An exhortation to repentance.

JEREMIAH.

Idolatry threatened. 27 I have set thee for a tower and a 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, fortress among my people; that thou may- as I have cast out all your brethren, even est know and try their way. the whole seed of Ephraim.

28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away.

30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them. CHAP. VII.

HE word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

16 Therefore pay not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.

17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drinkofferings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

2 Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Ju- the LORD: do they not provoke themselves dah, that enter in at these gates to worship to the confusion of their own faces? the LORD. 20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD;

3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, poured out upon this place, upon man, and and I will cause you to dwell in this place. upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, 4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The and upon the fruit of the ground; and it temple of the LORD, The temple of the shall burn, and shall not be quenched. LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the 5 For if ye thoroughly amend your ways God of Israel; Put your burnt-offerings and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. judgment between a man and his neighbour;

22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought 6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the them out of the land of Egypt, concerning fatherless, and the widow, and shed not burnt-offerings or sacrifices: innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt;

23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this God, and ye shall be my people: and walk place, in the land that I gave to your ye in all the ways that I have commanded fathers, for ever and ever. you, that it may be well unto you.

8 T Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.

9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

24 But they hearkened not, nor incl ned their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

I

25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them :.

26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor 11 Is this house, which is called by my inclined their ear, but hardened their name, become a den of robbers in your neck: they did worse than their fathers. eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

27 Therefore, thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.

12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wick- 28 But thou shalt say unto them, This edness of my people Israel. is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of 13 And now, because ye have done all the LORD their God, nor receiveth corthese works, saith the LORD, and I spake rection: truth is perished, and is cut off unto you, rising up early and speaking, from their mouth.

but ye heard not; and I called you, but 29 Cut off thy hair, O Jerusalem, ye answered not; and cast it away, and take up a lamenta14 Therefore will I do unto this house, tion on high places; for the LORD hath rewhich is called by my name, wherein ye jected and forsaken the generation of his trust, and unto the place which I gave to wrath. you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have

The impenitent Jews upbraided. CHAP. VIII, IX.

set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.

Their judgment shewed.

9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have re 31 And they have built the high places jected the word of the LORD; and what 10 Therefore will I give their wives of Tophet, which is in the valley of the wisdom is in them? son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I com- unto others, and their fields to them that manded them not, neither came it into my shall inherit them for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to heart. 32 ¶ Therefore, behold, the days come, covetousness, from the prophet even unto saith the LORD, that it shall no more be the priest every one dealeth falsely. 11 For they have healed the hurt of the called Tophet,norThe valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of Slaughter: for daughter of my people slightly, saying, they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 12 Were they ashamed when they had place. 33 And the carcasses of this people shall committed abomination? nay, they were be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and not at all ashamed, neither could they them that fall in the time of their visitafor the beasts of the earth; and none shall blush: therefore shall they fall among fray them away. tion they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

CHAP. VIII.

13 I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

14 Why do we sit still? assemble yourAt that time, saith the LORD, they selves, and let us enter into the defenced

shall bring out the bones of the kings cities, and let us be silent there: for the of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and LORD our God hath put us to silence, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of given us water of gall to drink, because 15 We looked for peace, but no good the prophets, and the bones of the inhabit- we have sinned against the LORD. ants of Jerusalem, out of their graves : 2 And they shall spread them before the came; and for a time of health, and besun, and the moon, and all the host of hold, trouble! heaven, whom they have loved, and whom

16 The snorting of his horses was heard they have served, and after whom they from Dan; the whole land trembled at the have walked, and whom they have sought, sound of the neighing of his strong ones: and whom they have worshipped: they for they are come, and have devoured the shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they land, and all that is in it; the city, and 17 For behold, I will send serpents, shall be fordung upon the face of the earth. those that dwell therein. 3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain cockatrices, among you, which will not be of this evil family, which remain in all the charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

4 Moreover, thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?

5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

6 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.

LORD.

18 ¶ When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. 19 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not herKing in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their 20 The harvest is past, the summer is graven images, and with strange vanities? ended, and we are not saved.

21 For the hurt of the daughter of my ment hath taken hold on me. people am I hurt; I am black; astonish

22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there 7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and no physician there? why then is not the the crane, and the swallow, observe the health of the daughter of my people retime of their coming; but my people covered? know not the judgment of the LORD.

8 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.

H

CHAP. IX.

eyes a fountain of tears, that I might that my head were waters, and mine weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

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The sins of the Jews bewailed.

JEREMIAH. The cause of their calamity.

2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a after them, till I have consumed them. lodging-place of way-faring men; that I 17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, might leave my people, and go from them! Consider ye, and call for the mourning for they be all adulterers, an assembly of women, that they may come; and send for treacherous men. cunning women, that they may come:

3 And they bend their tongues like their 18 And let them make haste, and take bow for lies: but they are not valiant for up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run the truth upon the earth; for they proceed down with tears, and our eyelids gush out from evil to evil, and they know not me, with waters.

saith the LORD.

19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of

4 Take ye heed every one of his neigh-Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly bour, and trust ye not in any brother: for confounded, because we have forsaken every brother will utterly supplant, and the land, because our dwellings have cast every neighbour will walk with slanders. us out.

5 And they will deceive every one his 20 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O neighbour, and will not speak the truth: ye women, and let your ear receive the they have taught their tongue to speak word of his mouth, and teach your daughlies, and weary themselves to commit ini- ters wailing, and every one her neighbour quity. lamentation.

6 Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.

7 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?

8 Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.

21 For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.

22 Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcasses of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvest-man, and none shall gather them.

23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not 9 Shall I not visit them for these the rich man glory in his riches: things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul 24 But let him that glorieth, glory in be avenged on such a nation as this? this, that he understandeth and knoweth 10 For the mountains will I take up a me, that I am the LORD which exercise weeping and wailing, and for the habita- loving-kindness, judgment, and righteoustions of the wilderness a lamentation, be-ness, in the earth: for in these things I cause they are burned up, so that none can delight, saith the LORD.

pass through them; neither can men hear 25 T Behold, the days come, saith the the voice of the cattle: both the fowl of LORD, that I will punish all them which the heavens and the beast are fled; they are circumcised with the uncircumcised; are gone.

1 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.

12 Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom mouth the LORD spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perish eth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart. CHAP. X.

EAR ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed 13 And the LORD saith, Because they at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are have forsaken my law which I set before dismayed at them. them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the work

14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, man, with the axe. which their fathers taught them:

4 They deck it with silver and with 15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of gold; they fasten it with nails and with hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I wil hammers, that it move not. feed them, even this people, with worm- 5 They are upright as the palm-tree, wood, and give them water of gall to drink. but speak not: they must needs be borne,

16 I will scatter them also among the because they cannot go. Be not afraid of heathen, whom neither they nor their fa- them; for they cannot do evil, neither also thers have known: and I will send a sword is it in them to do good.

No comparison with God.

CHAP. XI. Jeremiah proclaims God's covenant.

6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto north country, to make the cities of Judah thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy desolate, and a den of dragons. name is great in might.

7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

23 TO LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

8 But they are altogether brutish and 25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. that know thee not, and upon the families 9 Silver spread into plates is brought that call not on thy name: for they have from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and work of the workman, and of the hands of consumed him, and have made his habitathe founder: blue and purple is their cloth- tion desolate. ing: they are all the work of cunning men.

10. But the LORD is the true God, he is

CHAP. XI.

the LORD, saying,

the living God, and an everlasting King: THE word that came to Jeremiah from at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and 2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, the nations shall not be able to abide his and speak unto the men of Judah, and to indignation. the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The 3 And say thou unto them, Thus saith gods that have not made the heavens and the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the the earth, even they shall perish from the man that obeyeth not the words of this earth, and from under these heavens. covenant, 12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

4 Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:

13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the 5 That I may perform the oath which I ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD.

14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge every founder is confounded by the 6 Then the LORD said unto me, Prograven image: for his molten image is claim all these words in the cities of Jufalsehood, and there is no breath in them. dah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, say15 They are vanity, and the work of ing, Hear ye the words of this covenant, errors: in the time of their visitation they and do them.

shall perish.

7 For I earnestly protested unto your 16 The Portion of Jacob is not like fathers in the day that I brought them up them: for he is the former of all things; out of the land of Egypt, even unto this and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: day, rising early and protesting, saying, The LORD of hosts is his name. Obey my voice.

17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.

18 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them that they may find it so.

19 Wo is me for my burt! my wound is grievous but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.

8 Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.

9 And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my 10 They are turned back to the iniquicords are broken: my children are gone ties of their forefathers, which refused to forth of me, and they are not: there is hear my words; and they went after other none to stretch forth my tent any more, gods to serve them: the house of Israel and to set up my curtains. and the house of Judah have broken my

21 For the pastors are become brutish, covenant which I made with their fathers. and have not sought the LORD: therefore 11 ¶ Therefore thus saith the LORD, they shall not prosper, and all their flocks Behold, I will bring evil upon them which shall be scattered. they shall not be able to escape; and 22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is though they shall cry unto me, I will not come, and a great commotion out of the hearken unto them.

Evil to the Jews prophesied.

JEREMIAH.

12 Then shall the cities of Judah and have taken root: they grow, yea, they Prosperity of the wicked. inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto bring forth fruit: thou art near in their the gods unto whom they offer incense: mouth, and far from their reins. but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble. 3 But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou 13 For according to the number of the thee: pull them out like sheep for the hast seen me, and tried my heart toward cities were thy gods, O Judah; and ac- slaughter, and prepare them for the day cording to the number of the streets of of slaughter. Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense the herbs of every field wither, for the 4 How long shall the land mourn, and unto Baal. 14 Therefore pray not thou for this peo-beasts are consumed, and the birds; bewickedness of them that dwell therein? the ple, neither lift up a cry or prayer for cause they said, He shall not see our last them: for I will not hear them in the time end. that they cry unto me for their trouble.

5 If thou hast run with the footmen,

15 What hath my beloved to do in my and they have wearied thee, then how house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness canst thou contend with horses? and if in with many; and the holy flesh is passed the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, from thee? when thou doest evil, then they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do thou rejoicest. in the swelling of Jordan?

16 The LORD called thy name, olive-tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with of thy father, even they have dealt treachA green 6 For even thy brethren, and the house the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled erously with thee; yea, they have called fire upon it, and the branches of it are a multitude after thee: believe them not, broken. 17 For the LORD of hosts, that planted though they speak fair words unto thee. thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, left my heritage; I have given the dear7 I have forsaken my house, I have for the evil of the house of Israel and of ly beloved of my soul into the hand of her the house of Judah, which they have done enemies. against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

8 My heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: there

18 And the LORD hath given me fore have I hated it. knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.

9 My heritage is unto me as a speck19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of led bird, the birds round about are against is brought to the slaughter; and I knew the field, come to devour. not that they had devised devices against

10 Many pastors have destroyed my

me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with vineyard, they have trodden my portion the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off under foot, they have made my pleasant from the land of the living, that his name portion a desolate wilderness. may be no more remembered.

20 But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

being desolate it mourneth unto me; the 11 They have made it desolate, and whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

21 Therefore thus saith the LORD of the places through the wilderness for the 12 The spoilers are come upon all high men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, say-sword of the LORD shall devour from the ing, Prophesy not in the name of the one end of the land even to the other end LORD, that thou die not by our hand: 22 Therefore thus saith the LORD of of the land: no flesh shall have peace. hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the reap thorns: they have put themselves to 13 They have sown wheat, but shall young men shall die by the sword; their pain, but shall not profit; and they shall sons and their daughters shall die by be ashamed of your revenues because of famine: 23 And there shall be no remnant of the fierce anger of the LORD. them: for I will bring evil upon the men of mine evil neighbours, that touch the inhe14 Thus saith the LORD against all Anathoth, even the year of their visitation. ritance which I have caused my people IsRIGHTEOUS art thou, O LORD, when out of their land, and pluck out the house rael to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them plead with thee: yet let me talk of Judah from among them. doth the way of the wicked prosper ?I have plucked them out I will return, and 15 And it shall come to pass, after that wherefore are all they happy that deal have compassion on them, and will bring very treacherously? 2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they and every man to his land. them again, every man to his heritage,

CHAP. XII.

with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore