Jeremiah 11

1The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,

2Hear the words of this covenant, and speak them to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

3And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed is the man who does not listen to the words of this covenant,’

4which I commanded your fathers on the day I brought them out from the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, ‘Listen to my voice and do them, according to all that I command you; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God,’

5so that I may establish the oath that I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.” And I answered and said, “Amen, Yahweh.”

6And Yahweh 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.”

7For I solemnly warned your fathers in the day I brought them up from the land of Egypt, and to this day, rising early and warning them, saying, ‘Listen to my voice.’

8Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but each one walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart; so I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not do them.

9And Yahweh said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

10They have returned to the iniquities of their first fathers, who refused to hear my words, and they themselves have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers.

11Therefore thus says Yahweh: Behold, I am bringing on them a disaster from which they will not be able to escape; and they will cry out to me, but I will not listen to them.

12Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will certainly not save them in the time of their trouble.

13For your gods, O Judah, have become as numerous as your cities; and as numerous as the streets of Jerusalem, you have set up altars to Shame, altars to make offerings to Baal.

14But as for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I am not listening at the time when they call to me because of their disaster.

15What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done her many wicked schemes? Can holy flesh remove your evil from you? Then you rejoice!

16The LORD called your name, ‘A green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit.’ At the sound of a great roar he set fire to it, and its branches are ruined.

17And Yahweh of Armies, who planted you, has spoken disaster against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal.

18And Yahweh made it known to me, and I knew; then you showed me their deeds.

19But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter, and I did not know that they had devised plans against me: ‘Let us destroy the tree with its food, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will be remembered no more.’

20But you, O Yahweh of hosts, who judge righteously, who test the kidneys and the heart, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have revealed my case.

21Therefore, this is what Yahweh says concerning the men of Anathoth who are seeking your life, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of Yahweh, lest you die by our hand.”

22Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts: Behold, I am about to punish them. The young men will die by the sword; their sons and their daughters will die by famine.

23And no remnant will remain for them, for I will bring disaster on the men of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.