Jeremiah 8:5–10

Why then has this people turned away

in perpetual backsliding?

They hold fast to deceit;

they refuse to return.

I have paid attention and listened,

but they have not spoken rightly;

no man relents of his evil,

saying, ‘What have I done?’

Everyone turns to his own course,

like a horse plunging headlong into battle.

Even the stork in the heavens

knows her times,

and the turtledove, swallow, and crane

keep the time of their coming,

but my people know not

the rules of the Lord.

“How can you say, ‘We are wise,

and the law of the Lord is with us’?

But behold, the lying pen of the scribes

has made it into a lie.

The wise men shall be put to shame;

they shall be dismayed and taken;

behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord,

so what wisdom is in them?

Therefore I will give their wives to others

and their fields to conquerors,

because from the least to the greatest

everyone is greedy for unjust gain;

from prophet to priest,

everyone deals falsely.

Why then have these people turned away?

Why does Jerusalem always turn away?

They cling to deceit;

they refuse to return.

I have listened attentively,

but they do not say what is right.

None of them repent of their wickedness,

saying, “What have I done?”

Each pursues their own course

like a horse charging into battle.

Even the stork in the sky

knows her appointed seasons,

and the dove, the swift and the thrush

observe the time of their migration.

But my people do not know

the requirements of the Lord.

“ ‘How can you say, “We are wise,

for we have the law of the Lord,”

when actually the lying pen of the scribes

has handled it falsely?

The wise will be put to shame;

they will be dismayed and trapped.

Since they have rejected the word of the Lord,

what kind of wisdom do they have?

Therefore I will give their wives to other men

and their fields to new owners.

From the least to the greatest,

all are greedy for gain;

prophets and priests alike,

all practice deceit.

Why have these people turned away?

Why is Jerusalem always turning away?

They take hold of deceit;

they refuse to return.

I have paid careful attention.

They do not speak what is right.

No one regrets his evil,

asking, ‘What have I done?’

Everyone has stayed his course

like a horse rushing into battle.

Even storks in the sky

know their seasons.

Turtledoves, swallows, and cranes

are aware of their migration,

but my people do not know

the requirements of the Lord.

“How can you claim, ‘We are wise;

the law of the Lord is with us’?

In fact, the lying pen of scribes

has produced falsehood.

The wise will be put to shame;

they will be dismayed and snared.

They have rejected the word of the Lord,

so what wisdom do they really have?

Therefore, I will give their wives to other men,

their fields to new occupants,

for from the least to the greatest,

everyone is making profit dishonestly.

From prophet to priest,

everyone deals falsely.

Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path?

Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back?

They cling tightly to their lies

and will not turn around.

I listen to their conversations

and don’t hear a word of truth.

Is anyone sorry for doing wrong?

Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”?

No! All are running down the path of sin

as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!

Even the stork that flies across the sky

knows the time of her migration,

as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane.

They all return at the proper time each year.

But not my people!

They do not know the Lord’s laws.

“ ‘How can you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,”

when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?

These wise teachers will fall

into the trap of their own foolishness,

for they have rejected the word of the Lord.

Are they so wise after all?

I will give their wives to others

and their farms to strangers.

From the least to the greatest,

their lives are ruled by greed.

Yes, even my prophets and priests are like that.

They are all frauds.

Why has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in enduring apostasy?

They have kept hold of deceit, they have refused to return.

I have listened attentively,

and I have listened.

They do not speak honestly,

there is no man who regrets his wickedness, saying, ‘What have I done?’

All of them are turning to their ways of running,

like a horse plunging into battle.

Even the stork in heaven knows its appointed time,

and the turtledove, and the swallow, and the song bird,

they observe the time of their coming.

But my people do not know the ordinance of Yahweh.

How can you say, ‘We are wise and the law of Yahweh is with us’?

Look, surely the lying stylus of the scribes has made it a lie.

The wise will be put to shame,

they will be dismayed,

and they will get taken.

Look, they have rejected the word of Yahweh,

and what is wisdom to them?

Therefore I will give their wives to others,

their fields to conquerors,

because from the smallest to the greatest,

all of them make profit for unlawful gain,

from prophet to priest,

all of them practice deceit.

Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord. How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them? Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.