Study Desk

The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth^(a) in the territory of Benjamin.

The word of the Lord came^(b) to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah^(c) son of Amon king of Judah,

and through the reign of Jehoiakim^(d) son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah^(e) son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.^(f)

The Call of Jeremiah

The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

"Before I formed you in the womb^(g) I knew^[a](h) you, before you were born⁽ⁱ⁾ I set you apart;^(j) I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.^(k)"

"Alas, Sovereign Lord ," I said, "I do not know how to speak;^(l) I am too young."^(m)

But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, ‘I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.

Do not be afraid⁽ⁿ⁾ of them, for I am with you^(o) and will rescue^(p) you," declares the Lord .^(q)

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched^(r) my mouth and said to me, "I have put my words in your mouth.^(s)

See, today I appoint you over nations^(t) and kingdoms to uproot^(u) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."^(v)

The word of the Lord came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?"^(w) "I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied.

The Lord said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching^[b](x) to see that my word is fulfilled."

The word of the Lord came to me again: "What do you see?"^(y) "I see a pot that is boiling," I answered. "It is tilting toward us from the north."

The Lord said to me, "From the north^(z) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.

I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms," declares the Lord . "Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah.^(aa)

I will pronounce my judgments^(ab) on my people because of their wickedness^(ac) in forsaking me,^(ad) in burning incense to other gods^(ae) and in worshiping^(af) what their hands have made.^(ag)

"Get yourself ready! Stand up and say^(ah) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified^(ai) by them, or I will terrify you before them.

Today I have made you^(aj) a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.

They will fight against you but will not overcome^(ak) you, for I am with you^(al) and will rescue^(am) you," declares the Lord .

Israel Forsakes God

The word^(a) of the Lord came to me:

"Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: "This is what the Lord says: "‘I remember the devotion of your youth,^(b) how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness,^(c) through a land not sown.

Israel was holy^(d) to the Lord ,^(e) the firstfruits^(f) of his harvest; all who devoured^(g) her were held guilty,^(h) and disaster overtook them,'" declares the Lord .

Hear the word of the Lord , you descendants of Jacob, all you clans of Israel.

This is what the Lord says: "What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols⁽ⁱ⁾ and became worthless^(j) themselves.

They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord , who brought us up out of Egypt^(k) and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts^(l) and ravines,^(m) a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels⁽ⁿ⁾ and no one lives?'

I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce.^(o) But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.^(p)

The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord ?' Those who deal with the law did not know me;^(q) the leaders^(r) rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal,^(s) following worthless idols.^(t)

"Therefore I bring charges^(u) against you again," declares the Lord . "And I will bring charges against your children's children.

Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus^(v) and look, send to Kedar^[a](w) and observe closely; see if there has ever been anything like this:

Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods^(x) at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious^(y) God for worthless idols.

Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror," declares the Lord .

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken^(z) me, the spring of living water,^(aa) and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Is Israel a servant, a slave^(ab) by birth? Why then has he become plunder?

Lions^(ac) have roared; they have growled at him. They have laid waste^(ad) his land; his towns are burned^(ae) and deserted.^(af)

Also, the men of Memphis^(ag) and Tahpanhes^(ah) have cracked your skull.

Have you not brought this on yourselves^(ai) by forsaking^(aj) the Lord your God when he led you in the way?

Now why go to Egypt^(ak) to drink water from the Nile^[b]?^(al) And why go to Assyria^(am) to drink water from the Euphrates?^(an)

Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding^(ao) will rebuke^(ap) you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter^(aq) it is for you when you forsake^(ar) the Lord your God and have no awe^(as) of me," declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

"Long ago you broke off your yoke^(at) and tore off your bonds;^(au) you said, ‘I will not serve you!'^(av) Indeed, on every high hill^(aw) and under every spreading tree^(ax) you lay down as a prostitute.^(ay)

I had planted^(az) you like a choice vine^(ba) of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt,^(bb) wild vine?

Although you wash^(bc) yourself with soap^(bd) and use an abundance of cleansing powder, the stain of your guilt is still before me," declares the Sovereign Lord .^(be)

"How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;^(bf) I have not run after the Baals'?^(bg) See how you behaved in the valley;^(bh) consider what you have done. You are a swift she-camel running^(bi) here and there,

a wild donkey^(bj) accustomed to the desert,^(bk) sniffing the wind in her craving— in her heat who can restrain her? Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her.

Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, ‘It's no use!^(bl) I love foreign gods,^(bm) and I must go after them.'^(bn)

"As a thief is disgraced^(bo) when he is caught, so the people of Israel are disgraced— they, their kings and their officials, their priests^(bp) and their prophets.^(bq)

They say to wood,^(br) ‘You are my father,' and to stone,^(bs) ‘You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs^(bt) to me and not their faces;^(bu) yet when they are in trouble,^(bv) they say, ‘Come and save^(bw) us!'

Where then are the gods^(bx) you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble!^(by) For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns.^(bz)

"Why do you bring charges against me? You have all^(ca) rebelled against me," declares the Lord .

"In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction.^(cb) Your sword has devoured your prophets^(cc) like a ravenous lion.

"You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord : "Have I been a desert to Israel or a land of great darkness?^(cd) Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to you no more'?^(ce)

Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten^(cf) me, days without number.

How skilled you are at pursuing^(cg) love! Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.

On your clothes is found the lifeblood^(ch) of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in.^(ci) Yet in spite of all this

you say, ‘I am innocent;^(cj) he is not angry with me.' But I will pass judgment^(ck) on you because you say, ‘I have not sinned.'^(cl)

Why do you go about so much, changing^(cm) your ways? You will be disappointed by Egypt^(cn) as you were by Assyria.

You will also leave that place with your hands on your head,^(co) for the Lord has rejected those you trust; you will not be helped^(cp) by them.

"If a man divorces^(a) his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled?^(b) But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers^(c)— would you now return to me?"^(d) declares the Lord .

"Look up to the barren heights^(e) and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside^(f) you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land^(g) with your prostitution^(h) and wickedness.

Therefore the showers have been withheld,⁽ⁱ⁾ and no spring rains^(j) have fallen. Yet you have the brazen^(k) look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame.^(l)

Have you not just called to me: ‘My Father,^(m) my friend from my youth,⁽ⁿ⁾

will you always be angry?^(o) Will your wrath continue forever?' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can."

During the reign of King Josiah,^(p) the Lord said to me, "Have you seen what faithless^(q) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree^(r) and has committed adultery^(s) there.

I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(t) Judah saw it.^(u)

I gave faithless Israel^(v) her certificate of divorce^(w) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(x) she also went out and committed adultery.

Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(y) and committed adultery^(z) with stone^(aa) and wood.^(ab)

In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(ac) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(ad)" declares the Lord .^(ae)

The Lord said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous^(af) than unfaithful^(ag) Judah.^(ah)

Go, proclaim this message toward the north:^(ai) "‘Return,^(aj) faithless^(ak) Israel,' declares the Lord , ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful,'^(al) declares the Lord , ‘I will not be angry^(am) forever.

Only acknowledge^(an) your guilt— you have rebelled against the Lord your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods^(ao) under every spreading tree,^(ap) and have not obeyed^(aq) me,'" declares the Lord .

"Return,^(ar) faithless people," declares the Lord , "for I am your husband.^(as) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion.

Then I will give you shepherds^(at) after my own heart,^(au) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the Lord , "people will no longer say, ‘The ark^(av) of the covenant of the Lord .' It will never enter their minds or be remembered;^(aw) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.

At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne^(ax) of the Lord , and all nations^(ay) will gather in Jerusalem to honor^(az) the name of the Lord . No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.^(ba)

In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,^(bb) and together^(bc) they will come from a northern^(bd) land to the land^(be) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.

"I myself said, "‘How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land,^(bf) the most beautiful inheritance^(bg) of any nation.' I thought you would call me ‘Father'^(bh) and not turn away from following me.

But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful^(bi) to me," declares the Lord .

A cry is heard on the barren heights,^(bj) the weeping^(bk) and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten^(bl) the Lord their God.

"Return,^(bm) faithless people; I will cure^(bn) you of backsliding."^(bo) "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God.

Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills^(bp) and mountains is a deception; surely in the Lord our God is the salvation^(bq) of Israel.

From our youth shameful^(br) gods have consumed the fruits of our ancestors' labor— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.

Let us lie down in our shame,^(bs) and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned^(bt) against the Lord our God, both we and our ancestors;^(bu) from our youth^(bv) till this day we have not obeyed^(bw) the Lord our God."