The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

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- Chapter 11 -

This is another message that Yahweh told me:

“Listen to the agreement that I made with the ancestors of the people of Jerusalem and the other cities in Judah. Then tell that agreement to them again.

Then tell them that I, Yahweh, the God whom the Israelite people worship, said that I will curse everyone who does not obey what was written in that agreement that I made with them.

It is the same agreement that I made with their ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt. What happened to them in Egypt was terrible; it was as though they were living in a hot furnace. When I brought them out of Egypt, I told them to obey me, and to do everything that I had commanded them to do. I also told them that if they obeyed me, they would be my people and I would be their God.

Now tell these people that if they obey me, I will do what I promised to do for their ancestors. I will enable them to continue living in this very fertile land in which they now live.” I replied, “Yahweh, I trust you that what you have said will happen.”

Then Yahweh said to me, “Go into the streets of Jerusalem and to the other cities in Judah. Proclaim my message to the people. Tell them to listen to the agreement that I made with their ancestors and to obey it.

When I brought their ancestors out of Egypt, I solemnly pleaded with them many times to obey me, and I am still pleading with them now.

But they did not obey me or even pay any attention to me. Everyone continued to be stubborn and to do the evil things that they wanted to do. I commanded them to do what was written in the agreement, but they refused. So I punished them in all the ways that I promised that I would.”

Then Yahweh said to me, “The people of Jerusalem and the other cities in Judah are rebelling against me.

Their ancestors refused to do what I told them to do, and now these people have returned to committing the sins that their ancestors committed. They are worshiping other gods. The people of Israel disobeyed the agreement that I made with their ancestors, and now the people of Judah have done the same thing.

So now I, Yahweh, am warning them that I will cause disasters to come to them, and they will not escape. And when they call out for me to help them, I will not pay attention.

When that happens, the people in Jerusalem and other cities in Judah will offer sacrifices and burn incense to their gods and ask for their help, but those gods will not be able to save them when those disasters come to them.

There are now as many gods in Judah as there are towns in Judah; the people of Jerusalem have erected as many altars to burn incense to those gods as there are streets in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah, do not pray for these people, and do not plead with me to rescue them. If you plead with me, I will not pay attention; and if they call out to me for help when they are in distress, I will not listen to them.”

Then Yahweh said, “The people of Judah whom I love certainly no longer have a right to come to my temple, because they continually do many evil things. They think that continually making sacrifices of meat to me certainly will protect them from disasters, with the result that they will be able to rejoice.

I previously said that they were like an olive tree full of green leaves with a lot of good olives on it, but now I will send their enemies to attack them furiously; it is as though I will break off their branches, and their city will be destroyed by fire.

It is as though the people of Judah and Israel were a beautiful olive tree that I, Yahweh, Commander of the angel armies, planted, but now, by burning incense to their god Baal, they have caused me to become very angry. So now I have decided to destroy them.”

A Plot against Jeremiah

(Jeremiah 18:18–23)

Yahweh revealed to me that my enemies were planning to kill me.

Before he did that, I was like a lamb that was being led away to be slaughtered; I did not know what they were planning to do. I did not know that they were saying, “Let us get rid of this tree and its fruit,” so I did not know that they intended to kill me, in order that no one would remember me.

Then I prayed, “Yahweh, Commander of the angel armies, you judge people justly, and you examine everything that we are thinking. Allow me to watch you getting revenge on the people who want to kill me, because I trust that you will do for me what is right.”

It was the men of my own town, Anathoth, who wanted to kill me, and they told me that they would kill me if I did not stop prophesying what Yahweh told me to say.

So Yahweh, Commander of the angel armies, said about them, “I will punish them. Their young men will be killed in wars, and their children will die because they have no food.

I have set a time when I will bring disasters to the people of Anathoth, and when that happens, none of them will remain alive.”

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

“Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

and say to them, the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Cursed is the man who doesn’t hear the words of this covenant,

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 my voice and do them, according to all which I command you; so you shall be my people, and I will be your God;

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, LORD.”

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.

For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, rising early and protesting, saying, “Obey my voice.”

Yet they didn’t 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 didn’t do them.’”

The LORD said to me, “A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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.

Therefore the LORD says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on them which they will not be able to escape; and they will cry to me, but I will not listen to them.

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.

For according to the number of your cities are your gods, Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars to burn incense to Baal.’

“Therefore don’t pray for this people. Don’t lift up cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry to me because of their trouble.

What has my beloved to do in my house, since she has behaved lewdly with many, and the holy flesh has passed from you? When you do evil, then you rejoice.”

The LORD called your name, “A green olive tree, beautiful with goodly fruit.” With the noise of a great roar he has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken.

For the LORD of Armies, who planted you, has pronounced evil 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.

A Plot against Jeremiah

(Jeremiah 18:18–23)

The LORD gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it. Then you showed me their doings.

But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter. I didn’t know that they had devised plans against me, saying, “Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit, and let’s cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.”

But, LORD of Armies, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, I will see your vengeance on them; for to you I have revealed my cause.

“Therefore the LORD says concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy in the LORD’s name, that you not die by our hand’—

therefore the LORD of Armies says, ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by famine.

There will be no remnant to them, for I will bring evil on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.’”