The Depravity Of Jerusalem
1 The Lord said, "Go up and down through the streets of Jerusalem. Look around and see for yourselves. Search through its public squares. See if any of you can find a single person who deals honestly and tries to be truthful. If you can, then I will not punish this city.
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 executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
1 “(A)Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,And look now and take note.And seek in her open squares,If you can (B)find a man,(C)If there is one who does justice, who seeks (a)truth,Then I will pardon her.
1 Roam(A) through the streets of Jerusalem.Look and take note;search in her squares.If you find one person,(B)any who acts justly,who seeks to be faithful,then I will forgive her.(C)
1 "Wander through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and investigate; search through her squares and see whether you find anyone even one person there doing justice and seeking truth. Then I'll forgive them.
3 Lord, I know you look for faithfulness. But even when you punish these people, they feel no remorse. Even when you nearly destroy them, they refuse to be corrected. They have become as hardheaded as a rock. They refuse to change their ways.
3 O 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.
3 O Lord, do not (E)Your eyes look for (b)truth?You have (F)smitten them,But they did not (c)weaken;You have consumed them,But they (G)refused to take correction.They have (H)made their faces harder than rock;They have refused to repent.
3 Lord, don’t Your eyes look for faithfulness?(F)You have struck them, but they felt no pain.(G)You finished them off,but they refused to accept discipline.(H)They made their faces harder than rock,(I)and they refused to return.(J)
3 LORD, don't your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they didn't flinch. You brought them to an end, but they refused to receive discipline. They made their faces harder than stone, and they refused to repent.
4 I thought, "Surely it is only the ignorant poor who act this way. They act like fools because they do not know what the Lord demands. They do not know what their God requires of them.
4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.
4 Then I said, “They are only the poor,They are foolish;For they (I)do not know the way of the LordOr the ordinance of their God.
4 Then I thought:They are just the poor;they have played the fool.For they don’t understand the way of the Lord,(K)the justice of their God.(L)
4 Then I said, "These are only the poor, they're foolish, for they don't know the LORD's way, the requirement of their God.
5 I will go to the leaders and speak with them. Surely they know what the Lord demands. Surely they know what their God requires of them." Yet all of them, too, have rejected his authority and refuse to submit to him.
5 I 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.
5 “I will go to the greatAnd will speak to them,For (J)they know the way of the LordAnd the ordinance of their God.”But they too, with one accord, have (K)broken the yokeAnd burst the bonds.
5 I will go to the powerfuland speak to them.Surely they know the way of the Lord,the justice of their God.(M)However, these also had broken the yokeand torn off the chains.(N)
5 Let me go to the leaders and speak to them. For they know the LORD's way, the requirement of their God." "But they, all together, have broken the yoke and torn off the restraints.
6 So like a lion from the thicket their enemies will kill them. Like a wolf from the desert they will destroy them. Like a leopard they will lie in wait outside their cities and totally destroy anyone who ventures out. For they have rebelled so much and done so many unfaithful things.
6 Wherefore 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.
6 Therefore (L)a lion from the forest will slay them,A (M)wolf of the deserts will destroy them,A (N)leopard is watching their cities.Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces,Because their (O)transgressions are many,Their apostasies are numerous.
6 Therefore, a lion from the forest will strike them down.(O)A wolf from an arid plain will ravage them.A leopard(P) keeps watch over their cities.Anyone who leaves them will be torn to piecesbecause their rebellious acts are many,(Q)their unfaithful deeds numerous.(R)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will devastate them. A leopard is watching their towns, and everyone who goes out of them will be torn to pieces. For their transgressions are many, and their apostasies numerous.
7 The Lord asked, "How can I leave you unpunished, Jerusalem? Your people have rejected me and have worshiped gods that are not gods at all. Even though I supplied all their needs, they were like an unfaithful wife to me. They went flocking to the houses of prostitutes.
7 How 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.
7 “Why should I pardon you?Your sons have forsaken MeAnd (P)sworn by those who are (Q)not gods.When I had fed them to the full,They (R)committed adulteryAnd trooped to the harlot’s house.
7 Why should I forgive you?Your children have abandoned Meand sworn by those who are not gods.(S)I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery;(T)they gashed themselves(U) at the(a) prostitute’s house.
7 Why should I forgive you? Your sons have forsaken me, and you have sworn by those who aren't gods. When I gave them enough food to satisfy them, they committed adultery and marched to the prostitute's house.
9 I will surely punish them for doing such things!" says the Lord. "I will surely bring retribution 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 nation as this?
9 “Shall I not punish (d)these people,” declares the Lord,“And on a nation such as this(T)Shall I not avenge Myself?
9 Should I not punish them for these things?(Y)This is the Lord’s declaration.Should I not avenge Myself(Z)on such a nation as this?
9 "Should I not punish them for these things?" asks the LORD, "And on a nation like this, should I not seek retribution?"
10 The Lord commanded the enemy, "March through the vineyards of Israel and Judah and ruin them. But do not destroy them completely. Strip off their branches for these people do not belong to the Lord.
10 Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD'S.
10 “Go up through her vine rows and destroy,But do not execute a complete destruction;Strip away her branches,For they are not the Lord’s.
10 Go up among her vineyard terraces and destroy them,(AA)but do not finish them off.(AB)Prune away her shoots,for they do not belong to the Lord.(AC)
10 "Go through her rows of vines and destroy them, but don't completely destroy them. Strip away her branches, because they aren't the LORD's.
11 For the nations of Israel and Judah have been very unfaithful to me," says the Lord.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.
11 “For the (U)house of Israel and the house of JudahHave dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord.
11 They, the house of Israel and the house of Judah,have dealt very treacherously with Me.(AD)This is the Lord’s declaration.
11 For both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD.
The Lord Rejects Israel
12 "These people have denied what the Lord says. They have said, 'That is not so! No harm will come to us. We will not experience war and famine.
12 They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
12 They have (V)lied about the LordAnd said, “(e)(W)Not He;Misfortune will (X)not come on us,And we (Y)will not see sword or famine.
12 They have contradicted the Lordand insisted, “It won’t happen.(d)(AE)Harm won’t come to us;we won’t see sword or famine.”
12 "They have lied about the LORD by saying, "He wouldn't do that! Disaster won't come on us. We won't see sword and famine.
13 The prophets will prove to be full of wind. The Lord has not spoken through them. So, let what they say happen to them.'"
13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
13 The prophets become only wind,for the Lord’s word is not in them.This will in fact happen to them.
13 The prophets are nothing but wind, and the word is not in them. So may the disaster happen to them!'"
Coming Judgment
14 Because of that, the Lord, the God who rules over all, said to me, "Because these people have spoken like this, I will make the words that I put in your mouth like fire. And I will make this people like wood which the fiery judgments you speak will burn up."
14 Wherefore 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.
14 Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts,“Because you have spoken this word,Behold, I am (AA)making My words in your mouth fireAnd this people wood, and it will consume them.
14 Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Hosts says:Because you have spoken this word,I am going to make My wordsbecome fire in your mouth.(AF)These people are the wood,and the fire will consume them.(AG)
14 Therefore, this is what the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies says: "Because you people have said this, my words in your mouth will become a fire and these people the wood. The fire will destroy them.
15 The Lord says, "Listen, nation of Israel! I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you. It will be a nation that was founded long ago and has lasted for a long time. It will be a nation whose language you will not know. Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand.
15 Lo, 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.
15 “Behold, I am (AB)bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord.“It is an enduring nation,It is an ancient nation,A nation whose (AC)language you do not know,Nor can you understand what they say.
15 I am about to bring a nationfrom far away against you,(AH)house of Israel.This is the Lord’s declaration.It is an established nation,an ancient nation,a nation whose language you do not knowand whose speech you do not understand.(AI)
15 People of Israel, I'm now bringing a nation from far away to attack you," declares the LORD. "It is an enduring nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don't know. And you won't understand what they say.
17 They will eat up your crops and your food. They will kill off your sons and your daughters. They will eat up your sheep and your cattle. They will destroy your vines and your fig trees. Their weapons will batter down the fortified cities you trust in.
17 And 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.
17 “They will (AF)devour your harvest and your food;They will devour your sons and your daughters;They will devour your flocks and your herds;They will devour your (AG)vines and your fig trees;They will demolish with the sword your (AH)fortified cities in which you trust.
17 They will consume your harvest and your food.(AK)They will consume your sons and your daughters.They will consume your flocks and your herds.They will consume your vines and your fig trees.They will destroy with the swordyour fortified cities(AL) in which you trust.
17 "They'll devour your harvest and your food. They'll devour your sons and your daughters. They'll devour your vines and your fig trees. With their swords they'll batter down your fortified cities in which you trust.
18 Yet even then I will not completely destroy you," says the Lord.
18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not make you a complete destruction.
18 "Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I won't destroy you completely.
19 "So then, Jeremiah, when your people ask, 'Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?' tell them, 'It is because you rejected me and served foreign gods in your own land. So you must serve foreigners in a land that does not belong to you.'
19 And 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.
19 It shall come about (AI)when (f)they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will (AJ)serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
19 When people ask, ‘For what offense has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ You will respond to them: Just as you abandoned Me(AN) and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.(AO)
19 When the people ask, "Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you are to say to them, "Just as you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'"
God Warns His People
20 "Proclaim this message among the descendants of Jacob. Make it known throughout Judah.
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
20 “Declare this in the house of JacobAnd proclaim it in Judah, saying,
20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob; proclaim it in Judah, saying:
20 "Declare this to the descendants of Jacob, and proclaim it in Judah:
21 Tell them: 'Hear this, you foolish people who have no understanding, who have eyes but do not discern, who have ears but do not perceive:
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
21 ‘Now hear this, O foolish and (g)senseless people,Who have (AK)eyes but do not see;Who have ears but do not hear.
21 Hear this,you foolish and senseless(e) people.(AP)They have eyes, but they don’t see.They have ears, but they don’t hear.(AQ)
21 "Hear this, you foolish and stupid people: They have eyes, but don't see; they have ears, but don't hear.
22 "You should fear me!" says the Lord. "You should tremble in awe before me! I made the sand to be a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier that it can never cross. Its waves may roll, but they can never prevail. They may roar, but they can never cross beyond that boundary."
22 Fear 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?
22 ‘Do you not (AL)fear Me?’ declares the Lord.‘Do you not tremble in My presence?For I have (AM)placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it.Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail;Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.
22 Do you not fear Me?This is the Lord’s declaration.Do you not tremble before Me,the One who set the sand as the boundary of the sea,an enduring barrier that it cannot cross?(AR)The waves surge, but they cannot prevail.They roar but cannot pass over it.
22 "You don't fear me, do you?' declares the LORD. "You don't tremble before me, do you? I'm the one who put the sand as a boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot cross. Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail against it, though they roar, they cannot cross it.'
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone their own way.
23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.(AS)They have turned aside and have gone away.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and have gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves, "Let us revere the Lord our God. It is he who gives us the autumn rains and the spring rains at the proper time. It is he who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest."
24 Neither 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.
24 ‘They do not say in their heart,“Let us now fear the Lord our God,Who (AO)gives rain in its season,Both (AP)the autumn rain and the spring rain,Who keeps for usThe (AQ)appointed weeks of the harvest.”
24 They have not said to themselves,‘Let’s fear the Lord our God,(AT)who gives the rain,(AU) both early and late,(AV) in its season,(AW)who guarantees to us the fixed weeks of the harvest.’
24 They don't say to themselves, "Let's fear the LORD our God, who gives rain in its season, both the autumn and the spring rain. He sets aside for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'
25 Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming. Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.'
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
25 Your guilty acts have diverted these things from you.Your sins have withheld My bounty from you,(AX)
25 Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have held back from you what is good.
26 "Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people. They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush. They set deadly traps to catch people.
26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
26 ‘For wicked men are found among My people,They (AS)watch like fowlers (h)lying in wait;They set a trap,They catch men.
26 for wicked men live among My people.They watch like fowlers lying in wait.(f)(AY)They set a trap;(AZ)they catch men.
26 "Evil men are found among my people. They lie in wait like someone who traps birds. They set a trap, but they do so to catch people.
27 Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught, their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit. That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
27 ‘Like a cage full of birds,So their houses are full of (AT)deceit;Therefore they have become great and rich.
27 Like a cage full of birds,so their houses are full of deceit.(BA)Therefore they have grown powerful and rich.
27 Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are filled with treachery. This is how they have become prominent and rich,
28 That is how they have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to the evil things they do. They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it. They do not defend the rights of the poor.
28 They 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.
28 ‘They are (AU)fat, they are sleek,They also (i)excel in deeds of wickedness;They do not plead the cause,The cause of the (j)(AV)orphan, that they may prosper;And they do not (k)defend the rights of the poor.
28 They have become fat(BB) and sleek.They have also excelled in evil matters.They have not taken up cases,such as the case of the fatherless, so they might prosper,and they have not defended the rights of the needy.(BC)
28 and have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They don't argue the case of the orphan to secure justice. They don't defend the rights of the poor.
29 I will certainly punish them for doing such things!" says the Lord. "I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!
29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
29 ‘(AW)Shall I not punish (l)these people?’ declares the Lord,‘On a nation such as thisShall I not avenge Myself?’
29 Should I not punish them for these things?This is the Lord’s declaration.Should I not avenge Myself(BD)on such a nation as this?
29 "Should I not punish them for this?' asks the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on a nation like this?'
31 The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!
31 The 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?
31 The (AY)prophets prophesy falsely,And the priests rule (m)on their own authority;And My people (AZ)love it so!But what will you do at the end of it?
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,(BF)and the priests rule by their own authority.My people love it like this.But what will you do at the end of it?(BG)
31 The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?"