THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH

 

Jeremiah Chapter 11

1 ¶ The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2 Listen to the words of this covenant, and tell it to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

3 Tell them, The LORD God of Israel says; Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,

4 Which I commanded your fathers to keep when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to what I say, and do all that I command you: and you will be my people, and I will be your God:

5 That I may bring to pass what I have I have sworn to your fathers with an oath, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then I answered, and said, So be it, O LORD.

6 Then the LORD said to me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear the words of this covenant, and do them.

7 For I solemnly warned your fathers from the time that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, to this day, rising early and warning them, saying, Obey my voice.

8 But they did not obey, or pay attention, but conducted themselves according to the evil imagination of their heart: therefore I will bring upon them everything threatened in the words of this covenant, which I ordered them to keep; but they would not.

9 And the LORD said to me, There is a conspiracy among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. And they went after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers.

11 ¶ Therefore the LORD says, Behold, I will bring a calamity upon them, that they will not be able to escape; and even though they will cry out to me, I will not listen to them.

12 Then the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem will cry to the gods they have been offering incense to: but they certainly will not save them when disaster comes.

13 For you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah; and have set up as many altars to that shameful idol as there are streets in Jerusalem, altars to burn incense to Baal.

14 Therefore do not pray for these people, or raise a cry or prayer for them: for I will not listen when they call to me for help in their trouble.

15 What right do the people I love have to be in my house, having committed so much wickedness? If the holy flesh of your sacrifices could divert calamity from you, then you could rejoice.

16 The LORD called you, A green olive tree, beautiful, and with good fruit: but with the noise of a great storm he has set it on fire, and its branches fall off.

17 For the LORD of hosts, who planted you, now announces disaster for you, because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have committed against themselves, in provoking me to anger by offering incense to Baal.

18 ¶ And the LORD has informed me of it, and I knew it: then you revealed to me what they were doing.

19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is taken to be butchered; for I did not know that they were plotting against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered.

20 But, O LORD of hosts, you who judge righteously, and test the inner feelings and the thoughts, let me see how you take vengeance on them: for I have laid my case before you.

21 Therefore here is what the LORD says about the men of Anathoth, who seek to take your life, and say, Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will certainly die at our hand:

22 The LORD of armies says this, Behold, I am going to punish them: the young men will die by the sword; their sons and daughters will die by famine:

23 And none of them will escape: because I will bring disaster upon the men of Anathoth, in the year of their punishments.