FALSE TRUST IN THE TEMPLE

7 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Stand in the gate of the house of the Lorde and there call out this word: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who enter through these gates to worship the Lord.

3 “ ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Correct your ways and your actions,f and I will allow you to live in this place. 4 Do not trust deceitful words, chanting, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” 5 Instead, if you really correct your ways and your actions, if you act justly toward one another,A,g 6 if you no longer oppress the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widowh and no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods, bringing harm on yourselves, 7 I will allow you to live in this place, the land I gave to your ancestorsi long ago and forever. 8 But look, you keep trusting in deceitful words that cannot help.

9 “ ‘Do you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known?j 10 Then do you come and stand before me in this housek that bears my name and say, “We are rescued, so we can continue doing all these detestable acts”? 11 Has this house, which bears my name, become a den of robbersl in your view? Yes, I too have seen it.m

This is the Lord’s declaration.

SHILOH AS A WARNING

12 “ ‘But return to my place that was at Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first.n See what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. 13 Now, because you have done all these things—this is the Lord’s declaration—and because I have spoken to you time and time againB but you wouldn’t listen,o and I have called to you, but you wouldn’t answer,p 14 what I did to Shiloh I will do to the house that bears my name,q the house in which you trust, the place that I gave you and your ancestors. 15 I will banish you from my presence, just as I banished all of your brothers, all the descendants of Ephraim.’r