Jeremiah 5:1-17 ▼

1 “Go to and fro in streets of Jerusalem, || And see now and know, || And seek in her broad places, || If you find a man, || If there is one doing judgment, || Seeking steadfastness—Then I am propitious to her.

2 And if they say, YHWH lives, || Surely they swear to a falsehood.”

3 YHWH, Your eyes, are they not on steadfastness? You have struck them, and they have not grieved, || You have consumed them, || They have refused to receive instruction, || They made their faces harder than a rock, || They have refused to turn back.

4 And I said, “Surely these [are] poor, || They have been foolish, || For they have not known the way of YHWH, || The judgment of their God.

5 I go to the great, and I speak with them, || For they have known the way of YHWH, || The judgment of their God.” Surely they have broken the yoke together, || They have drawn away the bands.

6 Therefore a lion out of the forest has struck them, || A wolf of the deserts spoils them, || A leopard is watching over their cities, || Everyone who is going out of them is torn, || For their transgressions have been many, || Their backslidings have been mighty.

7 “I am not propitious to you for this, || Your sons have forsaken Me, || And are satisfied by [those who are] not gods, || I satisfy them, and they commit adultery, || And at the house of a harlot || They gather themselves together.

8 Fed horses—they have been early risers, || They each neigh to the wife of his neighbor.

9 Do I not lay a charge for these?” A declaration of YHWH, “And on a nation such as this, || Does My soul not avenge itself?

10 Go up on her walls, and destroy, || And I do not make a completion, || Turn her branches aside, || For they [are] not YHWH’s,

11 For the house of Israel has dealt treacherously against Me, || And the house of Judah,” || A declaration of YHWH.

12 They have lied against YHWH, || And they say, “[It is] not He, || Nor does evil come in against us, || Indeed, we do not see sword and famine.

13 And the prophets become wind, || And the word is not in them, || Thus it is done to them.”

14 Therefore, thus said YHWH, God of Hosts: “Because of your speaking this word, || Behold, I am making My words become fire in your mouth, || And this people wood, || And it has devoured them.

15 Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, || O house of Israel,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “It [is] a strong nation, || It [is] an ancient nation, || A nation whose tongue you do not know, || Nor understand what it speaks.

16 Its quiver [is] as an open tomb, || All of them—mighty ones.

17 And it has consumed your harvest and your bread, || They consume your sons, and your daughters, || It consumes your flock, and your herd, || It consumes your vine and your fig tree, || It makes your fortified cities poor, || In which you are trusting—by the sword.