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word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the words of this covenant, and tell them to the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem. 3 Say to 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 forefathers when I brought them up from the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace. I declared: ‘Obey My voice, and do everything that I command you, and you will be My people, and I will be your God’. 5 Then I will fulfil the oath that I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day” ’.”
I answered, “Amen, Lord.”
6 Then the Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I earnestly entreated your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt to this day, warning them again and again, saying, “Obey My voice”. 8 Yet they would not obey or incline their ear, but each one followed the stubbornness of his own evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they have not done’.”
9 The Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the men of Judah and among the residents of Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their fathers and their ancestors, who refused to obey My words and have followed other gods to serve them. Both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant that I made with their forefathers.”
11 Therefore this is what the Lord declares: “Behold, I will bring on them a calamity that they cannot escape. Although they will cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out the gods they have been burning incense to, but they will not be able to rescue them at all in the time of their trouble. 13 For you have as many gods as you have cities, O Judah; and you have set up as many altars to burn incense to Baal as there are streets in Jerusalem, to your shame.
14 “As for you, do not pray for this people, or raise up a public cry of prayer for them, for I will not listen to them when they call out to Me in the time of their trouble.
15 “What is My beloved doing in My temple,
when she has carried out so many vile schemes?
Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?
For you rejoice when you engage in your wickedness.
16 “The Lord named you ‘Verdant olive tree,
beautiful, and laden with choice fruit’.
But with the roar of the mighty tumult
He has set fire to it,
and its branches are consumed.
17 “The Lord of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because of all the evil wrought by the house of Israel and the house of Judah. And you have also provoked Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”
18 The Lord made it known to me,
so I knew;
You showed me what they were doing.
19 For I was like a docile lamb
led to the slaughter;
I did not realise
that they were scheming against me:
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more!”
20 But, O Lord of Hosts, who judges righteously,
who tests the mind and the heart,
let me see Your vengeance upon them,
for to You I have committed my cause.
21 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life and say, ‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you will die by our hands’— 22 therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘Behold, I am about to punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and their daughters will die by famine. 23 No remnant will be left from them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth in the year of their punishment’.”