Jeremiah

The word that came to Jeremiah from GOD:

“Hear the terms of this covenant, and recite them to the citizenry of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem!

And say to them, Thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: Cursed be anyone who will not obey the terms of this covenant,

which I enjoined upon your ancestors when I freed them from the land of Egypt, the iron crucible, saying, ‘Obey Me and observe them,athem I.e., the terms of the covenant. just as I command you, that you may be My people and I may be your God’—

in order to fulfill the oath that I swore to your fathers,bfathers See note at Josh. 1.6. to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as is now the case.” And I responded, “Amen, ETERNAL One.”

And GOD said to me, “Proclaim all these things through the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the terms of this covenant, and perform them.

For I have repeatedly and persistently warned your ancestors fromcfrom Lit. “at.” the time I brought them out of Egypt to this day, saying: Obey My commands.

But they would not listen or give ear; they all followed the willfulness of their evil hearts. So I have brought upon them all the termsdterms I.e., the punishments prescribed for violation. of this covenant, because they did not do what I commanded them to do.”

GOD said to me, “A conspiracy exists among the citizenry of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

They have returned to the iniquities of their ancestors of old, who refused to heed My words. They, too, have followed other gods and served them. The House of Israel and the House of Judah have broken the covenant that I made with their ancestors.”

Assuredly, thus said GOD: I am going to bring upon them disaster from which they will not be able to escape. Then they will cry out to me, but I will not listen to them.

And the townspeopleetownspeople Lit. “towns.” of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they sacrifice; but they will not be able to rescue them in their time of disaster.

For your gods have become as many as your towns, O Judah, and you have set up as many altars to ShamefShame See note at 3.24. as there are streets in Jerusalem—altars for sacrifice to Baal.

As for you, do not pray for this people, do not raise a cry of prayer on their behalf; for I will not listen when they call to Me on account of their disaster.

Why should My beloved be in My House,Who executes so many vile designs?The sacral flesh will pass away from you,For you exult while performing your evil deeds.gWho executes so many vile designs? / The sacral flesh will pass away from you, / For you exult while performing your evil deeds Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “Who does such vile deeds? / Can your treacheries be canceled by sacral flesh / That you exult while performing your evil deeds?”

GOD named you“Verdant olive tree,Fair, with choice fruit.”But with a great roaring sound[God] has set it on fire,And its boughs are broken.hbroken Emendation yields “burned.”

GOD of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because of the evil wrought by the House of Israel and the House of Judah, who angered Me by sacrificing to Baal.

GOD informed me, and I knew—Then You let me see their deeds.

For I was like a docile lambLed to the slaughter;I did not realizeThat it was against meThey fashioned their plots:“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,ifruit Or “sap.” Let us cut him off from the land of the living.That his name be remembered no more!”

O GOD of Hosts, O just Judge,Who test the thoughts and the mind,Let me see Your retribution upon them,For I lay my case before You.

Assuredly, thus said GOD of Hosts concerning the people of Anathothjpeople of Anathoth I.e., the local leaders, authorized to act on the town’s behalf. who seek your life and say, “You must not prophesy anymore in the name of GOD, or you will die by our hand”—

Assuredly, thus said GOD of Hosts: “I am going to deal with them: the young men shall die by the sword, their boys and girls shall die by famine.

No remnant shall be left of them, for I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth,kpeople of Anathoth See note at v. 21. the year of their doom.”