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The Broken Covenant

¹ The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,² "^(C1)Hear the words of this ^(C2)covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;³ and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "^(C1)Cursed is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant⁴ which I commanded your forefathers 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 confirm the ^(C1)oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day."'" Then I said, "^(C2)Amen, O LORD."

⁶ And the LORD said to me, "^(C1)Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, '^(C2)Hear the words of this covenant and ^(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, ^(F1)(C3)warning persistently, saying, "^(C4)Listen to My voice."⁸ 'Yet they ^(C1)did not obey 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 the LORD 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 gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have ^(C4)broken My covenant which I made with their fathers."¹¹ Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold I am ^(C1)bringing disaster on them which they will ^(C2)not be able to escape; though 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 disaster.¹³ "For your gods are ^(F1)(C1)as many as your cities, O Judah; and ^(F1)as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the ^(C2)shameful thing, altars to ^(C3)burn incense to Baal.

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

¹⁵ "What right has My ^(C1)beloved in My house
When ^(C2)she has done many vile deeds?
Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster,
^(F1)So that you can rejoice?"

¹⁶ The LORD 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 branches are worthless.

Plots against Jeremiah

¹⁸ Moreover, the LORD ^(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 plots against me, saying,
"Let us destroy the tree with its ^(F1)fruit,
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 LORD of hosts, who ^(C1)judges righteously,
Who ^(C2)tries the ^(F1)feelings and the heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You have I ^(F2)committed my cause.

²¹ Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of ^(C1)Anathoth, who ^(C2)seek your life, saying, "^(C3)Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, so that you will not ^(C4)die at our hand";²² therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, I am about to ^(C1)punish them! The ^(C2)young 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 disaster on the men of Anathoth--^(C3)the year of their punishment."