The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

The Lord also spoke to him when Jehoiakim son of Josiah ruled over Judah, and he continued to speak to him until the fifth month of the eleventh year that Zedekiah son of Josiah ruled over Judah. That was when the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument],
And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own];
I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Go and say in the ears of Jerusalem, The Lord says, I still keep the memory of your kind heart when you were young, and your love when you became my bride; how you went after me in the waste of sand, in an unplanted land.

Israel [was] holy to Yahweh, the first fruit of his produce. All [those who] ate it were held guilty; disaster came to them," {declares} Yahweh.'"

Thus says Yahweh: "What injustice did your ancestors find in me that they were far from me, and they went after the vanity, and they became vain?

And I took you into a fertile land, where you were living on its fruit and its wealth; but when you came in, you made my land unclean, and made my heritage a disgusting thing.

The priests did not say, Where is the Lord? and those who were expert in the law had no knowledge of me: and the rulers did evil against me, and the prophets became prophets of the Baal, going after things without value.

Has a nation ever exchanged its gods?
(But they were not gods!)
Yet My people have exchanged their Glory
for useless idols.

Upon him the young lions roared, they gave their voice, they will set his land for a desolation: his cities were burned from not being inhabited.

"For from long ago you have broken your yoke, you tore to pieces your bonds. And you said, 'I will not serve!' But on every high hill and under every leafy tree you [were] lying down [as] a prostitute.

But when you were planted by me, you were a noble vine, in every way a true seed: how then have you been changed into the branching plant of a strange vine?

And where thy gods which thou didst make to thee? they will arise, if they shall save thee in the time of thine evil: for from the numbering of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah.

Also in thy wings were found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor: not by breaking in did I find them, but upon all these.

“Why do you go around and wander so much
Changing your way?
Also, you will be shamed by Egypt
As you were shamed by Assyria.

“Will you not just now call out to Me,
‘My Father, you were the guide and companion of my youth?

And thou swearest, Jehovah lives in truth, in judgment, and in justice; and the nations were blessed in him, and in him shall they praise.

And it was in that day, says Jehovah, the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the chiefs; and the priests were astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

Then said I, Ah, Lord God! your words were not true when you said to this people and to Jerusalem, You will have peace; when the sword has come even to the soul.

Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots as the whirlwind: his horses were swift above eagles. Wo to us for we were laid waste.

Like watchers of a field they were against her from all around, because she has rebelled against me," {declares} Yahweh.

They cry murder upon murder; the whole land shall perish. Immediately my tents were destroyed, and my hangings, in the twinkling of an eye.

I looked at the earth, and behold, it was wasteland and emptiness, and to the heavens, and [they were] without their light.

I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all of the hills were jolted to and fro.

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

I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

For, methink I hear a noise, like as it were of a woman travailing, or one laboring of her first child: Even the voice of the daughter Zion, that casteth out her arms, and swooneth, saying, "Ah woe is me! How sore vexed and faint is my heart, for them that are slain?"

O Jehovah, do not thine eyes look upon truth? thou hast stricken them, but they were 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.

For this, a lion from the forest struck them, a wolf of the deserts will destroy them, the panther watched over their cities: every one going forth from thence shall be torn in pieces; for their transgressions were multiplied, their turnings away were strong.

How is it possible for you to have my forgiveness for this? your children have given me up, taking their oaths by those who are no gods: when I had given them food in full measure, they were false to their wives, taking their pleasure in the houses of loose women.

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

Will ye not fear me? says Jehovah; or will ye not tremble from my face, who set the sand a bound to the sea a law forever, and it shall not pass over it: and its waves shall toss themselves and shall not prevail; and they were put in commotion and shall not pass over it

for evil ones were found among my people: he will look about as the stooping of fowlers; they set snares, they will take men.

As a cane full of birds, so their houses full of deceit: for this they were magnified and they will be rich.

This is what the Lord who rules over all said to me: "Those who remain in Israel will be like the grapes thoroughly gleaned from a vine. So go over them again, as though you were a grape harvester passing your hand over the branches one last time."

And their houses were turned to others, the fields and women together; for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the earth, says Jehovah.

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Wherefore this to me shall frankincense come from Sheba, and the good cane from a land from far off? your burnt-offerings are not for acceptance, and your sacrifices were not sweet to me.

We heard its report: our hands were relaxed; straits held us, pain as of her bringing forth

The bellows were burnt from their fire, the founder melted the lead in vain, and the evil were not plucked up.

And ye came and stood before me in this house which my name was called upon it, and ye said, We were delivered to do all these abominations.

But they took no note and did not give ear, but were guided by the thoughts and the pride of their evil hearts, going back and not forward.

But your ancestors did not listen to me nor pay attention to me. They became obstinate and were more wicked than even their own forefathers.'"

The wise were ashamed, they were confounded, and they will be taken: behold, they rejected in the word of Jehovah; and what wisdom to them?

Were 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.

"I would have gathered them," declares the LORD, "but there were no grapes on the vine, and no figs on the fig tree, and their leaves were withered. What I've given them has been taken away."'"

We were looking for peace, but no good came; and for a time of well-being, but there is only a great fear.

From Dan, was heard the snorting of his horses At the sound of the neighing of his chargers, the whole land trembled, - Yea they came in and did sat up The land and the fulness thereof, The city, and them who were dwelling therein.

The harvest passed by, the summer was completed, and we were not saved.

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

And they bend their tongue, as it were their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah.

For the mountains I will lift up weeping and lamentation, and for the seats of the desert, a song of mourning, for they were burnt, from not a man passing through; and they heard not the voice of cattle: from the bird of the heavens and even to the cattle, they fled away, they departed.

For a voice of lamentation was heard from Zion: How were we laid waste! we were greatly ashamed, for we forsook the land, and cast away our dwellings

My tent was laid waste, and all my cords were broken: my sons went forth from me, and they are not: none stretched forth my tent any more, and the place of my curtains.

For the shepherds were brutish, and they sought not Jehovah: for this they considered not, and all their flock was scattered.

For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.

A green olive tree, fair, of fruit of figure, Jehovah called thy name; by the voice of a great noise he kindled a fire upon her, and its branches were evil.

For the Lord of armies, by whom you were planted, has given his decision for evil against you, because of the evil which the people of Israel and the people of Judah have done, In moving me to wrath by offering perfumes to the Baal.

The Lord gave me knowledge, that I might have understanding. Then he showed me what the people were doing.

But I was like a gentle lamb taken to be put to death; I had no thought that they were designing evil against me, saying, Come and let us make trouble his food, cutting him off from the land of the living, so that there may be no more memory of his name.

Then the Lord told me about some men from Anathoth who were threatening to kill me. They had threatened, "Stop prophesying in the name of the Lord or we will kill you!"

Just art thou, O Jehovah, for I will strive to thee: surely I will speak judgments with thee: Wherefore did the way of the evil prosper? all they acting faithlessly with treachery were secure?

Even your brothers—your own father’s household—
even they were treacherous to you;
even they have cried out loudly after you.
Do not have confidence in them,
though they speak well of you.

They sowed wheat and they reaped thorns: they were wearied, they shall not profit; and they were ashamed of your gains from the burning of the anger of Jehovah.

And it was if learning, they shall learn the ways of my people to swear in my name, Jehovah lives; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; and they were built up in the midst of my people.

So I went to Perath and dug up the shorts from the place where I had buried them. I found that they were ruined; they were good for nothing.

The cities of the south were shut up and none opened: Judah was carried away captive, it was all carried away captive, the whole of them.

Look up and see
those coming from the north.
Where is the flock entrusted to you,
the sheep that were your pride?

And if thou shalt say in thy heart, Wherefore did these things befal me? for the multitude of thine iniquities thy skirts were uncovered, thy heel treated with violence.

Judah mourned and her gates languished; they were darkened to the earth, and the outcry of Jerusalem went up.

And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

If our iniquities answered against us, O Jehovah, do for sake of thy name: for our turnings back were many; we sinned against thee.

You have been the object of Israel's hopes. You have saved them when they were in trouble. Why have you become like a resident foreigner in the land? Why have you become like a traveler who only stops in to spend the night?

Why wilt thou make thyself a coward, and as it were a giant that yet may not help? For thou art ours, O LORD, and we bear thy name; therefore forsake us not."

Have you completely given up Judah? is your soul turned in disgust from Zion? why have you given us blows from which there is no one to make us well? we were looking for peace, but no good came; and for a time of well-being, but there was only a great fear.

Then the LORD told me, "Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me, I wouldn't be favorably disposed toward this people. Send them out of my presence! Let them go!

Their widows were many to me above the sand of the seas: I brought to them against the mother a young man laying waste at noon: I caused to fall upon her suddenly wrath and terror.

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Wherefore was my pain everlasting and my blow incurable, refusing to be healed? Being, wilt thou be to me as falsehood, the waters were not faithful?

For mine eyes are upon all their ways, and they were not hid from my face, and their iniquity was not concealed from before mine eyes.

They will be like a shrub in the desert. They will not experience good things even when they happen. It will be as though they were growing in the desert, in a salt land where no one can live.

But I have not run away from being Your shepherd,
and I have not longed for the fatal day.
You know my words were spoken in Your presence.

But they didn't listen, nor did they pay attention. They were determined not to listen and not to accept instruction.

Then said they, "Come, let us imagine something against this Jeremiah." Yea, this did even the priests, to whom the law was committed: the Senators, that were the wisest: and the prophets, which wanted not the word of God. "Come," said they, "let us cut out his tongue, and let us not regard his words."

Tell them the Lord who rules over all says, 'I will do just as Jeremiah has done. I will smash this nation and this city as though it were a potter's vessel which is broken beyond repair. The dead will be buried here in Topheth until there is no more room to bury them.'

And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah were defiled as the place of Tophet to all the houses which they burnt incense upon their roofs to all the army of the heavens, and pouring out libations to other gods

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: "I'm about to bring on this city and all its towns all the disaster that I declared against it because they were determined not to obey my message.'"

Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

And if I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I cannot contain .

For why? I heard so many derisions and blasphemies, yea even of my own companions, and such as were conversant with me: which went about, to make me afraid, saying, "Upon him; let us go upon him, to fear him, and make him hold his tongue: that we may overcome him, and be avenged of him."

And Jehovah is with me as a strong terrible one: for this, they pursuing shall be weak, and they shall not prevail; they were greatly ashamed, for they prospered not; perpetual shame shall not be forgotten.

Go up to Lebanon and cry, and in Basilan thou shalt give thy voice and cry from the passages, for all they loving thee were broken.

I spoke to you {in the times you were secure}, [and] you said, 'I will not listen!' This [was] your way from your youth, for you have not obeyed my voice.

As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;

And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.

A grief -- a despised broken thing -- is this man Coniah? A vessel in which there is no pleasure? Wherefore have they been cast up and down, He and his seed, Yea, they were cast on to a land that they knew not?

The Lord says, "Enroll this man in the register as though he were childless. Enroll him as a man who will not enjoy success during his lifetime. For none of his sons will succeed in occupying the throne of David or ever succeed in ruling over Judah."

The Lord says, "The leaders of my people are sure to be judged. They were supposed to watch over my people like shepherds watch over their sheep. But they are causing my people to be destroyed and scattered.

And I will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands where I thrust them away there, and I turned them back to their rests, and they were fruitful and multiplied.