Jeremiah 5:1-13 - The Depravity Of Jerusalem
1 Look through Jerusalem, behold and see. Seek through her streets also within, if ye can find one man, that doth equal and right, or that laboureth to be faithful: and I shall spare him, sayeth the LORD. 2 For though they can say, "The LORD liveth," yet do they swear to deceive. 3 Where as thou, O LORD, lookest only upon faith and truth. Thou hast scourged them, but they took no repentance: thou hast corrected them for amendment, but they refused thy correction. They made their faces harder than stone, and would not amend.
4 Therefore thought I in myself, "Peradventure they are so simple and foolish, that they understand nothing of the LORD's way, and judgments of our God. 5 Therefore will I go unto their heads and rulers, and talk with them: if they know the way of the LORD, and the judgments of our God." But these, in like manner, have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds in sunder. 6 Wherefore a lion out of the wood shall hurt them, and a wolf in the evening shall destroy them. The cat of the mountain shall lie lurking by their cities, to tare in pieces all them that come thereout. For their offenses are many, and their departing away is great.
7 "Should I then, for all this, have mercy upon thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods. And albeit they were bound to me in marriage, yet they fell to adultery, and hunted harlots' houses. 8 In the desire of uncleanly lust they are become like the stoned horse: every man neigheth at his neighbour's wife. 9 Should I not correct this, sayeth the LORD? Should I not be avenged of every people, that is like unto this?
10 "Climb up upon their walls, beat them down, but destroy them not utterly: cut off their branches because they are not the LORD's. 11 For unfaithfully hath the house of Israel and Judah forsaken me, sayeth the LORD. 12 They have denied the LORD, and said, 'It is not he. Tush, there shall no misfortune come upon us; we shall see neither sword nor hunger.' 13 As for the warning of the Prophets, it is but wind; yea, there is not the word of God in them: such things shall happen unto themselves."