The Broken Covenant
The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2 “aHear the words of this bcovenant, and you shall speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem 3 and say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “aCursed is the man who does not hear the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your fathers in the aday that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the biron furnace, saying, ‘cListen to My voice, and do according to all which I command you; so you shall be dMy people, and I will be your God,’ 5 in order to establish the aoath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I answered and said, “bAmen, O Yahweh.”
6 And Yahweh said to me, “aCall out all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘bHear the words of this covenant so that you will cdo them. 7 For I solemnly awarned your fathers in the bday that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, crising up early and warning, saying, “dListen to My voice.” 8 Yet they adid not listen or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the bwords of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”
9 Then Yahweh said to me, “A aconspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have aturned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who brefused to hear My words, and they chave walked after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dbroken My covenant which I cut with their fathers.” 11 Therefore thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am abringing calamity on them which they will bnot be able to get out of; and they will ccry to Me, yet I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will ago and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they surely will not save them in the time of their calamity. 13 For your gods are athe number of your cities, O Judah; and the number of the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the bshameful thing, altars to cburn incense to Baal.
14 “But as for you, ado not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry of lamentation or prayer for them; for I will bnot listen when they call to Me because of their calamity.
15 What possession has My abeloved in My house
When bshe has done many schemes of wickedness?
Can the flesh, which is set apart as holy, take away from you your calamity,
So that you can exult?”
16 Yahweh called your name,
“A agreen olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”;
With the bnoise of a great tumult
He has ckindled fire on it,
And its foliage has an evil demise.
17 Yahweh of hosts, who aplanted you, has bspoken forth evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger by cburning incense to Baal.
Men Seek Jeremiah’s Life
18 Moreover, Yahweh amade it known to me, and I knew it;
Then You showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle alamb led to the slaughter;
And I did not know that they had bdevised thoughts against me, saying,
“Let us make the tree with its fruit a ruin,
And clet us cut him off from the dland of the living,
That his ename be remembered no more.”
20 But, O Yahweh of hosts, who ajudges righteously,
Who btests the insides and the heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You have I revealed my case.
21 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the men of aAnathoth, who bseek your life, saying, “cDo not prophesy in the name of Yahweh, so that you will not ddie at our hand”; 22 therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Behold, I am about to apunish them! The bchoice men will die by the sword; their sons and daughters will die by famine; 23 and a remnant awill not be left to them, for I will bbring calamity on the men of Anathoth—cthe year of their punishment.”