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The Broken Covenant

11 This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Listen to the words of this covenant, and convey them to the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. You are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: “Cursed is the person who does not listen to the words of this covenant which I commanded to your ancestors on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace. I said, ‘Obey me and do everything[a] that I commanded you. Then you will be my people and I’ll be your God.’ As a result, I’ll fulfill the oath that I made with your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, just as is the case today.”’”

Then I answered, “So be it,[b] Lord.”

The Lord told me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. You are to say, ‘Listen to the words of this covenant and do them. For I’ve diligently warned your ancestors from the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt until now, regularly warning them,[c] saying, “Obey me!” But they would not listen or turn their ear, and each of them stubbornly followed his own evil desires.[d] So I brought on them all the consequences[e] of this covenant that I commanded them to fulfill, but they did not.’”

The Lord told me, “Conspiracy has been found among the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors of old[f] who refused to listen to my words. They followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah broke my covenant which I made with their ancestors.”

11 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “I’m about to bring disaster on them from which they won’t be able to escape. They’ll cry out to me, but I won’t listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they’ll be no help at all to them[g] in the time of their disaster. 13 Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns, and you have set up as many altars to the shameful idols as there are streets in Jerusalem. You burn incense to Baal on these altars.

14 “Jeremiah,[h] don’t pray for this people and don’t cry or pray for them. I won’t listen when they cry out to me because of their disaster.

15 “What right does my beloved have in my house,
    when she has carried out many evil schemes?
Can sacrificial[i] flesh turn disaster away from you,
    so you can rejoice?”
16 The Lord once called you a green olive tree,
    with beautiful shape and fruit.
With a great roaring sound, he has set fire to it
    and its branches will be destroyed.

17 The Lord of the Heavenly Armies who planted you has called for disaster on you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, has provoked me by burning incense to Baal.”

Jeremiah’s Life is Threatened

18 The Lord made it known to me,
    and so I understood.
        Then you showed me their malicious deeds.
19 I was like a gentle lamb
    led to the slaughter.
I didn’t know that they had devised schemes
    against me. They told themselves,[j]
“Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit.
    Let’s eliminate him from the land of the living,
        so his name won’t be remembered again.”
20 Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the righteous judge,
    the one who tests feelings and the heart,
let me see your vengeance on them,
    for I’ve committed my case to you.

21 Therefore, this is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who seek to kill you, all the while threatening you, “Don’t prophesy in the name of the Lord so you won’t die by our hand!” 22 Therefore, this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “I’m about to punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and daughters will die by famine. 23 Not one of them will be left,[k] for I’ll bring disaster on the men of Anathoth when I punish them.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 11:4 Lit. according to all
  2. Jeremiah 11:5 Heb. amen
  3. Jeremiah 11:7 Lit. getting up early and warning
  4. Jeremiah 11:8 Lit. follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts
  5. Jeremiah 11:8 Lit. words
  6. Jeremiah 11:10 Lit. their first ancestors
  7. Jeremiah 11:12 Or won’t save them at all
  8. Jeremiah 11:14 Lit. You
  9. Jeremiah 11:15 Lit. holy
  10. Jeremiah 11:19 The Heb. lacks They told themselves
  11. Jeremiah 11:23 Lit. A remnant won’t be to them

The Covenant Is Broken

11 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Listen to the terms of this covenant(A) and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed(B) is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt,(C) out of the iron-smelting furnace.(D)’ I said, ‘Obey(E) me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people,(F) and I will be your God. Then I will fulfill the oath I swore(G) to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’(H)—the land you possess today.”

I answered, “Amen,(I) Lord.”

The Lord said to me, “Proclaim(J) all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow(K) them. From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again,(L) saying, “Obey me.” But they did not listen or pay attention;(M) instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(N) So I brought on them all the curses(O) of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.(P)’”

Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy(Q) among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors,(R) who refused to listen to my words.(S) They have followed other gods(T) to serve them.(U) Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant(V) I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster(W) they cannot escape.(X) Although they cry(Y) out to me, I will not listen(Z) to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense,(AA) but they will not help them at all when disaster(AB) strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods(AC) as you have towns;(AD) and the altars you have set up to burn incense(AE) to that shameful(AF) god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’

14 “Do not pray(AG) for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen(AH) when they call to me in the time of their distress.

15 “What is my beloved doing in my temple
    as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes?
    Can consecrated meat(AI) avert your punishment?(AJ)
When you engage in your wickedness,
    then you rejoice.[a]

16 The Lord called you a thriving olive tree(AK)
    with fruit beautiful in form.
But with the roar of a mighty storm
    he will set it on fire,(AL)
    and its branches will be broken.(AM)

17 The Lord Almighty, who planted(AN) you, has decreed disaster(AO) for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused(AP) my anger by burning incense to Baal.(AQ)

Plot Against Jeremiah

18 Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter;(AR) I did not realize that they had plotted(AS) against me, saying,

“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
    let us cut him off from the land of the living,(AT)
    that his name be remembered(AU) no more.”
20 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously(AV)
    and test the heart(AW) and mind,(AX)
let me see your vengeance(AY) on them,
    for to you I have committed my cause.

21 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth(AZ) who are threatening to kill you,(BA) saying, “Do not prophesy(BB) in the name of the Lord or you will die(BC) by our hands”— 22 therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men(BD) will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23 Not even a remnant(BE) will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.(BF)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 11:15 Or Could consecrated meat avert your punishment? / Then you would rejoice