Judah’s Sin and Punishment

1In that time, says Jehovah, and they shall bring forth the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his chiefs, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: 2And they spread them to the sun and to the moon, and to all the army of the heavens which they loved, and which they served, and which they, went after, and which they sought and which they worshiped to them: they shall not be gathered and they shall not be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 3And death was chosen above life to all the remnant of those being left from this evil family, in all the places being left where I cast them out there, says Jehovah of armies.

4And say to them, Thus said Jehovah, Shall they fall and not rise? if he shall turn back, and not turn back?

5Wherefore did this people of Jerusalem turn away a continual turning away? they laid hold upon deceit; they refused to turn back.

6I hearkened and I will hear, they shall not speak thus: no man lamented for his evil, saying, What did I? Every one turned back in his race as the horse rushing into battle.

7Also the stork in the heavens knew her appointment; and the turtle-dove, and the swallow, and the twitterer watched the time of their coming; and my people knew not the judgment of Jehovah.

8How shall ye say, We are wise, and the law of Jehovah with us? Behold, surely for falsehood he made the style of the scribes a lie.

9The wise were ashamed, they were confounded, and they will be taken: behold, they rejected in the word of Jehovah; and what wisdom to them?

10For this I will give their wives to others; their fields to those inheriting them: for from small and even to great all plundering a plunder, from the prophet and even to the priest, all did falsehood.

11And they will heal the breaking of the daughter of my people by making light of, saying, Peace, peace; and no peace.

12Were they ashamed when they did abomination? also shaming they will not be ashamed, and they knew not to feel shame: for this they shall fall among the falling: in the time of their reviewing they shall faint, said Jehovah.

13Destroying, I will destroy them, says Jehovah; no grapes upon the vine, and no figs upon the fig tree, and the leaf fell away; and what I shall give to them shall pass by them.

The People Respond

14For what are we sitting? gather ye together and we will go into the fortified cities, and we shall be silent there: for Jehovah our God caused us to cease, and he will give us to drink the water of poison, for we sinned against Jehovah.

15Hoping for peace, and no good; for a time of healing, and behold, terror.

16From Dan was heard the snorting of his horses; from the voice of the neighings of his strong ones all the land trembled: and they will come and cut up the land, and its fulness; the city and those dwelling in it.

17For behold me sending serpents, vipers among you, which to them no hissing, and they bit you, says Jehovah.

Jeremiah Weeps for His People

18Because I afflicted not sorrow upon myself, my heart was sick upon me.

19Behold the voice of the cry for help of the daughter of my people from the land of those being far off: is not Jehovah in Zion? or her king not in her? wherefore did they irritate me with their carved images, with strange vanities?

20The harvest passed by, the summer was completed, and we were not saved.

21For the breaking of the daughter of my people was I broken; I was darkened; astonishment took hold of me.

22Is there no balsam in Gilead, or healing there? for wherefore did not the health of the daughter of my people go up?