Jeremiah 8:4-13 - Yahweh Questions His People

⁴ Further, you are to say to them, This is what the Lord has said: Will those who are falling not be lifted up again? will he who has gone away not come back? ⁵ Why do these people of Jerusalem go back, for ever turning away? they will not give up their deceit, they will not come back. ⁶ I took note and gave ear, but no one said what is right: no man had regret for his evil-doing, saying, What have I done? everyone goes off on his way like a horse rushing to the fight. ⁷ Truly, the stork in the heavens is conscious of her fixed times; the dove and the swallow and the crane keep to the times of their coming; but my people have no knowledge of the law of the Lord.

⁸ How is it that you say, We are wise and the law of the Lord is with us? But see, the false pen of the scribes has made it false. ⁹ The wise men are shamed, they are overcome with fear and taken: see, they have given up the word of the Lord; and what use is their wisdom to them? ¹⁰ So I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will take them for themselves: for everyone, from the least to the greatest, is given up to getting money; from the priest even to the prophet, everyone is false. ¹¹ And they have made little of the wounds of the daughter of Zion, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. ¹² Let them be put to shame because they have done disgusting things. They had no shame, they were not able to become red with shame: so they will come down with those who are falling: in the time of their punishment they will be made low, says the Lord.

¹³ I will put an end to them completely, says the Lord: there are no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf is dry.