10. 1 Hear
the word that the Lord speaks to you, O Israel! 2 This is
what the Lord says£º "Do not act like the other nations, who try to read
their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though
other nations are terrified by them. 3 Their
ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an
idol. 4 They
decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and
nails so it won't fall over. 5 Their
gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and
they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such
gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good." 6 Lord,
there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power. 7 Who
would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among
all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is
no one like you. 8 People
who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of
wood! 9 They
bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and they give
these materials to skillful craftsmen who make their idols. Then they dress
these gods in royal blue and purple robes made by expert tailors. 10 But
the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King!
The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his
wrath. 11 Say
this to those who worship other gods£º "Your so-called gods, who did not
make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the
heavens." 12 But
God made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his
own understanding he stretched out the heavens. 13 When
he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to
rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind
from his storehouses. 14 The
whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced
by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These
idols have no breath or power. 15 Idols
are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all
be destroyed. 16 But
the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists,
including Israel, his own special possession. The Lord of Heaven's Armies is
his name! 17 Pack
your bags and prepare to leave; the siege is about to begin. 18 For
this is what the Lord says£º "Suddenly, I will fling out all you who live
in this land. I will pour great troubles upon you, and at last you will feel my
anger." 19 My
wound is severe, and my grief is great. My sickness is incurable, but I must
bear it. 20 My
home is gone, and no one is left to help me rebuild it. My children have been
taken away, and I will never see them again. 21 The
shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from
the Lord. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered. 22 Listen!
Hear the terrifying roar of great armies as they roll down from the north. The
towns of Judah will be destroyed and become a haunt for jackals. 23 I
know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own
course. 24 So
correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would
die. 25 Pour
out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you - on the peoples
that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel;
they have devoured and consumed them, making the land a desolate wilderness. 11. 1 The
Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2
"Remind the people of Judah and Jerusalem about the terms of my covenant
with them. 3 Say to
them, 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says£º Cursed is anyone who
does not obey the terms of my covenant! 4 For I
said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of
Egypt, "If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my
people, and I will be your God." 5 I said
this so I could keep my promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing
with milk and honey - the land you live in today.'" Then I replied,
"Amen, Lord! May it be so." 6 Then
the Lord said, "Broadcast this message in the streets of Jerusalem. Go
from town to town throughout the land and say, 'Remember the ancient covenant,
and do everything it requires. 7 For I
solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, "Obey
me!" I have repeated this warning over and over to this day, 8 but
your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly
followed their own evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought
upon them all the curses described in this covenant.'" 9 Again
the Lord spoke to me and said, "I have discovered a conspiracy against me
among the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 10 They
have returned to the sins of their forefathers. They have refused to listen to
me and are worshiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the
covenant I made with their ancestors. 11
Therefore, this is what the Lord says£º I am going to bring calamity upon them,
and they will not escape. Though they beg for mercy, I will not listen to their
cries. 12 Then
the people of Judah and Jerusalem will pray to their idols and burn incense
before them. But the idols will not save them when disaster strikes! 13 Look
now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many
altars of shame - altars for burning incense to your god Baal - as there are
streets in Jerusalem. 14
"Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them,
for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress. 15
"What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple, when they have
done so many immoral things? Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their
destruction? They actually rejoice in doing evil! 16 I, the
Lord, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good
fruit. But now I have sent the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire,
leaving them charred and broken. 17
"I, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered
it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil, arousing my
anger by burning incense to Baal." 18 Then
the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me. 19 I was
like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning
to kill me! "Let's destroy this man and all his words," they said.
"Let's cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever." 20 O Lord
of Heaven's Armies, you make righteous judgments, and you examine the deepest
thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have
committed my cause to you. 21 This
is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who wanted me dead. They had
said, "We will kill you if you do not stop prophesying in the Lord's
name." 22 So
this is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says about them£º "I will punish
them! Their young men will die in battle, and their boys and girls will starve
to death. 23 Not
one of these plotters from Anathoth will survive, for I will bring disaster
upon them when their time of punishment comes." 12. 1 Lord,
you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you
this complaint£º Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so
happy? 2 You
have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on
their lips, but you are far from their hearts. 3 But as
for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these
people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered! 4 How
long must this land mourn? Even the grass in the fields has withered. The wild
animals and birds have disappeared because of the evil in the land. For the
people have said, "The Lord doesn't see what's ahead for us!" 5
"If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against
horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the
thickets near the Jordan? 6 Even
your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot
and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly
they speak. 7 "I
have abandoned my people, my special possession. I have surrendered my dearest
ones to their enemies. 8 My
chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest, so I have treated
them with contempt. 9 My
chosen people act like speckled vultures, but they themselves are surrounded by
vultures. Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean! 10
"Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard, trampling down the vines and
turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness. 11 They
have made it an empty wasteland; I hear its mournful cry. The whole land is
desolate, and no one even cares. 12 On all
the bare hilltops, destroying armies can be seen. The sword of the Lord devours
people from one end of the nation to the other. No one will escape! 13 My
people have planted wheat but are harvesting thorns. They have worn themselves
out, but it has done them no good. They will harvest a crop of shame because of
the fierce anger of the Lord." 14 Now
this is what the Lord says£º "I will uproot from their land all the evil
nations reaching out for the possession I gave my people Israel. And I will
uproot Judah from among them. 15 But
afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them
home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession. 16 And if
these nations truly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by
my name, saying, 'As surely as the Lord lives' (just as they taught my people
to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people.
17 But
any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the Lord,
have spoken!"