Jeremiah 5

Not One Is Upright

“Go up and down^a the streets of Jerusalem,

look around and consider,^b

search through her squares.

If you can find but one person^c

who deals honestly^d and seeks the truth,

I will forgive^e this city.

Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’^f

still they are swearing falsely.^g”

Lord, do not your eyes^h look for truth?

You struckⁱ them, but they felt no pain;

you crushed them, but they refused correction.^j

They made their faces harder than stone^k

and refused to repent.^l

I thought, “These are only the poor;

they are foolish,^m

for they do not knowⁿ the way of the Lord,

the requirements of their God.

So I will go to the leaders^o

and speak to them;

surely they know the way of the Lord,

the requirements of their God.”

But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke

and torn off the bonds.^p

Therefore a lion from the forest^q will attack them,

a wolf from the desert will ravage^r them,

a leopard^s will lie in wait near their towns

to tear to pieces any who venture out,

for their rebellion is great

and their backslidings many.^t

“Why should I forgive you?

Your children have forsaken me

and sworn^u by gods that are not gods.^v

I supplied all their needs,

yet they committed adultery^w

and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.^x

They are well-fed, lusty stallions,

each neighing for another man’s wife.^y

Should I not punish them for this?”^z

declares the Lord.

“Should I not avenge^a myself

on such a nation as this?

“Go through her vineyards and ravage them,

but do not destroy them completely.^b

Strip off her branches,

for these people do not belong to the Lord.

The house of Israel and the house of Judah

have been utterly unfaithful^c to me,”

declares the Lord.

They have lied^d about the Lord;

they said, “He will do nothing!

No harm will come to us;^e

we will never see sword or famine.^f

The prophets^g are but wind^h

and the word is not in them;

so let what they say be done to them.”

Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:

“Because the people have spoken these words,

I will make my words in your mouthⁱ a fire^j

and these people the wood it consumes.^k

House of Israel,” declares the Lord,

“I am bringing a distant nation^l against you—

an ancient and enduring nation,

a people whose language^m you do not know,

whose speech you do not understand.

Their quiversⁿ are like an open grave;

all of them are mighty warriors.

They will devour^op your harvests and food,

devour^qr your sons and daughters;

they will devour^s your flocks and herds,

devour your vines and fig trees.^t

With the sword^u they will destroy

the fortified cities^v in which you trust.^w

“Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy^x you completely. And when the people ask,^y ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods^z in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners^a in a land not your own.’

“Announce this to the house of Jacob

and proclaim^b it in Judah:

Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,^c

who have eyes^d but do not see,

who have ears but do not hear:^e

Should you not fear^f me?” declares the Lord.

“Should you not tremble^g in my presence?

I made the sand a boundary for the sea,^h

an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.

The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;

they may roar,ⁱ but they cannot cross it.

But these people have stubborn and rebellious^j hearts;

they have turned aside^k and gone away.

They do not say to themselves,

‘Let us fear^l the Lord our God,

who gives autumn and spring rains^m in season,

who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’ⁿ

Your wrongdoings have kept these away;

your sins have deprived you of good.^o

“Among my people are the wicked^p

who lie in wait^q like those who snare birds

and like those who set traps^r to catch people.

Like cages full of birds,

their houses are full of deceit;^s

they have become rich^t and powerful

and have grown fat^u and sleek.

Their evil deeds have no limit;

they do not seek justice.

They do not promote the case of the fatherless;^v

they do not defend the just cause of the poor.^w

Should I not punish them for this?”

declares the Lord.

“Should I not avenge^x myself

on such a nation as this?

“A horrible^y and shocking thing

has happened in the land:

The prophets prophesy lies,^z

the priests^a rule by their own authority,

and my people love it this way.

But what will you do in the end?^b