Jeremiah 5:5-23
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 5
5I will go to the great And speak to them, For they know the way of the Lord And the judgment of their God.' But together they too have broken the yoke And burst the restraints. 6Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them, A wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces, Because their wrongdoings are many, Their apostasies are numerous. 7'Why should I forgive you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, They committed adultery And stayed at the prostitute’s house. 8They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing at his neighbor’s wife. 9Shall I not punish them for these things?' declares the Lord, 'And shall I not avenge Myself On a nation such as this? 10'Go up through her vine rows and destroy, But do not execute a complete destruction; Strip away her branches, For they are not the Lord’S. 11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,' declares the Lord. 12They have lied about the Lord And said, 'Not He; Misfortune will not come upon us, Nor will we see sword or famine. 13The prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. So it will be done to them!' 14Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of armies says: 'Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words fire in your mouth, And this people wood, and it will consume them. 15Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from far away, you house of Israel,' declares the Lord. 'It is an enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say. 16Their quiver is like an open grave, All of them are warriors.
18Yet even in those days,' declares the Lord, 'I will not make a complete destruction of you.
19And it shall come about when they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you have abandoned Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
20'Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21‘Now hear this, you foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see, Who have ears but do not hear.
22Do you not fear Me?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal limit, and it will not cross over it. Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; Though they roar, they will not cross over it.
23But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed.
King James Version
6Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
7How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the Lord.
12They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
13And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
14Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
17And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.
18Nevertheless in those days, saith the Lord, I will not make a full end with you.
19And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
20Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
Christian Standard Bible
6Therefore, a lion from the forest will strike them down. A wolf from arid plains will ravage them. A leopard stalks their cities. Anyone who leaves them will be torn to pieces because their rebellious acts are many, their unfaithful deeds numerous.
7Why should I forgive you? Your children have abandoned me and sworn by those who are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery; they gashed themselves at the prostitute’s house.
8They are well-fed, eager stallions, each neighing after someone else’s wife.
9Should I not punish them for these things? This is the Lord’s declaration. Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?
10Go up among her vineyard terraces and destroy them, but do not finish them off. Prune away her shoots, for they do not belong to the Lord.
11They, the house of Israel and the house of Judah, have dealt very treacherously with me. This is the Lord’s declaration.
12They have contradicted the Lord and insisted, "It won’t happen. Harm won’t come to us; we won’t see sword or famine."
13The prophets become only wind, for the Lord’s word is not in them. This will in fact happen to them.
15I am about to bring a nation from far away against you, house of Israel. This is the Lord’s declaration. It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.
16Their quiver is like an open grave; they are all warriors.
17They will consume your harvest and your food. They will consume your sons and your daughters. They will consume your flocks and your herds. They will consume your vines and your fig trees. With the sword they will destroy your fortified cities in which you trust.
18"But even in those days"—this is the Lord’s declaration—"I will not finish you off.
19When people ask, ‘For what offense has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ You will respond to them, ‘Just as you abandoned me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
22Do you not fear me? This is the Lord’s declaration. Do you not tremble before me, the one who set the sand as the boundary of the sea, an enduring barrier that it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot pass over it.
23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and have gone away.
New Living Translation
Chapter 5
5So I will go and speak to their leaders. Surely they know the ways of the Lord and understand God’s laws.' But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God’s yoke and broken his chains. 6So now a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will pounce on them. A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many.
7'How can I pardon you? For even your children have turned from me. They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all! I fed my people until they were full. But they thanked me by committing adultery and lining up at the brothels.
8They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
9Should I not punish them for this?' says the Lord. 'Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?
10'Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines, leaving a scattered few alive. Strip the branches from the vines, for these people do not belong to the Lord.
11The people of Israel and Judah are full of treachery against me,' says the Lord.
12'They have lied about the Lord and said, ‘He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine.
13God’s prophets are all windbags who don’t really speak for him. Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’'
14Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies says: 'Because the people are talking like this, my messages will flame out of your mouth and burn the people like kindling wood.
15O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,' says the Lord. 'It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you cannot understand.
16Their weapons are deadly; their warriors are mighty.
17They will devour the food of your harvest; they will devour your sons and daughters. They will devour your flocks and herds; they will devour your grapes and figs. And they will destroy your fortified towns, which you think are so safe.
18Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely,' says the Lord.
19And when your people ask, ‘Why did the Lord our God do all this to us?’ you must reply, ‘You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’
20'Make this announcement to Israel, and say this to Judah:
21Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear.
22Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set.
23But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me.
English Standard Version
Chapter 5
5I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the Lord, the justice of their God." But they all alike had broken the yoke; they had burst the bonds. 6Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them down; a wolf from the desert shall devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities; everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great. 7 "How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores. 8They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor 's wife. 9 Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? 10 "Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the Lord 's. 11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly treacherous to me, declares the Lord. 12They have spoken falsely of the Lord and have said, ‘He will do nothing; no disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine. 13The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them!’" 14Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: "Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them. 15 Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, declares the Lord. It is an enduring nation; it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say. 16 Their quiver is like an open tomb; they are all mighty warriors. 17 They shall eat up your harvest and your food; they shall eat up your sons and your daughters; they shall eat up your flocks and your herds; they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; your fortified cities in which you trust they shall beat down with the sword." 18"But even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not make a full end of you. 19And when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’"
20Declare this in the house of Jacob; proclaim it in Judah:
21"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.
22 Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.
23 But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.
New International Version
6Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.
7"Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.
8They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man’s wife.
9Should I not punish them for this?" declares the Lord. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?
10"Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the Lord.
11The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the Lord.
12They have lied about the Lord; they said, "He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.
13The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them."
14Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: "Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.
15People of Israel," declares the Lord, "I am bringing a distant nation against you— an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand.
16Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors.
17They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.
18"Yet even in those days," declares the Lord, "I will not destroy you completely.
19And when the people ask, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.’
20"Announce this to the descendants of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:
21Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:
22Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.
New King James Version
Chapter 5
5I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.” But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds. 6Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; A leopard will watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many; Their backslidings have increased. 7“How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses. 8 They were like well-fed lusty stallions; Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife. 9Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the Lord. “And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? 10“Go up on her walls and destroy, But do not make a complete end. Take away her branches, For they are not the Lord’s. 11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” says the Lord. 12 They have lied about the Lord, And said, “ It is not He. Neither will evil come upon us, Nor shall we see sword or famine. 13And the prophets become wind, For the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.”
14Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “Because you speak this word, Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour them.
15Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” says the Lord. “It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say.
16Their quiver is like an open tomb; They are all mighty men.
17And they shall eat up your harvest and your bread, Which your sons and daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds; They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; They shall destroy your fortified cities, In which you trust, with the sword.
18“Nevertheless in those days,” says the Lord, “I will not make a complete end of you.
19And it will be when you say, ‘Why does the Lord our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.’
20“Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21‘Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not:
22 Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, Yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.
23But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; They have revolted and departed.
