The Broken Covenant

1The word which was to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, 2Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 3And say to them, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel: Cursed the man who will not hear the words of this covenant, 4Which I commanded your fathers in the day of my bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the furnace of iron, saying, Hear ye to my voice, and do them according to all that I shall command you: and be to me for a people, and I will be to you for God: 5To establish the oath which I sware to your fathers, to give to them a land flowing milk and honey, as this day. And I shall answer and say, Verily, O Jehovah.

6And Jehovah will say to me, Call all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them. 7For testifying, I testified to your fathers in the day of my bringing them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, rising early and testifying, saying, Hear ye to my voice. 8And they heard not, and inclined not their ear, and they went a man in the stubbornness of their evil heart: and I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant which I commanded to do; and they did not.

9And Jehovah will say to me, A conspiracy was found in the men of Judah, and in the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10They turned back to the iniquities of their fathers before them who refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah brake my covenant which I cut out with their fathers. 11For this, thus said Jehovah, Behold me bringing evil to them which they shall not be able to go forth from it; and they cried to me and I will not hear to them. 12And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem went and cried to the gods which they burnt incense to them: and saving, they will not save to them in the time of their evil. 13For from the numbering of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and from the numbering of the streets of Jerusalem, ye set up altars to shame, altars to burn incense to Baal.

14And thou shalt not pray for this people, and thou shalt not lift up for them an outcry and a prayer: for I hear not in the time of their calling to me for their evil.

15What is to my beloved in my house making mischief to many, and they shall cause the holy flesh to pass away from thee? for thou didst evil, then wilt thou exult.

16A green olive tree, fair, of fruit of figure, Jehovah called thy name; by the voice of a great noise he kindled a fire upon her, and its branches were evil.

17And Jehovah of armies planting thee, spake evil against thee, on account of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah which they did to themselves to irritate me, burning incense to Baal.

A Plot against Jeremiah
(Jeremiah 18:18–23)

18And Jehovah made known to me and I shall know: then thou caused me to see their doings.

19And I as a gentle lamb being brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that against me they purposed purposes: We will destroy the tree with its food, and we will cut him off from the land of the living, and his name shall no more be remembered.

20O Jehovah of armies, judging justice and trying the reins and the heart, I shall see thy vengeance from them, for to thee I uncovered my cause.

21For this, thus said Jehovah, concerning the men of Anathoth seeking my soul, saying, Thou shalt not prophesy in the name of Jehovah, and thou shalt not die by our hand. 22For this, thus said Jehovah of armies, Behold me reviewing over them: their young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine: 23And a remnant shall not be to them: for I will bring evil to the men of Anathoth, the year of their reviewing.