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The Broken Covenant

¹ The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,² "^(C1)Hear the words of this ^(C2)covenant, and you shall speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem³ and say to them, 'Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, "^(C1)Cursed is the man who does not hear the words of this covenant⁴ which I commanded your fathers in the ^(C1)day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the ^(C2)iron furnace, saying, '^(C3)Listen to My voice, and ^(F1)do according to all which I command you; so you shall be ^(C4)My people, and I will be your God,'⁵ in order to establish the ^(C1)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, "^(C2)Amen, O Yahweh."

⁶ And Yahweh said to me, "^(C1)Call out all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, '^(C2)Hear the words of this covenant so that you will ^(C3)do them.⁷ 'For I solemnly ^(C1)warned your fathers in the ^(C2)day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, ^(C3)rising up early and warning, saying, "^(C4)Listen to My voice."⁸ 'Yet they ^(C1)did not listen or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the ^(C2)words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.'"

⁹ Then Yahweh said to me, "A ^(C1)conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.¹⁰ "They have ^(C1)turned back to the iniquities of their ^(F1)ancestors who ^(C2)refused to hear My words, and they ^(C3)have walked after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have ^(C4)broken My covenant which I cut with their fathers."¹¹ Therefore thus says Yahweh, "Behold, I am ^(C1)bringing calamity on them which they will ^(C2)not be able to get out of; and they will ^(C3)cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them.¹² "Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will ^(C1)go and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they surely will not save them in the time of their calamity.¹³ "For your gods are ^(C1)the number of your cities, O Judah; and the number of the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the ^(C2)shameful thing, altars to ^(C3)burn incense to Baal.

¹⁴ "But as for you, ^(C1)do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry of lamentation or prayer for them; for I will ^(C2)not listen when they call to Me because of their calamity.

¹⁵ "What possession has My ^(C1)beloved in My house
When ^(C2)she has done many schemes of wickedness?
Can the flesh, which is set apart as holy, take away from you your calamity,
^(F1)So that you can exult?"

¹⁶ Yahweh called your name,
"A ^(C1)green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form";
With the ^(C2)noise of a great tumult
He has ^(C3)kindled fire on it,
And its foliage has an evil demise.

Men Seek Jeremiah's Life

¹⁸ Moreover, Yahweh ^(C1)made it known to me, and I knew it;
Then You showed me their deeds.

¹⁹ But I was like a gentle ^(C1)lamb led to the slaughter;
And I did not know that they had ^(C2)devised thoughts against me, saying,
"Let us make the tree with its ^(F1)fruit a ruin,
And ^(C3)let us cut him off from the ^(C4)land of the living,
That his ^(C5)name be remembered no more."

²⁰ But, O Yahweh of hosts, who ^(C1)judges righteously,
Who ^(C2)tests the ^(F1)insides and the heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You have I revealed my case.

²¹ Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the men of ^(C1)Anathoth, who ^(C2)seek your life, saying, "^(C3)Do not prophesy in the name of Yahweh, so that you will not ^(C4)die at our hand";²² therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, "Behold, I am about to ^(C1)punish them! The ^(C2)choice men will die by the sword; their sons and daughters will die by famine;²³ and a remnant ^(C1)will not be left to them, for I will ^(C2)bring calamity on the men of Anathoth—^(C3)the year of their punishment."