Jeremiah 8

1At that time, saith the LORD, 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:

2And 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.

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

4Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?

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

6I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

7Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.

8How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.footnote a

9The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?footnote bfootnote c

10Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

11For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

12Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.footnote d

13I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

14Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.footnote e

15We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!

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

17For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.

18When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.footnote g

19Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?footnote h

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

21For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.

22Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?footnote i

Judah’s Sin and Punishment

1“At that time,” declares the LORD, “the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of the officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. 2They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground. 3And wherever I have banished them, the remnant of this evil family will choose death over life,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

4So you are to tell them this is what the LORD says:“Do men fall and not get up again?Does one turn away and not return? 5Why then have these people turned away?Why does Jerusalem always turn away?They cling to deceit;they refuse to return. 6I have listened and heard;they do not speak what is right.No one repents of his wickedness,asking, ‘What have I done?’Everyone has pursued his own courselike a horse charging into battle. 7Even the stork in the skyknows her appointed seasons.The turtledove, the swift, and the thrushfootnote akeep their time of migration,but My people do not knowthe requirements of the LORD.

8How can you say, ‘We are wise,and the Law of the LORD is with us,’when in fact the lying pen of the scribeshas produced a deception? 9The wise will be put to shame;they will be dismayed and trapped.Since they have rejected the word of the LORD,what wisdom do they really have?

10Therefore I will give their wives to other menand their fields to new owners.For from the least of them to the greatest,all are greedy for gain;from prophet to priest,all practice deceit. 11They dress the wound of the daughter of My peoplewith very little care,saying, ‘Peace, peace,’when there is no peace at all. 12Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed?No, they have no shame at all;they do not even know how to blush.So they will fall among the fallen;when I punish them, they will collapse,says the LORD.

13I will take away their harvest,declares the LORD.There will be no grapes on the vine,nor figs on the tree,and even the leaf will wither.Whatever I have given them will be lost to them.”

The People Respond

14Why are we just sitting here?Gather together,let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there,for the LORD our God has doomed us.He has given us poisoned water to drink,because we have sinned against the LORD. 15We hoped for peace,but no good has come,for a time of healing,but there was only terror.

16The snorting of enemy horsesis heard from Dan.At the sound of the neighing of mighty steeds,the whole land quakes.They come to devour the land and everything in it,the city and all who dwell in it.

17“For behold, I will send snakes among you,vipers that cannot be charmed,and they will bite you,”declares the LORD.

Jeremiah Weeps for His People

18My sorrow is beyond healing;footnote bmy heart is faint within me. 19Listen to the cry of the daughter of my peoplefrom a land far away:“Is the LORD no longer in Zion?Is her King no longer there?”“Why have they provoked Me to angerwith their carved images,with their worthless foreign idols?”

20“The harvest has passed, the summer has ended,but we have not been saved.”

21For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am crushed.I mourn; horror has gripped me. 22Is there no balm in Gilead?Is no physician there?Why then has the health of the daughter of my peoplenot been restored?