Jeremiah 11
The LORD reminded Jeremiah of the covenant He made with Israel when He brought them out of Egypt, commanding them to obey His voice. The people of Judah and Jerusalem had broken that covenant and returned to the iniquities of their fathers. The men of Anathoth, Jeremiah's own town, plotted against his life, and the LORD declared He would punish them.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, | This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: |
| 2 | Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; | "Listen to the terms of this covenant and speak them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. |
| 3 | And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, | Tell them this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Cursed is the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant — |
| 4 | Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God: | the covenant I commanded Your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.' I said, 'Obey Me and do everything I command You. Then You will be My people and I will be Your God. |
| 5 | That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD. | Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to Your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey — as it is today.'" I said, "Amen, LORD." |
| 6 | Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them. | The LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the terms of this covenant and obey them. |
| 7 | For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. | For I warned Your ancestors again and again from the day I brought them out of Egypt until today — warning them earnestly: Obey Me. |
| 8 | Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not. | But they did not listen or pay attention. Instead they all followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant, which I commanded them to follow but which they did not keep." |
| 9 | And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. | The LORD said to me, "There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. |
| 10 | They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went 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. | They have returned to the iniquities of their ancestors who refused to listen to My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers. |
| 11 | Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them. | Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. |
| 12 | Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble. | The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense. But those gods will not save them at all when disaster strikes. |
| 13 | For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal. | You have as many gods as You have towns, Judah. You have set up as many altars to burn incense to Baal as there are streets in Jerusalem.' |
| 14 | Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble. | So do not pray for this people. Do not offer any cry or prayer on their behalf, because I will not listen when they call to Me in the time of their distress. |
| 15 | What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest. | What does My beloved have to do in My house when she has done so many wicked things? Can the sacred meat avert Your punishment? When You do evil, You actually rejoice. |
| 16 | The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken. | The LORD called You a thriving olive tree, beautiful and full of fine fruit. But with a roar of a mighty storm He will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken. |
| 17 | For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal. | The LORD of hosts, who planted You, has decreed disaster for You, because the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done evil — provoking Me by burning incense to Baal. |
| 18 | And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings. | The LORD revealed their plot to me so I knew about it, for at that time You showed me what they were doing. |
| 19 | But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered. | I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know they had plotted against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit. Let us cut Him off from the land of the living, so His name will be remembered no more." |
| 20 | But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause. | But You, LORD of hosts, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind — let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have committed my cause. |
| 21 | Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand: | Therefore this is what the LORD says about the men of Anathoth who are seeking Your life and saying, "Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD or You will die by our hands" — |
| 22 | Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine: | this is what the LORD of hosts says: "I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword. Their sons and daughters will die by famine. |
| 23 | And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation. | Not one of them will survive, because I will bring disaster on the men of Anathoth in the year of their punishment." |