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¹ The Word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,² Hear the Words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah, and to those living in Jerusalem,³ and say to them, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Cursed is the man who does not obey the Words of this covenant,⁴ which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey My voice and do them according to all that I command you, so that you shall be My people, and I will be your God;⁵ in order to establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then I answered and said, Amen, O Jehovah.⁶ And Jehovah said to me, Declare 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 solemnly warned your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, to this day rising early and warning, saying, Obey My voice.⁸ Yet they did not obey nor stretch out their ear, but each one walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart. And I will bring on them all the Words of this covenant which I commanded them to do, but they did not do.⁹ And Jehovah said to me, A plot is found among the men of Judah, and among those living in Jerusalem.¹⁰ They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear My Words. And they went after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I cut with their fathers.

¹¹ So Jehovah says this: Behold, I will bring evil on them from which they shall not be able to escape. And though they cry to Me, I will not listen to them.¹² Then the cities of Judah and those living in Jerusalem shall go and cry to the gods to whom they burned incense. But they are not at all able to save them in the time of their trouble.¹³ For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; yea, according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.¹⁴ And you, do not pray for this people; and do not lift up a cry or prayer for them. For I will not hear in the time they cry to Me for their trouble.¹⁵ What is to My beloved in My house, since she has committed her many evils? And has the holy flesh caused your evil to pass from you? How then do you exult?¹⁶ Jehovah called your name, a green olive tree, fair, with fine fruit. With the sound of a great roaring, He has set fire to it, and its branches are worthless.¹⁷ And Jehovah of Hosts, who planted you, has spoken evil against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah which they have done to themselves, to provoke Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.

¹⁸ And Jehovah made me know. And I knew. Then You made me know their doings.¹⁹ And I was like a docile lamb being brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had plotted schemes against me, saying , Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; and let uscut him off from the land of the living sothat his name may be remembered no more.²⁰ But, O Jehovah of Hosts who judges with righteousness, who tries the reins and the heart, let me see Your vengeance on them. For to You I have laid open my cause.²¹ For this reason, so says Jehovah concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life, saying, Do not prophesy in the name of Jehovah, that you do not die by our hand.²² So Jehovah of Hosts says this: Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine.²³ And there shall be no survivor of them, for I will bring evil on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their punishment.