Study Desk

The words of ^(a)Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in ^(b)Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of ^(c)Josiah the son of ^(d)Amon, king of Judah, in the ^(e)thirteenth year of his reign.

It came also in the days of ^(f)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of ^(g)Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

"Before I ^(h)formed you in the womb I knew you, And ⁽ⁱ⁾before you were born I consecrated you; I have ^(j)appointed you a prophet to the nations."

Then ^(k)I said, "Alas, Lord ^[a] God ! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because ^(l)I am a youth."

But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, ‘I am a youth,' ^(m)Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And ⁽ⁿ⁾all that I command you, you shall speak.

"^(o)Do not be afraid of them, For ^(p)I am with you to deliver you," declares the Lord .

Then the Lord stretched out His hand and ^(q)touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, "Behold, I have ^(r)put My words in your mouth.

"See, ^(s)I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, ^(t)To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, ^(u)To build and to plant."

The word of the Lord came to me saying, "What do you see, ^(v)Jeremiah?" And I said, "I see a rod of an ^[b]almond tree."

Then the Lord said to me, "You have seen well, for ^(w)I am ^[c]watching over My word to perform it."

The word of the Lord came to me a second time saying, "^(x)What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling ^(y)pot, facing away from the north."

Then the Lord said to me, "^(z)Out of the north the evil ^[d]will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.

For, behold, I am calling ^(aa)all the families of the kingdoms of the north," declares the Lord ; "and they will come and they will ^(ab)set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the ^(ac)cities of Judah.

I will ^[e]pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have ^(ad)forsaken Me and have ^[f](ae)offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the ^(af)works of their own hands.

Now, ^(ag)gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. ^(ah)Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them.

Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land.

They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for ^(ai)I am with you to deliver you," declares the Lord .

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

"Go and ^(a)proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord , "I remember concerning you the ^[a](b)devotion of your youth, The love of your betrothals, ^(c)Your following after Me in the wilderness, Through a land not sown.

"Israel was ^(d)holy to the Lord , The ^(e)first of His harvest. ^(f)All who ate of it became guilty; Evil came upon them," declares the Lord .'"

Hear the word of the Lord , O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.

Thus says the Lord , "^(g)What injustice did your fathers find in Me, That they went far from Me And walked after ^(h)emptiness and became empty?

"They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord Who ⁽ⁱ⁾brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who ^(j)led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and of pits, Through a land of drought and of ^[b]deep darkness, Through a land that no one crossed And where no man dwelt?'

"I brought you into the ^(k)fruitful land To eat its fruit and its good things. But you came and ^(l)defiled My land, And My inheritance you made an abomination.

"The ^(m)priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord ?' And those who handle the law ⁽ⁿ⁾did not know Me; The ^[c]rulers also transgressed against Me, And the ^(o)prophets prophesied by Baal And walked after ^(p)things that did not profit.

"Therefore I will yet ^(q)contend with you," declares the Lord , "And with your sons' sons I will contend.

"For ^(r)cross to the coastlands of ^[d]Kittim and see, And send to ^(s)Kedar and observe closely And see if there has been such a thing as this!

"Has a nation changed gods When ^(t)they were not gods? But My people have ^(u)changed their glory For that which does not profit.

"Be appalled, ^(v)O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate," declares the Lord .

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The ^(w)fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves ^(x)cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.

"Is Israel ^(y)a slave? Or is he a homeborn servant? Why has he become a prey?

"The young ^(z)lions have roared at him, They have ^[e]roared loudly. And they have ^(aa)made his land a waste; His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.

"Also the ^[f]men of ^(ab)Memphis and Tahpanhes Have ^[g]shaved the ^(ac)crown of your head.

"Have you not ^(ad)done this to yourself By your forsaking the Lord your God When He ^(ae)led you in the way?

"But now what are you doing ^(af)on the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of the ^[h](ag)Nile? Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the ^[i]Euphrates?

"^(ah)Your own wickedness will correct you, And your ^(ai)apostasies will reprove you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and ^(aj)bitter For you to forsake the Lord your God, And ^(ak)the dread of Me is not in you," declares the Lord ^[j] God of hosts.

"For long ago ^[k](al)I broke your yoke And tore off your bonds; But you said, ‘I will not serve!' For on every ^(am)high hill And under every green tree You have lain down as a harlot.

"Yet I ^(an)planted you a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the ^(ao)degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?

"Although you ^(ap)wash yourself with lye And ^[l]use much soap, The ^(aq)stain of your iniquity is before Me," declares the Lord ^[m] God .

"^(ar)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled, I have not gone after the ^(as)Baals'? Look at your way in the ^(at)valley! Know what you have done! You are a swift young camel ^(au)entangling her ways,

A ^(av)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion. In the time of her ^[n]heat who can turn her away? All who seek her will not become weary; In her month they will find her.

"Keep your feet from being unshod And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘^(aw)It is ^[o]hopeless! No! For I have ^(ax)loved strangers, And after them I will walk.'

"As the ^(ay)thief is shamed when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their princes And their priests and their prophets,

Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,' And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.' For they have turned their ^(az)back to Me, And not their face; But in the ^(ba)time of their ^[p]trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us.'

"But where are your ^(bb)gods Which you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can ^(bc)save you In the time of your ^[q]trouble; For ^(bd)according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah.

"Why do you contend with Me? You have ^(be)all transgressed against Me," declares the Lord .

"^(bf)In vain I have struck your sons; They accepted no chastening. Your ^(bg)sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion.

"O generation, heed the word of the Lord . Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a ^(bh)land of thick darkness? Why do My people say, ‘^(bi)We are free to roam; We will no longer come to You'?

"Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have ^(bj)forgotten Me Days without number.

"How well you prepare your way To seek love! Therefore even ^[r]the wicked women You have taught your ways.

"Also on your skirts is found The ^(bk)lifeblood of the innocent poor; You did not find them ^(bl)breaking in. But in spite of all these things,

Yet you said, ‘I am innocent; Surely His anger is turned away from me.' Behold, I will ^(bm)enter into judgment with you Because you ^(bn)say, ‘I have not sinned.'

"Why do you ^(bo)go around so much Changing your way? Also, ^(bp)you will be put to shame by Egypt As you were put to shame by ^(bq)Assyria.

"From this place also you will go out With ^(br)your hands on your head; For the Lord has rejected ^(bs)those in whom you trust, And you will not prosper with them."