Jeremiah 11

Judah’s Broken Covenant

11The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,H1697H3414H3068H5592“Remind the people of Judah and Jerusalem about the terms of my covenant with them.H8085H1697H1285H1696H376H3063H3427H33893Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of my covenant!H559H559H3068H430H3478H779H376H8085H1697H12854For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, “If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my people, and I will be your God.”H6680H1H3117H3318H776H4714H1270H3564H559H8085H6963H6213H6680H5971H4305I said this so I could keep my promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing with milk and honey—the land you live in today.’” Then I replied, “Amen, Lord! May it be so.”H6965H7621H7650H1H5414H776H2100H2461H1706H3117H6030H559H543H30686Then the Lord said, “Broadcast this message in the streets of Jerusalem. Go from town to town throughout the land and say, ‘Remember the ancient covenant, and do everything it requires.H3068H559H7121H1697H5892H3063H2351H3389H559H8085H1697H1285H62137For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, “Obey me!” I have repeated this warning over and over to this day,H5749H5749H1H3117H5927H776H4714H3117H7925H5749H559H8085H69638but your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought upon them all the curses described in this covenant.’”H8085H5186H241H3212H376H8307H7451H3820H935H1697H1285H6680H6213H62139Again the Lord spoke to me and said, “I have discovered a conspiracy against me among the people of Judah and Jerusalem.H3068H559H7195H4672H376H3063H3427H338910They have returned to the sins of their forefathers. They have refused to listen to me and are worshiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the covenant I made with their ancestors.H7725H5771H7223H1H3985H8085H1697H1980H310H312H430H5647H1004H3478H1004H3063H6565H1285H3772H111Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am going to bring calamity upon them, and they will not escape. Though they beg for mercy, I will not listen to their cries.H559H3068H935H7451H3201H3318H2199H808512Then the people of Judah and Jerusalem will pray to their idols and burn incense before them. But the idols will not save them when disaster strikes!H5892H3063H3427H3389H1980H2199H430H6999H3467H3467H6256H745113Look now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame—altars for burning incense to your god Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem.H4557H5892H430H3063H4557H2351H3389H7760H4196H1322H4196H6999H116814“Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress.H6419H5971H5375H7440H8605H8085H6256H7121H745115“What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple, when they have done so many immoral things? Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction? They actually rejoice in doing evil!H3039H1004H6213H4209H7227H6944H1320H5674H7451H593716I, the Lord, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit. But now I have sent the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire, leaving them charred and broken.H3068H7121H8034H7488H2132H3303H8389H6529H6963H1419H1999H3341H784H1808H748917“I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil, arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal.”H3068H6635H5193H1696H7451H1558H7451H1004H3478H1004H3063H6213H3707H6999H1168

A Plot against Jeremiah

18Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me.H3068H3045H3045H7200H461119I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”H3532H441H2986H2873H3045H2803H4284H7843H6086H3899H3772H776H2416H8034H214220O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you make righteous judgments, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you.H3068H6635H8199H6664H974H3629H3820H7200H5360H1540H737921This is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who wanted me dead. They had said, “We will kill you if you do not stop prophesying in the Lord’s name.”H559H3068H582H6068H1245H5315H559H5012H8034H3068H4191H302722So this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says about them: “I will punish them! Their young men will die in battle, and their boys and girls will starve to death.H559H3068H6635H6485H970H4191H2719H1121H1323H4191H745823Not one of these plotters from Anathoth will survive, for I will bring disaster upon them when their time of punishment comes.”H7611H935H7451H582H6068H8141H6486