Jeremiah 7:1-18 ▼

1 THE word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2 Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all the house of Judah who enter in these gates to worship the LORD.

3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.

4 Do not trust in the lying words of those who say to you, The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.

5 For if you amend your ways and your doings, you are the temple of the LORD; if you execute justice between a man and his neighbor;

6 If you do not defraud and oppress the strangers, the fatherless, and the widows, and do not shed innocent blood in this country, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:

7 Then I will cause you to dwell in this country, in the land that I gave to your fathers for ever and ever.

8 Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit.

9 Indeed you are thieves, you are murderers, and you commit adultery and swear falsely and burn incense to Baal and walk after other gods whom you know not;

10 And then you come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, Deliver us; and yet you do all these evils.

11 Is this house which is called by my name become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, says the LORD.

12 Therefore go now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.

13 And now, because you have done all these works, says the LORD, and I warned you in advance and spoke to you, but you did not listen; and I called you, but you did not answer;

14 Therefore I will do to this house which is called by my name, in which you trust, and to this city which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even all the descendants of Ephraim.

16 Therefore do not pray for this people, neither supplicate for them nor make intercession to me; for I will not hear you.

17 Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

18 The children gather wood and the fathers kindle the fire and the women knead dough to make cakes to the queen of heaven and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.