The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

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- Kapitel 5 -

“Rush about through the streets of Jerusalem; search in her city squares, too. Then look and think about this: If you can find a man or anyone who is acting justly and trying to act faithfully, then I will forgive Jerusalem.

Even if they are saying, ‘By the life of Yahweh,’ they are making false oaths.”

Yahweh, do your eyes not look for faithfulness? You struck the people, but they do not feel pain. You have completely defeated them, but they still refuse to receive discipline. They make their faces harder than rock, for they refuse to repent.

So I said, “Surely these are only poor people. They are foolish, for they do not know Yahweh’s ways, nor their God’s decrees.

I will go to the important people and declare God’s messages to them, for they at least know Yahweh’s ways, the decrees of their God. But they all broke their yoke together; they all tore apart the chains that bound them to God.

So a lion from a thicket will attack them. A wolf from the Arabah will ruin them. A lurking panther will come against their cities. Anyone who goes outside his city will be torn apart. For their transgressions increase. Their acts of faithlessness are unlimited.

Why should I pardon these people? Your sons have abandoned me and have made oaths by what are not gods. I fed them fully, but they committed adultery and took on the marks of a house of prostitution.

They were horses in heat. They roamed about wanting to mate. Each man neighed to his neighbor’s wife.

So should I not punish them-this is Yahweh’s declaration-and should I not avenge myself on a nation that is like this?

Go up onto her vineyards’ terraces and destroy. But do not bring complete destruction to them. Trim their vines, since those vines do not come from Yahweh.

For the houses of Israel and Judah have completely betrayed me-this is Yahweh’s declaration-

and they have denied me. They say, ’He is not real. Evil will not come on us, nor will we see sword or famine.

For the prophets have become as useless as the wind and there is no one else to declare Yahweh’s messages to us. Let their threats come upon themselves.’”

Judgment Proclaimed

So Yahweh, the God of hosts says this, “Because you have said this, see, I am about to place my word in your mouth. It will be like a fire, and this people will be like wood! For it will consume them.

See! I am about to bring a nation against you from far away, house of Israel-this is Yahweh’s declaration-it is a lasting nation, an ancient nation! It is a nation whose language you do not know, nor will you understand what they say.

Its quiver is like an open tomb. They are all soldiers.

So your harvest will be consumed, your sons and daughters also, and your food. They will eat your flocks and cattle; they will eat the fruit from your vines and fig trees. They will batter down with a sword your fortified cities that you trusted in.

But even in those days-this is Yahweh’s declaration-I do not intend to destroy you completely.

It will happen when you, Israel and Judah, say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?’ that then you, Jeremiah, will say to them, ‘Just as you abandoned Yahweh and worshiped foreign gods in your land, so you will also serve strangers in a land that is not your own.’

Report this to the house of Jacob and let it be heard in Judah. Say,

’Hear this, foolish people! For idols have no will; there are eyes in them, but they cannot see. There are ears on them, but they do not hear.

Do you not fear me-this is Yahweh’s declaration-or tremble before my face? I have placed a border of sand against the sea, an ongoing decree that it does not violate-even though the sea rises and falls, still it does not violate it. Even though its waves roar, they do not cross it.

But this people has a stubborn heart. It turns away in rebellion and goes away.

For they do not say in their hearts, “Let us fear Yahweh our God, the one who brings the rain -the autumn rain and the spring rains-in their right time, keeping the fixed weeks of the harvest for us.”

Your iniquities kept these things from happening. Your sins have stopped good from coming to you.

For wicked men are found with my people. They watch as someone crouches to capture birds; they set a trap and catch people.

Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit. So they grow large and become rich.

They have become fat; they shine with well-being. They crossed over all bounds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause of the people, or the cause of the orphan. They prosper even though they have not given justice to the needy.

Should I not punish them for these things-this is Yahweh’s declaration-and will I not take vengeance for myself on a nation like this?

Atrocities and horrors have occurred in the land.

The prophets prophesy with deceit, and the priests rule with their own power. My people love it this way, but what will happen in the end?

“Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its wide places, if you can find a man, if there is anyone who does justly, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her.

Though they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’ surely they swear falsely.”

O LORD, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.

Then I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know the LORD’s way, nor the law of their God.

I will go to the great men and will speak to them, for they know the way of the LORD, and the law of their God.” But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

Therefore a lion out of the forest will kill them. A wolf of the evenings will destroy them. A leopard will watch against their cities. Everyone who goes out there will be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many and their backsliding has increased.

“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes’ houses.

They were as fed horses roaming at large. Everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife.

Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?” says the LORD. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

“Go up on her walls, and destroy, but don’t make a full end. Take away her branches, for they are not the LORD’s.

For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me,” says the LORD.

They have denied the LORD, and said, “It is not he. Evil won’t come on us. We won’t see sword or famine.

The prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them.”

Judgment Proclaimed

Therefore the LORD, the God of Armies says, “Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it will devour them.

Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far away, house of Israel,” says the LORD. “It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don’t know and don’t understand what they say.

Their quiver is an open tomb. They are all mighty men.

They will eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They will eat up your flocks and your herds. They will eat up your vines and your fig trees. They will beat down your fortified cities in which you trust with the sword.

“But even in those days,” says the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you.

It will happen when you say, ‘Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ Then you shall 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.’

“Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

‘Hear this now, foolish people without understanding, who have eyes, and don’t see, who have ears, and don’t hear:

Don’t you fear me?’ says the LORD; ‘Won’t you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? Though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail. Though they roar, they still can’t pass over it.’

“But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart. They have revolted and gone.

They don’t say in their heart, ‘Let’s now fear the LORD our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’

“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you.

For wicked men are found among my people. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men.

As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich.

They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t defend the rights of the needy.

“Shouldn’t I punish for these things?” says the LORD. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

“An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?