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“‘The Lord says: At that time they will ·remove [L bring out] from their tombs the bones of Judah’s kings and ·officers [princes], priests and prophets, and the ·people [inhabitants] of Jerusalem. The bones will be spread on the ground under the sun, moon, and ·stars [L the hosts of heaven] that the people loved and served and went after and searched for and ·worshiped [bowed down to]. No one will gather up the bones and bury them. So they will be like dung on the ground. ·I will force the people of Judah to leave their homes and their land. Those of this evil family who are not dead will wish they were [L Death will be preferred to life by all the remnant of those who remain from this evil clan in all the places where I have driven them], says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].’

Sin and Punishment

“Say to them [C the people of Judah]: ‘This is what the Lord says:

When people fall down, don’t they get up again?
    And when someone goes the wrong way, doesn’t he turn back?
Why, then, have the people of Jerusalem gone the wrong way
    and not turned back?
They ·believe their own lies [persisted in deceit/treachery]
    and refuse to turn back.
I have ·listened to them very carefully [paid attention and listened],
    but they do not say what is ·right [honest].
They do not ·feel sorry about their wicked ways [L repent of evil],
    saying, “What have I done?”
Each person ·goes his own way [runs his course],
    like a horse ·charging [plunging] into a battle.
Even the storks in the ·sky [heavens]
    know ·the right times to do things [their appointed times].
The ·doves [turtledoves], ·swifts [or swallows], and ·thrushes [or cranes]
    ·know [observe] when it is time to ·migrate [return].
But my people don’t know
    ·what the Lord wants them to do [L the ordinances/judgments of the Lord].

“‘·You keep saying [L How can you say…?], “We are wise,
    ·because we have the teachings of the Lord [L and the teachings/laws/instructions of the Lord are with us].”
But actually, ·those who explain the Scriptures
    have written lies with their pens [L the false pens of the scribes have made it a lie].
These wise teachers ·refused to listen to [L rejected] the word of the Lord,
    so ·they are not really wise at all [L what wisdom is in them?].
They will be ·ashamed [humiliated].
    They will be ·shocked [stunned; astonished] and trapped.
10 So I will give their wives to other men
    and their fields to ·new owners [or conquerors].
Everyone, from the least important to the greatest,
    is greedy for ·money [unjust gain].
Even the prophets and priests
    all ·tell lies [act falsely; are deceptive; 6:13].
11 They tried to heal my people’s ·serious injuries [fracture]
    as if they were small wounds.
They said, “·It’s all right, it’s all right [L Peace, peace].”
    But ·really, it is not all right [L there is no peace; 6:14].
12 They should be ashamed of the ·terrible way they act [abominations they do],
    but they are not ashamed at all.
    They don’t even know how to blush [C about their sins].
So they will fall, along with ·everyone else [L those who fall].
    They will ·be thrown to the ground [stumble] ·when [L at the time] I punish them, says the Lord [6:15].

13 “‘I will ·take away their crops [L gather them; or bring an end to them], says the Lord.
    There will be no grapes on the vine
and no figs on the fig tree.
    Even the leaves will dry up.
I will take away what I gave them.’”

14 “Why are we just sitting here?
    Let’s ·get [gather] together!
We have sinned against the Lord,
    so he has given us poisoned water to drink.
Come, let’s ·run [L go] to the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities.
    The Lord our God has ·decided that we must die [doomed us],
    so let’s ·die [meet our doom] there.
15 We hoped to have peace,
    but ·nothing good has come [L there is none].
We hoped for a time when he would heal us,
    but only terror has come.
16 From the land of Dan [C in the far north of Israel, the direction from which the Babylonians attacked],
    the snorting of its [C the enemy’s] horses is heard.
    The ·ground [earth] shakes from the neighing of their ·large horses [stallions].
They have come and ·destroyed [L consumed]
    the land and everything in it,
    the city and all ·who live there [its inhabitants].”

17 “Look! I am sending poisonous snakes [C to attack you].
    These ·snakes [vipers] cannot be charmed,
    and they will bite you,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah’s Sadness

18 God, ·you are my comfort when I am very sad [L my cheerfulness is gone; grief has come on me]
    and ·when I am afraid [L my heart is sick].
19 Listen to the ·sound [L cry of distress] of ·my people [L the daughter of my people].
    They cry from a faraway land:
    “Isn’t the Lord still in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple]?
    Isn’t ·Jerusalem’s [L its] king still there?”

But God says, “Why did the people make me angry ·by worshiping idols [L with their images],
useless foreign idols?”

20 And the people say, “Harvest time is over;
    summer has ended,
and we have not been ·saved [rescued].”

21 Because my people are ·crushed [broken; fractured], I am ·crushed [broken; fractured].
    I ·cry loudly [mourn; lament; wail] and ·am afraid for them [L horror has seized me].
22 Isn’t there balm [C the resin of the storax tree used as medicine] in the land of Gilead [C southern section of the Transjordan region]?
    Isn’t there a doctor there?
    So why ·aren’t the hurts of my people healed [L is there no new skin on the wound of the daughter of my people]?

“‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones(A) of the people of Jerusalem will be removed(B) from their graves. They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served(C) and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.(D) They will not be gathered up or buried,(E) but will be like dung lying on the ground.(F) Wherever I banish them,(G) all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life,(H) declares the Lord Almighty.’

Sin and Punishment

“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘When people fall down, do they not get up?(I)
    When someone turns away,(J) do they not return?
Why then have these people turned away?
    Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;(K)
    they refuse to return.(L)
I have listened(M) attentively,
    but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent(N) of their wickedness,
    saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course(O)
    like a horse charging into battle.
Even the stork in the sky
    knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
    observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know(P)
    the requirements of the Lord.

“‘How can you say, “We are wise,
    for we have the law(Q) of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
    has handled it falsely?
The wise(R) will be put to shame;
    they will be dismayed(S) and trapped.(T)
Since they have rejected the word(U) of the Lord,
    what kind of wisdom(V) do they have?
10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men
    and their fields to new owners.(W)
From the least to the greatest,
    all are greedy for gain;(X)
prophets(Y) and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.(Z)
11 They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
    when there is no peace.(AA)
12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame(AB) at all;
    they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
    they will be brought down when they are punished,(AC)
says the Lord.(AD)

13 “‘I will take away their harvest,
declares the Lord.
    There will be no grapes on the vine.(AE)
There will be no figs(AF) on the tree,
    and their leaves will wither.(AG)
What I have given them
    will be taken(AH) from them.[a]’”

14 Why are we sitting here?
    Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities(AI)
    and perish there!
For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish
    and given us poisoned water(AJ) to drink,
    because we have sinned(AK) against him.
15 We hoped for peace(AL)
    but no good has come,
for a time of healing
    but there is only terror.(AM)
16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses(AN)
    is heard from Dan;(AO)
at the neighing of their stallions
    the whole land trembles.(AP)
They have come to devour(AQ)
    the land and everything in it,
    the city and all who live there.

17 “See, I will send venomous snakes(AR) among you,
    vipers that cannot be charmed,(AS)
    and they will bite you,”
declares the Lord.

18 You who are my Comforter[b] in sorrow,
    my heart is faint(AT) within me.
19 Listen to the cry of my people
    from a land far away:(AU)
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
    Is her King(AV) no longer there?”

“Why have they aroused(AW) my anger with their images,
    with their worthless(AX) foreign idols?”(AY)

20 “The harvest is past,
    the summer has ended,
    and we are not saved.”

21 Since my people are crushed,(AZ) I am crushed;
    I mourn,(BA) and horror grips me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead?(BB)
    Is there no physician(BC) there?
Why then is there no healing(BD)
    for the wound of my people?

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  2. Jeremiah 8:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.