Jeremiah 5

1Run 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 executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

2And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.

3O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; 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.

4Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.

5I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

6Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.footnote afootnote b

7How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.

8They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.

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

10Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD’s.

11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.

12They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:

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

14Wherefore thus saith the LORD 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.

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

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

17And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.

18Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.

19And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer 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.

20Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

21Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:footnote c

22Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

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

24Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

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

26For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.footnote d

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

28They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

29Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;footnote f

31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?footnote g

No One Is Just

1“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem.Look now and take note; search her squares.If you can find a single person,anyone who acts justly,anyone who seeks the truth,then I will forgive the city. 2Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’they are swearing falsely.”

3O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth?You struck them, but they felt no pain.You finished them off,but they refused to accept discipline.They have made their faces harder than stoneand refused to repent.

4Then I said, “They are only the poor;they have played the fool,for they do not know the way of the LORD,the justice of their God. 5I will go to the powerfuland speak to them.Surely they know the way of the LORD,the justice of their God.”But they too, with one accord, had broken the yokeand torn off the chains. 6Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down,a wolf from the desert will ravage them.A leopard will lie in wait near their cities,and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces.For their rebellious acts are many,and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.

7“Why should I forgive you?Your children have forsaken Meand sworn by gods that are not gods.I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adulteryand assembled at the houses of prostitutes. 8They are well-fed, lusty stallions,each neighing after his neighbor’s wife. 9Should I not punish them for these things?”declares the LORD.“Should I not avenge Myselfon such a nation as this? 10Go up through her vineyards and ravage them,but do not finish them off.Strip off her branches,for they do not belong to the LORD. 11For the house of Israel and the house of Judahhave been utterly unfaithful to Me,”declares the LORD.

12They have lied about the LORD and said:“He will not do anything; harm will not come to us;we will not see sword or famine. 13The prophets are but wind,for the word is not in them.So let their own predictions befall them.footnote a”

Judgment Proclaimed

14Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says:“Because you have spoken this word,I will make My words a fire in your mouthand this people the wood it consumes. 15Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you,O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.“It is an established nation,an ancient nation,a nation whose language you do not knowand whose speech you do not understand. 16Their quivers are like open graves;they are all mighty men. 17They will devour your harvest and food;they will consume your sons and daughters;they will eat up your flocks and herds;they will feed on your vines and fig trees.With the sword they will destroythe fortified cities in which you trust.” 18“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you. 19And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’”

20Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:

21“Hear this,O foolish and senseless people,who have eyes but do not see,who have ears but do not hear. 22Do you not fear Me?”declares the LORD.“Do you not tremble before Me,the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea,an enduring barrier it cannot cross?The waves surge, but they cannot prevail.They roar but cannot cross it.

23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.They have turned aside and gone away. 24They have not said in their hearts,‘Let us fear the LORD our God,who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season,who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’

25Your iniquities have diverted these from you;your sins have deprived you of My bounty. 26For among My people are wicked men;they watch like fowlers lying in wait;they set a trap to catch men. 27Like cages full of birds,so their houses are full of deceit.Therefore they have become powerful and rich.

28They have grown fat and sleek,and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked.They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless,that they might prosper;nor have they defendedthe rights of the needy. 29Should I not punish them for these things?”declares the LORD.“Should I not avenge Myselfon such a nation as this?

30A horrible and shocking thinghas happened in the land. 31The prophets prophesy falsely,and the priests rule by their own authority.My people love it so,but what will you do in the end?