The Broken Covenant
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Hear the words of this covenant and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem 3 and say to them, the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant, 4 which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace,’ saying, ‘Obey me and do everything according to which I command you, so you shall be my people, and I will be your God, 5 that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is today.”
Then I answered and said, “Amen, God.”
6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Hear the words of this covenant, and do them. 7 For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, to this day, rising early and protesting, saying, “Obey my voice.” 8 Yet they did not obey, nor turn their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart. Therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not do them.’ ”
9 The Lord said to me, “A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
11 Therefore the Lord says, ‘I will bring disaster on them, from which they will not be able to escape, and they will cry to me, but I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to which they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. 13 For you have as many gods as you have cities, Judah, and you have set up as many shameful alters as you have streets in Jerusalem–altars to burn incense to Baal.’
14 Therefore do not pray for these people. Do not lift up cry or prayer for them, for I will not hear them when they cry to me because of their trouble.
15 What right has my beloved to be in my house,
since she has behaved so lewdly with so many?
Do you think offerings of consecrated meat can prevent disaster?
You rejoice in doing evil.
16 The Lord once called you
a thriving olive tree,
beautiful and full of good fruit.
But he has kindled it into a roaring fire,
and its branches are consumed.
17 For the Lord of Hosts, who planted you, has pronounced destruction against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves in provoking me to anger by offering incense to Baal.
The Plot Against Jeremiah
18 The Lord gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it.
Then you showed me their deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter.
I did not know that they had devised plans against me, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
and let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name may be no longer remembered.”
20 O Lord of Hosts, who judges righteously,
who tests the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have revealed my cause.
21 “Therefore the Lord says concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy in the name of the Lord, that you not die by our hand,’ 22 therefore the Lord of Hosts says, ‘I will punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by famine. 23 There will be no remnant to them, for I will bring tragedy on the men of Anathoth, in the year of their visitation.’ ”