced evils against thee, because of the iniquity of the house of Israel and the house of Juda, whatsoever they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger by burning incense to Baal.

17  And the Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced an evil against you, concerning the evils of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves so as to provoke me, by offering libations to Baal.”

11:18  And YHWH gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it; then Thou showedst me their doings.

18  O Lord, teach me, and I shall know: then I saw their practices.

18  But you, O Lord, have revealed this to me, and I have understood. Then you displayed their efforts to me.

11:19  But I was like a docile lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me: 'Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.'

19  But I as an innocent lamb led to the slaughter, knew not: against me they devised an evil device, saying, Come and let us put wood into his bread, and let us utterly destroy him from off the land of the living, and let his name not be remembered any more.

19  And I was like a meek lamb, who is being carried to be a victim. And I did not realize that they had devised plans against me, saying: “Let us place wood upon his bread, and let us eradicate him from the land of the living, and let his name no longer be remembered.”

11:20  But, O YHWH of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see Thy vengeance on them; for unto Thee have I revealed my cause.

20  O Lord, that judgest righteously, trying the reins and hearts, let me see thy vengeance taken upon them, for to thee I have declared my cause.

11:21  Therefore thus saith YHWH concerning the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying: 'Thou shalt not prophesy in the name of the YHWH, that thou die not by our hand';

21  Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, that seek my life, that say, Thou shalt not prophesy at all in the name of the Lord, but if thou dost, thou shalt die by our hands

21  “Because of this, thus says the Lord to the men of Anathoth, who are seeking your life, and who are saying: ‘You shall not prophesy in the name of the Lord, and you shall not die by our hands.’

11:22  therefore thus saith YHWH of hosts: Behold, I will punish them; the young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine;

22  behold, I will visit them: their young men shall die by the sword; and their sons and their daughters shall die of famine

22  Because of this, thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will visit upon them. Their young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by famine.

11:23  And there shall be no remnant unto them; for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.

12:1  Right wouldest Thou be, O YHWH, were I to contend with Thee, yet will I reason with Thee: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they secure that deal very treacherously?

1  Righteous art thou, O Lord, that I may make my defence to thee, yea, I will speak to thee of judgements. Why is it that the way of ungodly men prospers? that all that deal very treacherously are flourishing?

1  Certainly, O Lord, you are just. But if I may contend with you, while still speaking what is just to you: Why does the way of the impious prosper? Why is it well with all those who transgress and act unfairly?

12:2  Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root; they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit; Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.

2  You planted them, and they took root. They are prospering and bearing fruit. You are near to their mouths, but far from their hearts.

12:3  But Thou, O YHWH, knowest me, Thou seest me, and triest my heart toward Thee; pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

3  But thou, Lord, knowest me; thou hast proved my heart before thee; purify them for the day of their slaughter.

3  And you, O Lord, have known me well. You have seen me, and you have tested my heart with you. Gather them together like a flock for the sacrifice and sanctify them for the day of slaughter.

12:4  How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole field wither? For the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said: 'He seeth not our end.'

4  How long shall the earth mourn? And how long shall the plants of every field whither because of the wickedness of the inhabitants within them? It has consumed the wild animals and the birds. For they said: “He will not see our very end.”

12:5  'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And though in a land of peace thou art secure, yet how wilt thou do in the thickets of the Jordan?

5  “If you have struggled to run on foot, how will you be able to compete with horses? And if you have been secure in a land of peace, what will you do about the arrogance of the Jordan?

12:6  For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee, even they have cried aloud after thee; believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.'

6  For even your brothers, and the house of your father, even these have fought against you. And they have cried out after you with loud voice: ‘You should not believe them, when they speak good things to you.’ ”

6  For since your brethren and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously against you; yea, they also have gossiped about you; believe them not when they speak well of you.

12:7  I have forsaken My house, I have cast off My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.

7  “I have abandoned my house. I have disowned my inheritance. I have given my beloved soul into the hand of its enemies.

12:8  My heritage is become unto Me as a lion in the forest; she hath uttered her voice against Me; therefore have I hated her.

8  My inheritance has become for me like a lion in the forest. It has uttered a voice against me, therefore, I have hated it.

12:9  Is My heritage unto Me as a speckled bird of prey? Are the birds of prey against her round about? Come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour.

9  Is not my inheritance to me a hyaena’s cave, or a cave round about her? Go ye, gather together all the wild beasts of the field, and let them come to devour her.

12:10  Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard, they have trodden My portion under foot, they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

10  Many pastors have demolished my vineyard. They have trampled my portion. They have made my desirable portion into a desert of solitude.

12:11  They have made it a desolation, it mourneth unto Me, being desolate; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

11  it is made a complete ruin: for my sake the whole land has been utterly ruined, because there is none that lays the matter to heart.

11  They have squandered it, and it has grieved concerning me. The entire earth has become utterly desolate, because there is no one who understands with the heart.”

12:12  Upon all the high hills in the wilderness spoilers are come; for the sword of YHWH devoureth from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land, no flesh hath peace.

12  The ravagers are come to every passage in the wilderness: for the sword of the Lord will devour from one end of the land to the other: no flesh has any peace.

12  The devastators have arrived, over all the ways of the wilderness. For the sword of the Lord will devour, from one end of the earth even to its furthest limits. There is no peace for all that is flesh.

12:13  They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns; they have put themselves to pain, they profit not; be ye then ashamed of your increase, because of the fierce anger of YHWH.

13  Sow wheat, and reap thorns; their portions shall not profit them: be ashamed of your boasting, because of reproach before the Lord.

13  They sowed wheat, but they reaped thorns. They received an inheritance, but it will not benefit them. You will be confounded by your own fruits, because of the wrath of the fury of the Lord.

12:14  Thus saith YHWH: As for all Mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit, behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them.

12:15  And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them; and I will bring them back, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

15  And when I have rooted them out, I will turn back and take pity on them. And I will lead them back, one man to his inheritance, and another man to his land.

15  And after I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage and every man to his land.

12:16  And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My people to swear by My name: 'As YHWH liveth,' even as they taught My people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built up in the midst of My people.

16  And this shall be: if they are taught and they learn the ways of my people, so that they swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ just as they had taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in the midst of my people.

12:17  But if they will not hearken, then will I pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it, saith YHWH.

17  But if they will not obey, then I will utterly pluck up and destroy this people, says the LORD.

13:1  Thus said YHWH unto me: 'Go, and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.'

1  Thus saith the Lord, Go and procure for thyself a linen girdle, and put it about thy loins, and let it not be put in water.

1  Thus says the Lord to me: “Go, and obtain for yourself a linen waistcloth. And you shall place it over your loins, and you shall not put it into water.”

13:2  So I got a girdle according to the word of YHWH, and put it upon my loins.

2  So I procured the girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it about my loins.

2  And so I obtained a waistcloth, according to the word of the Lord, and I placed it around my loins.

13:3  And the word of YHWH came unto me the second time, saying

13:4  'Take the girdle that thou hast gotten, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Perath, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.'

4  “Take the waistcloth, which you obtained, which is around your loins, and, rising up, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in an opening of the rock.”

13:5  So I went, and hid it in Perath, as YHWH commanded me.

5  And so I went, and I hid it by the Euphrates, just as the Lord had instructed me.

5  So I went and buried it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

13:6  And it came to pass after many days, that YHWH said unto me: 'Arise, go to Perath, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.'

6  And it happened that, after many days, the Lord said to me: “Rise up, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the waistcloth, which I instructed you to hide there.”

13:7  Then I went to Perath, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

7  So I went to the river Euphrates, and dug, and took the girdle out of the place where I had buried it: and, behold, it was rotten, utterly good for nothing.

7  And so I went to the Euphrates, and I dug up and took the waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistcloth had rotted, so that it was not fit for any use.

13:8  Then the word of YHWH came unto me, saying

8  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord,

13:9  Thus saith YHWH: After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem,

9  Thus will I mar the pride of Juda, and the pride of Jerusalem;

9  Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: In this manner will I destroy the proud men of Judah and the proud men of Jerusalem that are many.

13:10  even this evil people, that refuse to hear My words, that walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and are gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, that it be as this girdle, which is profitable for nothing.

10  This most wicked people, they are not willing to listen to my words, for they walk in the depravity of their own heart, and they have gone after strange gods, so as to serve them and to adore them. And so, they will become like this waistcloth, which is not fit for any use.

13:11  For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto Me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith YHWH, that they might be unto Me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory; but they would not hearken.

11  For as a girdle cleaves about the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave to myself the house of Israel, and the whole house of Juda; that they might be to me a famous people, and a praise, and a glory: but they did not hearken to me.

11  For just as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me the entire house of Israel and the entire house of Judah, says the Lord, so that they would be to me: a people, and a name, and a praise, and a glory. But they did not listen.

13:12  Moreover thou shalt speak unto them this word: Thus saith YHWH, the God of Israel: 'Every bottle is filled with wine'; and when they shall say unto thee: 'Do we not know that every bottle is filled with wine?'

12  And thou shalt say to this people, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and it shall come to pass, if they shall say to thee, Shall we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? that thou shalt say to them,

13:13  Then shalt thou say unto them: Thus saith YHWH: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

13  Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will fill the inhabitants of this land, and their kings the sons of David that sit upon their throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and Juda and all the dwellers in Jerusalem, with strong drink.

13  And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings from the stock of David who sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, unto inebriation.

13:14  And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith YHWH; I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them.

14  And I will scatter them a man and his brother, and their fathers and their sons together: I will not have compassion, saith the Lord, and I will not spare, neither will I pity to save them from destruction.

14  And I will scatter them and separate them every man from his brother, even fathers and their children together, says the LORD; I will not pity, nor have mercy, nor spare, but destroy them.

13:15  Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud; for YHWH hath spoken.

15  Hear and pay close attention. Do not choose to lift yourself up, for the Lord has spoken.

13:16  Give glory to YHWH your God, before it grow dark, and before your feet stumble upon the mountains of twilight, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

16  Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and ye shall wait for light, and behold the shadow of death, and they shall be brought into darkness.

13:17  But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and mine eyes shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because YHWH'S flock is carried away captive.

17  But if ye will not hearken, your soul shall weep in secret because of pride, and your eyes shall pour down tears, because the Lord’s flock is sorely bruised.

17  But if you will not listen to this, then my soul will weep in secret before the face of your pride. It will weep bitterly, and my eyes will flow with tears, because the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.

13:18  Say thou unto the king and to the queen-mother: 'Sit ye down low; for your headtires are come down, even your beautiful crown.'

18  Say ye to the king and the princes, Humble yourselves, and sit down; for your crown of glory is removed from your head.

18  “Say to the king and to the female ruler: Humble yourselves, sit down. For the crown of your glory has gone down from your head.

13:19  The cities of the South are shut up, and there is none to open them; Judah is carried away captive all of it; it is wholly carried away captive.

19  The cities toward the south were shut, and there was none to open them: Juda is removed into captivity, they have suffered a complete removal.

13:20  Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north; where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

20  Lift up thine eyes, O Jerusalem, and behold them that come from the north; where is the flock that was given thee, the sheep of thy glory?

20  Lift up your eyes and see, you who are arriving from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your famous cattle?

13:21  What wilt thou say, when He shall set the friends over thee as head, whom thou thyself hast trained against thee? Shall not pangs take hold of thee, as of a woman in travail?

21  What wilt thou say when they shall visit thee, for thou didst teach them lessons for rule against thyself; shall not pangs seize thee as a woman in travail?

21  What will you say when he visits upon you? For you have taught them against you, and you have instructed them with your own head. Will not pains take hold of you, as with a woman in labor?

13:22  And if thou say in thy heart: 'Wherefore are these things befallen me?'--for the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels suffer violence.

22  But if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ it is because of the greatness of your iniquity that your shame has been uncovered and the soles of your feet have been defiled.

22  And if you say in your heart, Why have these things come upon me? For the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered and your heels made bare.

13:23  Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

23  If the Ethiopian shall change his skin, or the leopardess her spots, then shall ye be able to do good, having learnt evil.

23  Just as a Hindu cannot change his skin or a leopard his spots, you also cannot do good because you are accustomed to do evil.

13:24  Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

24  So I scattered them as sticks carried by the wind into the wilderness.

24  And I will scatter them like chaff, which is carried away by the wind in the desert.

13:25  This is thy lot, the portion measured unto thee from Me, saith YHWH; because thou hast forgotten Me, and trusted in falsehood.

25  Thus is thy lot, and the reward of your disobedience to me, saith the Lord; as thou didst forget me, and trust in lies,

25  This is your lot, and this is the portion of your measure from me, says the Lord, because you have forgotten me, and you have had confidence in what is false.

13:26  Therefore will I also uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and thy shame shall appear.

13:27  Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy harlotry, on the hills in the field have I seen thy detestable acts. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean! When shall it ever be?

27  For I have seen your adulteries, and your neighing for the wickedness of your fornication, and your abominations upon the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How much longer before you will be made clean after me?”

14:1  The word of YHWH that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts.

1  AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO JEREMIAS CONCERNING THE DROUGHT.

14:2  Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, they bow down in black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

2  Judea has mourned, and her gates are emptied, and are darkened upon the earth; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

14:3  And their nobles send their lads for water: they come to the pits, and find no water; their vessels return empty; they are ashamed and confounded, and cover their heads.

3  And her nobles have sent their little ones to the water: they came to the wells, and found no water: and brought back their vessels empty.

3  The greater ones have sent their lesser ones to the water. They went to draw water; they did not find water; they carried their vessels back empty. They were confounded and afflicted, and so they covered their heads.

14:4  Because of the ground which is cracked, for there hath been no rain in the land, the plowmen are ashamed, they cover their heads.

4  And the labours of the land failed, because there was no rain: the husbandmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

4  Because of the devastation of the earth, because rain did not fall upon the earth, the farmers were confounded; they covered their heads.

14:5  Yea, the hind also in the field calveth, and forsaketh her young, because there is no grass,

5  And hinds calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.

5  For even the doe has given birth in the field, and then left it behind. For there was no grass.

14:6  And the wild asses stand on the high hills, they gasp for air like jackals; their eyes fail, because there is no herbage.

6  The wild asses stood by the forests, and snuffed up the wind; their eyes failed, because there was no grass.

6  And the wild donkeys stood upon the rocks; like dragons, they drew in the wind, but their eyes failed. For there was no grass.”

14:7  Though our iniquities testify against us, O YHWH, work Thou for Thy name's sake; for our backslidings are many, we have sinned against Thee.

7  Our sins have risen up against us: O Lord, do thou for us for thine own sake; for our sins are many before thee; for we have sinned against thee.

7  “O Lord, if our iniquities have responded against us, let it be for the sake of your name. For our rebellions are many; we have sinned against you.

14:8  O Thou hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?

8  O Lord, thou art the hope of Israel, and deliverest us in time of troubles; why art thou become as a sojourner upon the land, or as one born in the land, yet turning aside for a resting-place?

8  O Hope of Israel, its Savior in time of tribulation, why would you be like a sojourner in the land, and like a traveler turning aside for lodging?

14:9  Why shouldest thou be as a man overcome, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet Thou, O YHWH, art in the midst of us, and Thy name is called upon us; leave us not.

9  Why would you be like a wandering man, like a strong man who is unable to save? But you, O Lord, are with us, and your name is invoked over us, so do not abandon us!”

14:10  Thus saith YHWH unto this people: Even so have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet; therefore the YHWH doth not accept them, now will He remember their iniquity, and punish their sins.

10  Thus saith the Lord to this people, They have loved to wander, and they have not spared, therefore God has not prospered them; now will he remember their iniquity.

10  Thus says the Lord to this people, who have loved to move their feet, and who have not rested, but who have not pleased the Lord: “Now he will remember their iniquities, and now he will visit against their sins.”

14:11  And YHWH said unto me: 'Pray not for this people for their good.

11  And the Lord said to me, Pray not for this people for their good

14:12  When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt-offering and meal-offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.'

12  for though they fast, I will not hear their supplication; and though they offer whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, I will take no pleasure in them: for I will consume them with sword, and with famine, and with pestilence.

14:13  Then said I: 'Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them: Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.'

13  And I said, O ever living Lord! behold, their prophets prophesy, and say, Ye shall not see a sword, nor shall famine be among you; for I will give truth and peace on the land, and in this place.

13  Then I said, Hear me, I beseech thee, O LORD God! Behold, the prophets say to the people, You shall not see the sword, neither shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace and justice in this country.

14:14  Then YHWH said unto me: 'The prophets prophesy lies in My name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke I unto them; they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their own heart.

14  Then the Lord said to me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, and I commanded them not, and I spoke not to them: for they prophesy to you false visions, and divinations, and auguries, and devices of their own heart.

14  And the Lord said to me: “The prophets prophesy falsely in my name. I did not send them, and I did not instruct them, and I have not spoken to them. They prophesy to you a lying vision, and a divination, and a fraud, and a seduction from their own heart.

14:15  Therefore thus saith YHWH: As for the prophets that prophesy in My name, and I sent them not, yet they say: Sword and famine shall not be in this land, by sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed;

15  For this reason, thus says the Lord about the prophets who prophesy in my name, whom I have not sent, who say: ‘Sword and famine will not be in this land.’ By sword and famine those prophets will be consumed.

14:16  and the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters; for I will pour their evil upon them.'

14:17  And thou shalt say this word unto them: Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.

14:18  If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! And if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! For both the prophet and the priest are gone about to a land, and knew it not.

18  “If I go out into the fields: behold, those slain by the sword. And if I enter into the city: behold, those weakened by famine. Likewise, the prophet, too, and the priest, have gone into a land that they did not know.

14:19  Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? Hath Thy soul loathed Zion? Why hast Thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold terror!

19  Could you have utterly cast out Judah? Or has your soul abhorred Zion? Then why have you struck us, so much so that there is no health for us? We have waited for peace, but there is nothing good, and for the time of healing, and behold, trouble.

14:20  We acknowledge, O YHWH, our wickedness, even the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against Thee.

20  We know, O Lord, our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers: for we have sinned before thee.

20  O Lord, we acknowledge our impieties, the iniquities of our fathers, that we have sinned against you.

14:21  Do not contemn us, for Thy name's sake, do not dishonour the throne of Thy glory; remember, break not Thy covenant with us.

21  Refrain for thy name’s sake, destroy not the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us.

21  For the sake of your name, do not give us over into disgrace. And do not dishonor in us the throne of your glory. Remember, do not make void, your covenant with us.

14:22  Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? Art not Thou He, O YHWH our God, and do we not wait for Thee? For Thou hast made all these things.

15:1  Then said YHWH unto me: 'Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be toward this people; cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.

1  And the Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before my face, my soul could not be toward them: dismiss this people, and let them go forth.

1  THEN the LORD said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading, yet my soul would not be pleased with this people; but I will cast them out of my sight and let them go.

15:2  And it shall come to pass, when they say unto thee: Whither shall we go forth? then thou shall tell them: Thus saith YHWH: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity.

2  And it shall be, if they say to thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord; As many as are for death, to death; and as many as are for famine, to famine; and as many as are for the sword, to the sword; and as many as are for captivity, to captivity.

2  And if they say to you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Those who go to death, shall go to death. And those who go to the sword, shall go to the sword, and those go to famine, shall go to famine, and those who go to captivity, shall go to captivity.

15:3  And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith YHWH: the sword to slay, and the dogs to drag, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and to destroy.

3  And I will visit against them in four ways, says the Lord: by the sword, to kill; and by dogs, to tear apart; and by the birds of the air and by the beasts of the earth, to devour and to scatter.

3  And I will decree against them four kinds of afflictions, says the LORD: The sword to slay, the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the air and the wild beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

15:4  And I will cause them to be a horror among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

15:5  For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? Or who shall bemoan thee? Or who shall turn aside to ask of thy welfare?

5  Who will spare thee, O Jerusalem? and who will fear for thee? or who will turn back to ask for thy welfare?

5  For who will take pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will feel sorrow for you? Or who will go to prayer for the sake of your peace?

15:6  Thou hast cast Me off, saith YHWH, thou art gone backward; Therefore do I stretch out My hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

6  You have abandoned me, says the Lord. You have gone backwards. And so, I will extend my hand over you, and I will destroy you. I have labored to plead with you.

6  You have forsaken me, says the LORD, you are gone backward; therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and destroy you; and I shall not spare you again.

15:7  And I fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I bereave them of children, I destroy My people, since they return not from their ways.

7  And I will completely scatter them; in the gates of my people they are bereaved of children: they have destroyed my people because of their iniquities.

7  And I will scatter them with a winnowing fan at the gates of the land. I have killed and dispersed my people, and yet they have not turned back from their ways.

15:8  Their widows are increased to Me above the sand of the seas; I bring upon them, against the mother, a chosen one, even a spoiler at noonday; I cause anguish and terrors to fall upon her suddenly.

8  Their widows have been multiplied more than the sand of the sea: I have brought young men against the mother, even distress at noon-day: I have suddenly cast upon her trembling and anxiety.

15:9  She that hath borne seven languisheth; her spirit droopeth; her sun is gone down while it was yet day, she is ashamed and confounded; and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith YHWH.'

9  She who gave birth to seven has become weak. Her life has faded away. Her sun has set while it was still daytime. She has been confounded and shamed. And the remainder of them I will give over to the sword in the sight of their enemies, says the Lord.”

9  She who has borne seven children languishes; her pride is gone; her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been ashamed and confounded; and the rest of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies, says the LORD.

15:10  Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them doth curse me.

10  “O my mother, woe to me! Why did you conceive me, a man of strife, a man of discord to all the earth? I have not lent money at interest, nor has anyone lent money at interest to me. Yet everyone is cursing me.”

10  Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me a judge, a rebuker to the whole earth. I am neither a debtor, nor a creditor; yet all of them curse me.

15:11  YHWH said: 'Verily I will release thee for good; verily I will cause the enemy to make supplication unto thee in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

11  Be it so, Lord, in their prosperity; surely I stood before thee in the time of their calamities, and in the time of their affliction, for their good against the enemy.

11  The Lord says: “Certainly, it will be well with your remnant. Certainly, I will run to meet you, in the time of affliction and in the time of tribulation, against the enemy.

15:12  Can iron break iron from the north and brass?

12  Will iron be known? whereas thy strength is a brazen covering.

12  For he is hard as iron and as brass.

15:13  Thy substance and thy treasures will I give for a spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.

13  Your riches and your treasures I will give over to be freely despoiled, because of all your sins, even throughout all your borders.

15:14  And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not; for a fire is kindled in My nostril, which shall burn upon you.'

14  And I will lead in your enemies from a land that you do not know. For a fire has been kindled in my fury; it will burn upon you.”

15:15  Thou, O YHWH, knowest; Remember me, and think of me, and avenge me of my persecutors; take me not away because of Thy long-suffering; know that for Thy sake I have suffered taunts.

15  O Lord, remember me, and visit me, and vindicate me before them that persecute me; do not bear long with them; know how I have met with reproach for thy sake, from those who set at nought thy words;

15  “You know me, O Lord. Remember me, and visit me, and watch over me, because of those who persecute me. In your patience, do not choose to let me endure. You know I have suffered reproach because of you.

15:16  Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart; because Thy name was called on me, O YHWH God of hosts.

16  consume them; and thy word shall be to me for the joy and gladness of my heart: for thy name has been called upon me, O Lord Almighty.

15:17  I sat not in the assembly of them that make merry, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of Thy hand; for Thou hast filled me with indignation.

17  I did not sit in the company of mockers, nor did I glorify myself before the presence of your hand. I sat alone, because you filled me with threats.

17  O LORD God of hosts, I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, but I was afraid because of thy hand, and I sat alone; for thou hast filled me with indignation.

15:18  Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, so that it refuseth to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?

18  Why do they that grieve me prevail against me? my wound is severe; whence shall I be healed? it is indeed become to me as deceitful water, that has no faithfulness.

18  Why has my sorrow become never-ending, and why has my wound become so dire that it refuses to be cured? It has become for me like the deception of untrustworthy waters.”

15:19  Therefore thus saith YHWH: If thou return, and I bring thee back, thou shalt stand before Me; and if thou bring forth the precious out of the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth; let them return unto thee, but thou shalt not return unto them.

19  Because of this, thus says the Lord: “If you will be converted, I will convert you. And you will stand before my face. And you will separate what is precious from what is vile. You will be my mouthpiece. They will be converted to you, but you will not be converted to them.

15:20  And I will make thee unto this people a fortified brazen wall; and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith YHWH.

20  And I will present you to this people as a strong wall of brass. And they will fight against you, and they will not prevail. For I am with you, so as to save you and to rescue you, says the Lord.

15:21  And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

21  for I am with thee to save thee, and to deliver thee out of the hand of wicked men; and I will ransom thee out of the hand of pestilent men.

21  And I will free you from hand of those who are most wicked, and I will redeem you from the hand of the powerful.”

16:1  The word of YHWH came also unto me, saying

1  And thou shalt not take a wife, saith the Lord God of Israel

1  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying

16:2  Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.

2  and there shall be no son born to thee, nor daughter in this place.

2  “You shall not take a wife, and there shall be no sons or daughters for you in this place.

16:3  For thus saith YHWH concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them, and concerning their fathers that begot them in this land

3  For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters who are conceived in this place, and concerning their mothers who give birth to them, and concerning their fathers, from whose stock they have been born in this land

16:4  They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

4  They will die from grievous mortal illnesses. They will not be mourned, and they will not be buried. They will be like manure on the face of the earth. And they will be consumed by sword and by famine. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the land.”

16:5  For thus saith YHWH: Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament, neither bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people, saith the YHWH, even mercy and compassion.

5  Thus saith the Lord, Enter not into their mourning feast, and go not to lament, and mourn not for them: for I have removed my peace from this people.

5  For thus says the Lord: “You shall not enter the house of feasting, and you shall not go to mourn or to console them. For I have taken away from this people, says the Lord, my peace, my mercy, and my pity.

16:6  Both the great and the small shall die in this land; they shall not be buried; neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them;

6  They shall not bewail them, nor make cuttings for them, and they shall not shave themselves for them

16:7  neither shall men break bread for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

7  and there shall be no bread broken in mourning for them for consolation over the dead: they shall not give one to drink a cup for consolation over his father or his mother.

7  And they will not break bread among themselves for the sake of him who mourns, so as to console him over the dead. And they will not give them a chalice to drink, so as to console them over their father and mother.

16:8  And thou shalt not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and to drink.

8  Thou shalt not enter into the banquet-house, to sit with them to eat and to drink.

8  And so, you shall not enter the house of feasting, so as to sit with them, and to eat and drink.”

16:9  For thus saith YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

16:10  And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt tell this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee: 'Wherefore hath YHWH pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the YHWH our God?'

10  And when you announce all these words to this people, they will say to you: ‘Why would the Lord pronounce all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity and what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’

16:11  then shalt thou say unto them: 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me, saith YHWH, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My law;

11  Then thou shalt say to them, Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord, and went after strange gods and served them, and worshipped them, and forsook me, and kept not my law;

11  And you shall say to them: It is because your fathers abandoned me, says the Lord. And they went after strange gods, and they served them and adored them. And they abandoned me, and they did not keep my law.

16:12  and ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that ye hearken not unto Me;

12  But you have acted even worse than your fathers. For behold, each one walks after the depravity of his own evil heart, so that he does not listen to me.

12  And you have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, you walk away every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that you may not hearken to me;

16:13  therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye have not known, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; forasmuch as I will show you no favour.'

13  And so, I will cast you out of this land, into a land that you do not know, and that your fathers did not know. And in that place, you will serve, day and night, strange gods who will not give you rest.

16:14  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that it shall no more be said: 'As the YHWH liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'

14  Now, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when it shall no more be said, The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

16:15  but: 'As YHWH liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries whither He had driven them'; and I will bring them back into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

15  but, The Lord lives, who brought up the house of Israel from the land of the north, and from all countries whither they were thrust out: and I will restore them to their own land, which I gave to their fathers.

15  but instead, ‘As the Lord lives, who led the sons of Israel away from the land of the north,’ and from all the lands to which I have cast them out. And I will lead them back into their own land, which I gave to their fathers.

16:16  Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith YHWH, and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.

16:17  For Mine eyes are upon all their ways, they are not hid from My face; Neither is their iniquity concealed from Mine eyes.

17  For my eyes are upon all their ways. They have not been hidden from my face, and their iniquity has not been concealed from my eyes.

16:18  And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have profaned My land; they have filled Mine inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable things and their abominations.

18  And I will recompense their mischiefs doubly, and their sins, whereby they have profaned my land with the carcases of their abominations, and with their iniquities, whereby they have trespassed against mine inheritance.

18  But first, I will repay their double iniquities and their sins. For they have defiled my land with the dead bodies of their idols, and they have filled my inheritance with their abominations.”

16:19  O YHWH, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge, in the day of affliction, unto Thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say: 'Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, vanity and things wherein there is no profit.'

19  O Lord, thou art my strength, and mine help, and my refuge in days of evil: to thee the Gentiles shall come from the end of the earth, and shall say, How vain were the idols which our fathers procured to themselves, and there is no help in them.

19  “O Lord, my strength, and my health, and my refuge in the day of tribulation: the Gentiles will approach you from the ends of the earth, and they will say: ‘Truly, our fathers possessed a lie, an emptiness that has not benefited them.’

16:20  Shall a man make unto himself gods, and they are no gods?

20  Will a man make gods for himself, whereas these are no gods?

20  Behold, men make gods to themselves, and they are no gods.

16:21  Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know, this once will I cause them to know My hand and My might; and they shall know that My name is YHWH.

21  “Concerning this, behold: I will make it clear to them, in this turn. I will reveal to them my hand and my virtue. And they will know that the Lord is my name.”

17:1  The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond; it is graven upon the tablet of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars.

1  “The sin of Judah has been written with a pen of iron and a point of diamond. It has been engraved upon the breadth of their heart and upon the horns of their shrines.

17:2  Like the symbols of their sons are their altars, and their Asherim are by the leafy trees, upon the high hills.

2  And their sons make a remembrance of their shrines, and their sacred groves, and their leafy trees on high mountains,

2  And their idols are under every green tree and upon every high hill and upon the mountains and in the open country.

17:3  O thou that sittest upon the mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures for a spoil, and thy high places, because of sin, throughout all thy borders.

3  by sacrificing in the field. And so, I will give over your strength and all your treasures to be despoiled, along with your exalted places of sin, within all your borders.

3  I will give all your riches, all your treasures to the spoil, and that which is throughout your territory, because of your sins.

17:4  And thou, even of thyself, shalt discontinue from thy heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not; for ye have kindled a fire in My nostril, which shall burn for ever.

4  And you will be left behind without your inheritance, which I gave to you. And I will cause you to serve your enemies in a land that you do not know. For you have kindled a fire in my fury; it shall burn, even unto eternity.”

4  And I will cause you to lose the inheritance which I have given you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you do riot know; for you have kindled a fire in my anger, which shall burn for ever.

17:5  Thus saith YHWH: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the YHWH.

5  Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and will lean his arm of flesh upon him, while his heart departs from the Lord.

5  Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is a man who trusts in man, and who establishes what is flesh as his right arm, and whose heart withdraws from the Lord.

17:6  For he shall be like a tamarisk in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited.

6  And he shall be as the wild tamarisk in the desert: he shall not see when good comes; but he shall dwell in barren places, and in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.

6  For he will be like a saltcedar tree in the desert. And he will not perceive it, when what is good has arrived. Instead, he will live in dryness, in a desert, in a land of salt, which is uninhabitable.

17:7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in YHWH, and whose trust the YHWH is.

7  But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord shall be.

17:8  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but its foliage shall be luxuriant; and shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

8  And he shall be as a thriving tree by the waters, and he shall cast forth his root toward a moist place: he shall not fear when heat comes, and there shall be upon him shady branches: he shall not fear in a year of drought, and he shall not fail to bear fruit.

8  And he will be like a tree planted beside waters, which sends out its roots to moist soil. And it will not fear when the heat arrives. And its leaves will be green. And in the time of drought, it will not be anxious, nor will it cease at any time to bear fruit.

17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceeding weak--who can know it?

9  The heart is deep beyond all things, and it is the man, and who can know him?

9  The heart is stubborn above all things; who can understand it?

17:10  I YHWH search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

10  I the Lord try the hearts, and prove the reins, to give to every one according to his ways, and according to the fruits of his devices.

10  I am the Lord, who examines the heart and tests the temperament, who gives to each one according to his way and according to the fruit of his own decisions.

17:11  As the partridge that broodeth over young which she hath not brought forth, so is he that getteth riches, and not by right; in the midst of his days he shall leave them, and at his end he shall be a fool.

11  The partridge utters her voice, she gathers eggs which she did not lay; so is a man gaining his wealth unjustly; in the midst of his days his riches shall leave him, and at his latter end he will be a fool.

17:12  Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, thou place of our sanctuary,

12  An exalted throne of glory is our sanctuary.

12  “A high and glorious throne is the place of our sanctification from the beginning.

17:13  Thou hope of Israel, YHWH! All that forsake Thee shall be ashamed; they that depart from Thee shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the YHWH, the fountain of living waters.

13  O Lord, the hope of Israel, let all that have left thee be ashamed, let them that have revolted be written on the earth, because they have forsaken the fountain of life, the Lord.

13  O Lord, Hope of Israel: all who forsake you will be confounded. Those who withdraw from you will be written into the earth. For they have abandoned the Lord, the Source of living waters.

17:14  Heal me, O YHWH, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for Thou art my praise.

17:15  Behold, they say unto me: 'Where is the word of YHWH? let it come now.'

15  Behold, they themselves are saying to me: ‘Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come.’

17:16  As for me, I have not hastened from being a shepherd after Thee; neither have I desired the woeful day; Thou knowest it; that which came out of my lips was manifest before Thee.

16  But I have not been weary of following thee, nor have I desired the day of man; thou knowest; the words that proceed out of my lips are before thy face.

16  But I am not troubled; I am following you as my shepherd. And I have not desired the day of man, as you know. That which has gone forth from my lips has been right in your sight.

17:17  Be not a ruin unto me; Thou art my refuge in the day of evil.

17  Be not to me a stranger, but spare me in the evil day.

17  May you not be a dread to me. You are my hope in the day of affliction.

17:18  Let them be ashamed that persecute me, but let not me be ashamed; Let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed; Bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

18  May those who persecute me be confounded, but may I not be confounded. May they be fearful, and may I not be fearful. Lead over them the day of affliction, and crush them with a double destruction.”

18  Let them be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be defeated, but let me not be defeated; bring upon them the day of evil, and defeat them with double defeat.

17:19  Thus said YHWH unto me: Go, and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

19  Thus says the Lord to me: “Go, and stand at the gate of the sons of the people, through which the kings of Judah enter and depart, and at all the gates of Jerusalem.

19  Thus said the LORD to me: Go and stand at the public gate by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

17:20  and say unto them: Hear ye the word of YHWH, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates;

20  and thou shalt say to them, Hear the word of the Lord, ye kings of Juda, and all Judea, and all Jerusalem, all who go in at these gates

20  And you shall say to them: Listen to the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and all of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter through these gates.”

17:21  thus saith YHWH: Take heed for the sake of your souls, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

21  thus saith the Lord; Take heed to your souls, and take up no burdens on the sabbath-day, and go not forth through the gates of Jerusalem;

21  Thus says the Lord: “Guard your souls, and do not choose to carry heavy things on the day of the Sabbath, nor should you carry these things through the gates of Jerusalem.

17:22  neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work; but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers;

22  and carry forth no burdens out of your houses on the sabbath-day, and ye shall do no work: sanctify the sabbath-day, as I commanded your fathers.

22  And do not be willing to cast burdens out of your houses on the day of the Sabbath, nor should you do any work. Sanctify the day of the Sabbath, just as I instructed your fathers.

17:23  but they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

23  But they did not listen, nor did they incline their ear. Instead, they hardened their neck, lest they listen to me and receive discipline.

17:24  And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto Me, saith YHWH, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;

24  And this shall be: If you listen to me, says the Lord, so that you do not carry in burdens through the gates of this city on the day of the Sabbath, and if you sanctify the day of the Sabbath, so that you do not do work in it,

17:25  then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited for ever.

17:26  And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places round about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the Lowland, and from the mountains, and from the South, bringing burnt-offerings, and sacrifices, and meal-offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving, unto the house of YHWH.

26  And men shall come out of the cities of Juda, and from round about Jerusalem, and out of the land of Benjamin, and out of the plain country, and from the hill country, and from the south country, bringing whole-burnt-offerings, and sacrifices, and incense, and manna, and frankincense, bringing praise to the house of the Lord.

26  And the people shall come from the cities of Judah and from the places round about Jerusalem and from the land of Benjamin and from the plain and from the mountains and from the south, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD.

17:27  But if ye will not hearken unto Me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

18:1  The word which came to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying

1  The word that came from the Lord to

18:2  'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words.'

2  Jeremias, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there thou shalt hear my words.

2  “Rise up and descend into the house of the potter, and there you will hear my words.”

18:3  Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was at his work on the wheels.

3  So I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making a vessel on the stones.

3  And I descended into the house of the potter, and behold, he was making a work on the wheel.

18:4  And whensoever the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

4  And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make it.

4  And the vessel, which he was making with his hands out of clay, broke. And turning away, he made another vessel, for it had been pleasing in his eyes to make it.

18:5  Then the word of YHWH came to me, saying

5  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

18:6  'O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith YHWH. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in My hand, O house of Israel.

6  Shall I not be able, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clay of the potter are ye in my hands.

6  “Am I not able to do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done, says the Lord? Behold, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

18:7  At one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;

7  Suddenly, I will speak against a nation and against a kingdom, so that I may uproot, and destroy, and scatter it.

18:8  but if that nation turn from their evil, because of which I have spoken against it, I repent of the evil that I thought to do unto it.

8  and that nation turn from all their sins, then will I repent of the evils which I purposed to do to them.

8  If that nation, against which I have spoken, will repent from their evil, I too will repent from the evil that I have decided I would do to them.

18:9  And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

9  And if I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation and kingdom, to rebuild and to plant it;

9  And soon, I will speak about a nation and about a kingdom, so that I may build and plant it.

18:10  but if it do evil in My sight, that it hearken not to My voice, then I repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit it.

10  and they do evil before me, so as not to hearken to my voice, then will I repent of the good which I spoke of, to do it to them.

10  If it does evil in my sight, so as not to listen to my voice, I will repent of the good that I have said I would do to it.

18:11  Now therefore do thou speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith YHWH: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you; return ye now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

11  And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepare evils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amend your practices.

11  Now, therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am forming an evil against you, and I am considering a plan against you. Let each one of you return from his evil way, and direct your ways and your intentions well.”

18:12  But they say: There is no hope; but we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.'

12  And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways, and we will perform each the lusts of his evil heart.

12  And they said: “We have lost hope. And so we will follow our own thoughts, and each of us will act according to the depravity of his own evil heart.”

18:13  Therefore thus saith YHWH: Ask ye now among the nations, who hath heard such things; the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

13  For this reason, thus says the Lord: “Inquire among the Gentiles. Who has heard of such horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done to excess?

18:14  Doth the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? or are the strange cold flowing waters plucked up?

18:15  For My people hath forgotten Me, they offer unto vanity; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not cast up;

15  Yet my people have forgotten me, offering useless libations, and stumbling in their ways, in the paths of the world, so that they walk by these on an unmarked route.

15  Yet my people have forsaken me and have burned incense to vanity and have stumbled in their ways, and have departed from the ancient paths to walk in a way which was not trodden.

18:16  To make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

16  And so their land has been given over to desolation and to perpetual hissing. Each one who passes by will be astonished and will shake his head.

18:17  I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will look upon their back, and not their face, in the day of their calamity.

17  Like a burning wind, I will disperse them in the sight the enemy. I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their perdition.”

18:18  Then said they: 'Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.'

18  Then they said, Come, and let us devise a device against Jeremias; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words.

18  And they said: “Come, and let us devise a plan against Jeremiah. For the law will not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor a sermon from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us pay no attention to any of his words.”

18:19  Give heed to me, O YHWH, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

19  Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading.

19  Attend to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.

18:20  Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good for them, to turn away Thy wrath from them.

20  Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, and they have hidden the punishment they meant for me; remember that I stood before thy face, to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

20  Should evil be rendered for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul! Remember that I have stood in your sight, so as to speak on their behalf for good, and to avert your indignation from them.

18:21  Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and hurl them to the power of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men smitten of the sword in battle.

21  Therefore do thou deliver their sons to famine, and gather them to the power of the sword: let their women be childless and widows; and let their men be cut off by death, and their young men fall by the sword in war.

21  Because of this, give their sons over to famine, and bring them to the hand of the sword. Let their wives be widows without children. And let their husbands be slain by death. Let their youths be stabbed with the sword in battle.

18:22  Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

22  Let there be a cry in their houses: thou shalt bring upon them robbers suddenly: for they have formed a plan to take me, and have hidden snares for me.

22  Let an outcry be heard from their houses. For you will lead the robber upon them suddenly. For they have dug a pit, so that they may seize me, and they have hidden snares for my feet.

18:23  Yet, YHWH, Thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me; forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from Thy sight; but let them be made to stumble before Thee; Deal Thou with them in the time of Thine anger.

23  And thou, Lord, knowest all their deadly counsel against me: account not their iniquities guiltless, and blot not out their sins from before thee: let their weakness come before thee; deal with them in the time of thy wrath.

23  But you, O Lord, know all their plans against me unto death. May you not forgive their iniquity, and do not allow their sin be taken away from your face. Let them be thrown down in your sight, in the time of your fury, so that you may destroy them.

19:1  Thus said YHWH: Go, and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests;

1  Then said the Lord to me, Go and get an earthen bottle, the work of the potter, and thou shalt bring some of the elders of the people, and of the priests;

19:2  and go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the gate Harsith, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee;

2  and thou shalt go forth to the burial-place of the sons of their children, which is at the entrance of the gate of Charsith; and do thou read there all these words which I shall speak to thee

19:3  and say: Hear ye the word of YHWH, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; thus saith the YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle;

3  and thou shalt say to them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Juda, and men of Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem, and they that enter in by these gates; thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, so that the ears of every one that hears it shall tingle.

3  And you shall say: Listen to the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will lead an affliction over this place, so much so that it will ring in the ears of all who hear about it.

19:4  because they have forsaken Me, and have estranged this place, and have offered in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

4  Because they forsook me, and profaned this place, and burnt incense in it to strange gods, which they and their fathers knew not; and the kings of Juda have filled this place with innocent blood,

4  For they have abandoned me, and they have made this place foreign, and they have offered libations in it to foreign gods, whom neither they, nor their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known. And they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

19:5  and have built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons in the fire for burnt-offerings unto Baal; which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into My mind.

5  and built high places for Baal, to burn their children in the fire, which things I commanded not, neither did I design them in my heart

5  And they have built the exalted places of Baal, in order to burn their children with fire as a holocaust to Baal, something that I did not instruct or speak of, nor did it enter into my heart.

19:6  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that this place shall no more be called Topheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter;

6  Because of this, behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when this place will no longer be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.

19:7  and I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of them that seek their life; and their carcasses will I give to be food for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth;

19:8  and I will make this city an astonishment, and a hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof;

8  And I will bring this city to desolation and make it a hissing; every one that passes by it shall scowl, and hiss because of all her plague.

8  And I will set this city amid stupor and hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be stupefied, and they will hiss over all its wounds.

19:9  and I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend, in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their life, shall straiten them.

9  And they shall eat the flesh of their sons, and the flesh of their daughters; and they shall eat every one the flesh of his neighbour in the blockade, and in the siege wherewith their enemies shall besiege them.

9  And I will feed them with the flesh of their sons and with the flesh of their daughters. And each one of them will eat the flesh of his friend during the blockade and the embargo by which their enemies, and those who seek their lives, will enclose them.

19:10  Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,

10  And you shall crush the bottle in the sight of the men who will go with you.

10  Then you shall break a pot in the sight of the men who go with you,

19:11  and shalt say unto them: Thus saith YHWH of hosts: Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury in Topheth, for want of room to bury.

11  and thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord, Thus will I break in pieces this people, and this city, even as an earthen vessel is broken in pieces which cannot be mended again.

11  And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts: In the same way, I will crush this people and this city, just as the potter’s vessel was crushed and cannot be made whole again. And they will be buried at Topheth, because there will be no other place for burial.

19:12  Thus will I do unto this place, saith YHWH, and to the inhabitants thereof, even making this city as Topheth;

12  Thus will I do, saith the Lord, to this place, and to the inhabitants of it, that this city may be given up, as one that is falling to ruin.

12  So will I do to this place and to its inhabitants, says the Lord. And I will make this city to be like Topheth.

19:13  and the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, which are defiled, shall be as the place of Topheth, even all the houses upon whose roofs they have offered unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink-offerings unto other gods.

19:14  Then came Jeremiah from Topheth, whither YHWH had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the YHWH'S house, and said to all the people

14  And Jeremias came from the place of the Fall, whither the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord’s house: and said to all the people, Thus saith the Lord;

14  Then Jeremiah arrived from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the atrium of the house of the Lord, and he said to all the people

19:15  'Thus saith YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it; because they have made their neck stiff, that they might not hear My words.'

15  Behold I bring upon this city, and upon all the cities belonging to it, and upon the villages of it, all the evils which I have spoken against it, because they have hardened their neck, that they might not hearken to my commands.

15  “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will lead over this community, and over all its cities, all the evils that I have spoken against it. For they have hardened their necks, so that they would not heed my words.”