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¹ THE word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,² Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;³ And you shall say to them. Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not obey the words of this covenant⁴ Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Hearken to my voice and do all that I command you; so shall you be my people, and I will be your God;⁵ That I may perform the oaths which I have sworn to your fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then I answered and said, So be it, O LORD.⁶ Then the LORD said to me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear the words of this covenant and do them.⁷ For I have solemnly testified against your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day; I sent messengers in advance, warning them, saying, Obey my voice.⁸ But they neither obeyed nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of his evil heart; therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to obey, but they did not.⁹ And the LORD said to me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.¹⁰ They are turned back to the iniquities of their fathers and have refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have nullified my covenant which I made with their fathers.

¹¹ Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry to me, I will not hearken to them.¹² Then shall the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry to the gods to whom they had offered incense; but they shall not save them at all in the time of their misfortune.¹³ For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense to Baal.¹⁴ Therefore pray not for this people, neither offer a supplication or prayer for them; for I will not hearken to them in the time that they call to me, in the time of their misfortune.¹⁵ Why has my beloved wrought so much lewdness in my temple? Therefore the holy meat shall pass away from you, for your evil is exceedingly increased.¹⁶ The LORD called your name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit; but now with the noise of a great condemnation he has kindled fire upon it, and its branches are destroyed.¹⁷ For the LORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense to Baal.

¹⁸ The LORD has revealed it to me, and I know it: truly thou hast shown me their works.¹⁹ But I was like an innocent lamb that is brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had conspired against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may not be remembered.²⁰ But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, who knows what is in the heart and mind, let me see thy vengeance on them; for to thee have I revealed my cause.²¹ Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life, saying, Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, that you may not die by our hands:²² Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them; their young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:²³ And there shall be no remnant of them; for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their punishment.