Jeremiah 11-15
International Standard Version
The Broken Covenant
11 This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the words of this covenant, and convey them to the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. 3 You are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: “Cursed is the person who does not listen to the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded to your ancestors on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace. I said, ‘Obey me and do everything[a] that I commanded you. Then you will be my people and I’ll be your God.’ 5 As a result, I’ll fulfill the oath that I made with your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, just as is the case today.”’”
Then I answered, “So be it,[b] Lord.”
6 The Lord told me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. You are to say, ‘Listen to the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I’ve diligently warned your ancestors from the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt until now, regularly warning them,[c] saying, “Obey me!” 8 But they would not listen or turn their ear, and each of them stubbornly followed his own evil desires.[d] So I brought on them all the consequences[e] of this covenant that I commanded them to fulfill, but they did not.’”
9 The Lord told me, “Conspiracy has been found among the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors of old[f] who refused to listen to my words. They followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah broke my covenant which I made with their ancestors.”
11 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “I’m about to bring disaster on them from which they won’t be able to escape. They’ll cry out to me, but I won’t listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they’ll be no help at all to them[g] in the time of their disaster. 13 Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns, and you have set up as many altars to the shameful idols as there are streets in Jerusalem. You burn incense to Baal on these altars.
14 “Jeremiah,[h] don’t pray for this people and don’t cry or pray for them. I won’t listen when they cry out to me because of their disaster.
15 “What right does my beloved have in my house,
when she has carried out many evil schemes?
Can sacrificial[i] flesh turn disaster away from you,
so you can rejoice?”
16 The Lord once called you a green olive tree,
with beautiful shape and fruit.
With a great roaring sound, he has set fire to it
and its branches will be destroyed.
17 The Lord of the Heavenly Armies who planted you has called for disaster on you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, has provoked me by burning incense to Baal.”
Jeremiah’s Life is Threatened
18 The Lord made it known to me,
and so I understood.
Then you showed me their malicious deeds.
19 I was like a gentle lamb
led to the slaughter.
I didn’t know that they had devised schemes
against me. They told themselves,[j]
“Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit.
Let’s eliminate him from the land of the living,
so his name won’t be remembered again.”
20 Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the righteous judge,
the one who tests feelings and the heart,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for I’ve committed my case to you.
21 Therefore, this is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who seek to kill you, all the while threatening you, “Don’t prophesy in the name of the Lord so you won’t die by our hand!” 22 Therefore, this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “I’m about to punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and daughters will die by famine. 23 Not one of them will be left,[k] for I’ll bring disaster on the men of Anathoth when I punish them.”
Jeremiah’s Complaint about Justice
12 You are righteous, Lord,
even when I bring a complaint to you.
But I want to discuss justice with you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper,
while all who are treacherous are at ease?
2 You plant them and they take root,
they grow and bear fruit.
“You are near to us,” they say with their mouths,
but the truth is that you’re far from their hearts.
3 You know me, Lord.
You see me and test my thoughts[l] toward you.
Pull the wicked[m] out like sheep for slaughter;
set them apart for the day of butchering.[n]
4 How long will the land mourn
and the vegetation of every field dry up?
Because of the wickedness of those who live in it,
animals and birds are swept away.
For they say, “He does not see our future.”
God’s Reply to Jeremiah
5 Indeed, if you run with others on foot,
and they tire you out,
how can you compete with horses?
You are secure[o] in a land at peace,
but how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?
6 Indeed, even your brothers and your father’s family
conspire against you.
Even they cry out after you loudly.
Don’t believe them, even though they speak friendly words to you.
7 I’ll forsake my house,
I’ll abandon my inheritance.
I’ll give the beloved of my heart
into the hand of her enemies.
8 My inheritance has become like a lion in the forest to me.
She roars at me; therefore, I hate her.
9 Is my inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to me?
Are the other[p] birds of prey all around her coming against her?
Go, gather all the wild animals and
bring them to devour it.
10 Many shepherds will destroy my vineyard.
They’ll trample down my portion.
They’ll turn my pleasant portion
into a desolate desert.
11 They’ll make it into a desolate place,
and, desolate, it will cry out in mourning to me.
The whole land will be desolate
because no one takes it to heart.
12 On all the barren heights in the desert
destroyers will come.
Indeed, a sword of the Lord will devour from
one end of the land to the other.
There will be no peace[q] for any person.[r]
13 They have sown wheat,
but they have harvested thorns.
They have tired themselves out,
but they don’t show a profit.
Now be disappointed about your harvest
because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
God’s Word about Judah’s Neighbors
14 This is what the Lord says about all the wicked neighbors who strike out against the land[s] I’ve given to my people Israel as their inheritance:[t] “I’m about to uproot them from their land, and I’ll uproot the house of Judah from among them. 15 After I’ve uprooted them, I’ll again have compassion on them. I’ll return each one of them to his inheritance, and each one to his own land. 16 If they have learned the ways of my people well, to swear by my name: ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ just as they once taught my people to swear by Baal, then they’ll be built up among my people. 17 But if they don’t listen, then I’ll completely uproot that nation and destroy it,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah’s Linen Belt
13 This is what the Lord told me: “Go and buy a linen belt for yourself, and put it around your waist.[u] But don’t let it get wet.” 2 So I bought the belt according to the Lord’s instruction, and put it around my waist.
3 Then this message from the Lord came to me a second time: 4 Take the belt that you bought and that is around your waist. Get up and go to the Euphrates,[v] and hide it there in a crevice in the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it at the Euphrates,[w] just as the Lord had commanded me.
6 After a long time,[x] the Lord told me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates,[y] and get the belt that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 I went to the Euphrates and dug it up. I got the belt from the place where I had hidden it. The belt was ruined! It was not good for anything.
8 Then this message from the Lord came to me: 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I’ll ruin the pride of Judah and the pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people that refuses to listen to my words, that stubbornly pursues their own desires,[z] and that follows other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt that is not good for anything. 11 For just as the belt clings tightly to a person’s waist, so I’ve made all the people[aa] of Israel and all the people[ab] of Judah cling tightly to me,’ declares the Lord. ‘I did this[ac] so that they would be my people, name, praise, and glory. But they wouldn’t listen.’
The Wineskins
12 “This is what you’re to tell them: ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: “Every wineskin is to be filled with wine.”’ When they say to you, ‘Don’t we know very well that every wineskin is to be filled with wine?’, 13 then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I’m about to make all the inhabitants of this land drunk—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the residents of Jerusalem. 14 I’ll smash them against each other, even fathers against their sons,”[ad] declares the Lord. “I’ll have no pity, mercy, or compassion when I destroy them.”’”
15 Listen and pay attention![ae]
Don’t be proud, for the Lord has spoken.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings darkness,
before your feet stumble on the
mountains at twilight.
You hope for light,
but he turns it into deep darkness.
He changes it into heavy gloom.
17 If you don’t listen, I’ll cry secretly
because of your pride.
My eyes will cry bitterly, flowing tears,
because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
18 Say to the king and the queen mother,[af]
“Come take a lowly seat,
because your beautiful crowns have fallen off your heads.”
19 The towns in the Negev[ag] will be closed up,
and there will be no one to open them.
All Judah will be taken into exile
and be completely exiled.
20 “Look up and see those who are coming from the north.
Where is the flock that was given to you—
your beautiful sheep?
21 What will you say when the Lord[ah]
appoints over you as your head
those whom you taught to be your allies?[ai]
Pain will seize you like that seizing a woman
about to give birth, will it not?
22 When you say to yourselves,
‘Why have all these things happened to me?’
It’s because of the extent of your iniquity
that your skirt has been lifted up,
and your heels have suffered violence.[aj]
23 Can an Ethiopian change his skin,
or a leopard his spots?
Then you who are trained to do evil
will also be able to do good.
24 I’ll scatter them like chaff
blown away by a desert wind.
25 “This is your fate,
the portion I’ve measured out for you,”
declares the Lord,
“because you have forgotten me
and have trusted in false gods.[ak]
26 I’ll also pull your skirt up over your face,
so your shame will be seen,
27 I’ve seen your detestable behavior:
your adulteries, your passionate neighing,
your lewd immorality on the hills in the field.
How terrible it will be for you, Jerusalem!
You are unclean. How much longer will this go on?”
A Terrible Drought in the Land
14 This is[al] this message from the Lord that came[am] to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
2 “Judah mourns, and her gates languish.
The people[an] mourn for the land,
and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
3 Their nobles send their young people for water.
They go to the cisterns, but they find no water.
They return with their vessels empty.
They’re disappointed[ao] and dismayed,
and they cover their heads in shame.[ap]
4 The ground is cracked,
because there has been no rain in the land.
The farmers are disappointed,[aq]
and they cover their heads in shame.[ar]
5 Even the doe in the field gives birth
and then abandons her young[as]
because there is no grass.
6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren hills.
They pant for air like jackals.
Their eyesight fails
because there is no vegetation.”
The People Cry for Help
7 Lord, even though our iniquities testify against us,
do something for the sake of your name.
Indeed, our apostasies are many,
and we have sinned against you.
8 Hope of Israel,
its deliverer in time of trouble,
why are you like a stranger[at] in the land,
like a traveler who sets up his tent for a night?
9 Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
like a strong man who can’t deliver?
You are among us, Lord,
and your name is the one by which we’re called.
Don’t abandon us!
God Responds to the Prophet
10 This is what the Lord says to these people:
“Yes, they do love to wander,
and they haven’t restrained their feet.
So the Lord won’t accept them now.
He will remember their iniquity
and punish their sin.”
11 Then the Lord told me, “Don’t pray for the welfare of these people. 12 Although they fast, I won’t listen to their cry, and although they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I won’t accept them. Instead, I’ll put an end to them with the sword, with famine, and with a plague.”
13 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, look! The prophets are saying to them, ‘You won’t see the sword and you won’t experience famine. Rather, I’ll give you lasting peace in this place.’”
14 Then the Lord told me, “The prophets are prophesying lies[au] in my name. I didn’t send them, I didn’t command them, and I didn’t speak to them. They’re proclaiming[av] to you false visions, worthless predictions,[aw] and the delusions of their own minds. 15 Therefore, this is what the Lord says about the false prophets who prophesy in my name, ‘There will be no sword and famine in this land’ (though I haven’t sent them): ‘By the sword and by famine these prophets will be finished off! 16 The people to whom they have prophesied will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons, or their daughters. I’ll pour out on them the[ax] judgment they deserve.’”[ay]
17 “And deliver[az] this message to them:
‘Let tears run down my face,[ba]
night and day, and don’t let them stop,
because my virgin daughter—my people—
will be broken with a powerful blow,
with a severe wound.
18 If I go out into the field,
I see those slain by the sword!
If I go into the city,
I see the ravages of the famine!
Indeed, both prophet and priest
ply their trade in the land,
but they don’t know anything.’”[bb]
The People Plead to the Lord
19 Have you completely rejected Judah?
Do you despise Zion?
Why have you struck us,
so that there is no healing for us?
We hoped for peace, but no good came,
for a time of healing, but there was only terror.
20 We acknowledge, Lord, our wickedness,
the guilt of our ancestors.
Indeed, we have sinned against you.
21 For the sake of your name[bc] don’t despise us.
Don’t dishonor your glorious throne.
Remember, don’t break your covenant with us!
22 Can any of the worthless gods of the nations make it rain?
Can the heavens themselves bring forth showers?
Aren’t you the one who does this,[bd]
Lord our God?
So we hope in you,
for you are the one who does all these things.
The Destiny of the Judged
15 Then the Lord told me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me, I wouldn’t be favorably disposed toward this people. Send them out of my presence! Let them go!
2 “When they say to you, ‘Where can we go?’, say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“Those destined for death,
to death will go;[be]
those destined for the sword,
to the sword will go;[bf]
and those destined for captivity,
to captivity will go.[bg]
3 “I’ll appoint four kinds of judgment for them,” declares the Lord: “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag off, the birds of the sky to devour, and the animals of the land to destroy. 4 I’ll make them a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Hezekiah’s son Manasseh, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.
5 “Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem,
and who will grieve for you?
Who will go out of his way
to ask about your welfare?
6 You have deserted me,” declares the Lord.
“You keep going backward.
I’ll reach out my hand and destroy you.
I’m tired of showing compassion.
7 I’ll winnow[bh] them with a winnowing fork
in the gates of the land.
I’ll make them childless.
I’ll destroy my people,
for they didn’t change their ways.
8 I’ll make their[bi] widows more numerous
than the sand of the sea.
At noontime I’ll send a destroyer
against the mother[bj] of a young man.
I’ll cause terror and anguish
to come to her unexpectedly.
9 “The woman who gave birth to seven will grow faint,
her life will expire.
Her sun will set while it’s still day.
She will be disgraced and humiliated.
I’ll kill the rest of them with swords
in the presence of their enemies,”
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah’s Complaint
10 How terrible for me, my mother,
that you gave birth to me,
a man of strife and contention for the whole land!
I’ve neither lent nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses me.
God’s Answer to Jeremiah’s Complaint
11 The Lord said,
“Have I not set you free
for a good purpose?
Have I not intervened for you with your enemies
in times of trouble and times of distress?
12 “Can anyone break iron—
iron from the north—or bronze?
13 “I’ll give away your wealth and your treasures
as plunder, for free,
because of all your sins throughout your territory.
14 I’ll make you serve your enemies
in a land you don’t know,
for my anger has started a fire
that will burn against you.”
Jeremiah’s Revised Complaint
15 You are aware—
Lord, remember me,
pay attention to me,
and vindicate me in front of those who pursue me.
You are patient—
don’t take me away.
Know that I suffer insult because of you!
16 Your words were found, and I consumed them.
Your words were joy and my hearts delight,
because I bear your name,[bk]
Lord God of the Heavenly Armies.
17 I didn’t sit in the company of those who have fun,
and I didn’t rejoice.
Because of your hand on me,[bl] I sat alone,
for you filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending and my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
God’s Answer to Jeremiah’s Revised Complaint
You are like a deceptive brook,
whose waters cannot be depended on.
19 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
“If you repent, I’ll take you back
and you will stand before me.
If you speak what is worthwhile,[bm]
instead of what is worthless,
then you will be my spokesman.[bn]
People[bo] will turn to you,
but you aren’t to turn to them.
20 I’ll make you a fortified wall of bronze to this people.
They’ll fight against you,
but they won’t prevail against you,
for I am with you to save you
and deliver you,”
21 So I’ll deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 11:4 Lit. according to all
- Jeremiah 11:5 Heb. amen
- Jeremiah 11:7 Lit. getting up early and warning
- Jeremiah 11:8 Lit. follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts
- Jeremiah 11:8 Lit. words
- Jeremiah 11:10 Lit. their first ancestors
- Jeremiah 11:12 Or won’t save them at all
- Jeremiah 11:14 Lit. You
- Jeremiah 11:15 Lit. holy
- Jeremiah 11:19 The Heb. lacks They told themselves
- Jeremiah 11:23 Lit. A remnant won’t be to them
- Jeremiah 12:3 Or heart
- Jeremiah 12:3 Lit. them
- Jeremiah 12:3 Or killing
- Jeremiah 12:5 Or You trust
- Jeremiah 12:9 The Heb. lacks other
- Jeremiah 12:12 Or safety
- Jeremiah 12:12 Lit. for all flesh
- Jeremiah 12:14 Lit. inheritance
- Jeremiah 12:14 Lit. to inherit
- Jeremiah 13:1 Or loins
- Jeremiah 13:4 Or Perath
- Jeremiah 13:5 Or Perath
- Jeremiah 13:6 Lit. At the end of many days
- Jeremiah 13:6 Or Perath
- Jeremiah 13:10 Lit. that walks in the stubbornness of their hearts
- Jeremiah 13:11 Lit. house
- Jeremiah 13:11 Lit. house
- Jeremiah 13:11 The Heb. lacks I did this
- Jeremiah 13:14 Lit. fathers and sons together
- Jeremiah 13:15 Lit. give ear
- Jeremiah 13:18 I.e. the king’s mother
- Jeremiah 13:19 I.e. southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
- Jeremiah 13:21 Lit. he
- Jeremiah 13:21 I.e. the Babylonians
- Jeremiah 13:22 I.e. you have been violated
- Jeremiah 13:25 Or deception
- Jeremiah 14:1 The Heb. lacks This is
- Jeremiah 14:1 The Heb. lacks that came
- Jeremiah 14:2 Lit. They
- Jeremiah 14:3 Or ashamed
- Jeremiah 14:3 The Heb. lacks in shame
- Jeremiah 14:4 Or ashamed
- Jeremiah 14:4 The Heb. lacks in shame
- Jeremiah 14:5 The Heb. lacks her young
- Jeremiah 14:8 Or resident alien
- Jeremiah 14:14 Or deception
- Jeremiah 14:14 Lit. prophesying
- Jeremiah 14:14 or divination
- Jeremiah 14:16 Lit. their
- Jeremiah 14:16 The Heb. lacks they deserve
- Jeremiah 14:17 Lit. speak
- Jeremiah 14:17 Lit. Let my eyes run down with tears
- Jeremiah 14:18 The Heb. lacks anything
- Jeremiah 14:21 I.e. your reputation
- Jeremiah 14:22 The Heb. lacks who does this
- Jeremiah 15:2 The Heb. lacks will go
- Jeremiah 15:2 The Heb. lacks will go
- Jeremiah 15:2 The Heb. lacks will go
- Jeremiah 15:7 Winnowing is the process of separating husks from the grain.
- Jeremiah 15:8 Lit. her
- Jeremiah 15:8 Lit. send against them
- Jeremiah 15:16 Lit. your name is called on me
- Jeremiah 15:17 The Heb. lacks on me
- Jeremiah 15:19 Lit. if worthwhile things come out
- Jeremiah 15:19 Lit. my mouth
- Jeremiah 15:19 Lit. They
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
