| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1"Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. | 1The LORD said, "Go up and down through the streets of Jerusalem. Look around and see for yourselves. Search through its public squares. See if any of you can find a single person who deals honestly and tries to be truthful. If you can, then I will not punish this city. |
| 2Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely." | 2These people make promises in the name of the LORD. But the fact is, what they swear to is really a lie." |
| 3LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. | 3LORD, I know you look for faithfulness. But even when you punish these people, they feel no remorse. Even when you nearly destroy them, they refuse to be corrected. They have become as hardheaded as a rock. They refuse to change their ways. |
| 4I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God. | 4I thought, "Surely it is only the ignorant poor who act this way. They act like fools because they do not know what the LORD demands. They do not know what their God requires of them. |
| 5So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. | 5I will go to the leaders and speak with them. Surely they know what the LORD demands. Surely they know what their God requires of them." Yet all of them, too, have rejected his authority and refuse to submit to him. |
| 6Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many. | 6So like a lion from the thicket their enemies will kill them. Like a wolf from the desert they will destroy them. Like a leopard they will lie in wait outside their cities and totally destroy anyone who ventures out. For they have rebelled so much and done so many unfaithful things. |
| 7"Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. | 7The LORD asked, "How can I leave you unpunished, Jerusalem? Your people have rejected me and have worshiped gods that are not gods at all. Even though I supplied all their needs, they were like an unfaithful wife to me. They went flocking to the houses of prostitutes. |
| 8They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife. | 8They are like lusty, well-fed stallions. Each of them lusts after his neighbor's wife. |
| 9Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? | 9I will surely punish them for doing such things!" says the LORD. "I will surely bring retribution on such a nation as this!" |
| 10"Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the LORD. | 10The LORD commanded the enemy, "March through the vineyards of Israel and Judah and ruin them. But do not destroy them completely. Strip off their branches for these people do not belong to the LORD. |
| 11The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD. | 11For the nations of Israel and Judah have been very unfaithful to me," says the LORD. |
| 12They have lied about the LORD; they said, "He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine. | 12"These people have denied what the LORD says. They have said, 'That is not so! No harm will come to us. We will not experience war and famine. |
| 13The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them." | 13The prophets will prove to be full of wind. The LORD has not spoken through them. So, let what they say happen to them.'" |
| 14Therefore this is what the LORD God Almighty says: "Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes. | 14Because of that, the LORD, the God who rules over all, said to me, "Because these people have spoken like this, I will make the words that I put in your mouth like fire. And I will make this people like wood which the fiery judgments you speak will burn up." |
| 15People of Israel," declares the LORD, "I am bringing a distant nation against you-- an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand. | 15The LORD says, "Listen, nation of Israel! I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you. It will be a nation that was founded long ago and has lasted for a long time. It will be a nation whose language you will not know. Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand. |
| 16Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors. | 16All of its soldiers are strong and mighty. Their arrows will send you to your grave. |
| 17They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust. | 17They will eat up your crops and your food. They will kill off your sons and your daughters. They will eat up your sheep and your cattle. They will destroy your vines and your fig trees. Their weapons will batter down the fortified cities you trust in. |
| 18"Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I will not destroy you completely. | 18Yet even then I will not completely destroy you," says the LORD. |
| 19And when the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.' | 19"So then, Jeremiah, when your people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' tell them, 'It is because you rejected me and served foreign gods in your own land. So you must serve foreigners in a land that does not belong to you.' |
| 20"Announce this to the descendants of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah: | 20"Proclaim this message among the descendants of Jacob. Make it known throughout Judah. |
| 21Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: | 21Tell them: 'Hear this, you foolish people who have no understanding, who have eyes but do not discern, who have ears but do not perceive: |
| 22Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. | 22"You should fear me!" says the LORD. "You should tremble in awe before me! I made the sand to be a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier that it can never cross. Its waves may roll, but they can never prevail. They may roar, but they can never cross beyond that boundary." |
| 23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. | 23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone their own way. |
| 24They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.' | 24They do not say to themselves, "Let us revere the LORD our God. It is he who gives us the autumn rains and the spring rains at the proper time. It is he who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest." |
| 25Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good. | 25Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming. Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.' |
| 26"Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. | 26"Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people. They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush. They set deadly traps to catch people. |
| 27Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful | 27Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught, their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit. That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful. |
| 28and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor. | 28That is how they have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to the evil things they do. They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it. They do not defend the rights of the poor. |
| 29Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? | 29I will certainly punish them for doing such things!" says the LORD. "I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this! |
| 30"A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: | 30"Something horrible and shocking is going on in the land of Judah: |
| 31The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end? | 31The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes! |
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