Through the Bible – Day 295

₁“Search Jerusalem

for honest people

who try to be faithful.

If you can find even one,

I'll forgive the whole city.

₂Everyone breaks promises

made in my name.”

₃I answered, “I know

that you look for truth.

You punished your people

for their lies,

but in spite of the pain,

they became more stubborn

and refused to turn back

to you.”

₄Then I thought to myself,

“These common people

act like fools,

and they have never learnt

what the LORD their God

demands of them.

₅I'll go and talk to the leaders.

They know what God demands.”

But even they had decided

not to obey the LORD.

₆The people have rebelled

and rejected the LORD

too many times.

So enemies will attack

like lions from the forest

or wolves from the desert.

Those enemies will watch

the towns of Judah,

and like leopards

they will tear to pieces

whoever goes outside.

₇People of Judah,

how can I forgive you?

I gave you everything,

but you abandoned me

and worshipped idols.

You men go to prostitutes

and are unfaithful

to your wives.

₈You are no better than animals,

and you always want sex

with someone else's wife.

₉Why shouldn't I punish

the people of Judah?

₁₀I will tell their enemies,

“Go through my vineyard.

Don't destroy the vines,

but cut off the branches,

because they are the people

who don't belong to me.”

₁₁In every way, Judah and Israel

have been unfaithful to me.

_12-13Their prophets lie and say,

“The LORD won't punish us.

We will have peace

and plenty of food.”

They tell these lies in my name,

so now they will be killed in war

or starve to death.

₁₄I am the LORD God All-Powerful.

Jeremiah, I will tell you

exactly what to say.

Your words will be a fire;

Israel and Judah

will be the fuel.

₁₅People of Israel,

I have made my decision.

An army from a distant country

will attack you.

I've chosen an ancient nation,

and you won't understand

their language.

₁₆All of them are warriors,

and their arrows bring death.

₁₇This nation will eat your crops

and livestock;

they will leave no fruit

on your vines or trees.

And although you feel safe

behind thick walls,

your towns will be destroyed

and your children killed.

I am the LORD,

but you abandoned me

and worshipped other gods

in your own land.

Now you will be slaves

in a foreign country.

₂₀Tell these things to each other,

you people of Judah,

you descendants of Jacob.

₂₁You fools! Why don't you listen

when I speak?

Why can't you understand

₂₂that you should worship me

with fear and trembling?

I'm the one who made the shore

to hold back the ocean.

Waves may crash on the beach,

but they can come no further.

₂₃You stubborn people have rebelled

and turned your backs on me.

₂₄You refuse to say,

“Let's worship the LORD!

He's the one who sends rain

in spring and autumn

and gives us a good harvest.”

₂₅That's why I cannot bless you!

_26-27A hunter traps birds

and puts them in a cage,

but some of you trap humans

and make them your slaves.

You are evil, and you lie and cheat

to make yourselves rich.

You are powerful

₂₈and prosperous,

but you refuse to help the poor

get the justice they deserve.

₂₉You need to be punished,

and so I will take revenge.

₃₀Look at the terrible things

going on in this country.

I am shocked!

₃₁Prophets give their messages

in the name of a false god,

my priests don't want

to serve me,

and you—my own people—

like it this way!

But on the day of disaster,

where will you turn for help?

₁Run for your lives,

people of Benjamin.

Get out of Jerusalem.

Sound a trumpet in Tekoa

and light a signal fire

in Beth-Haccherem.

Soon you will be struck

by disaster from the north.

_2-3Jerusalem is a lovely pasture,

but shepherds will surround it

and divide it up,

then let their flocks

eat all the grass.

₄Kings will tell their troops,

“If we reach Jerusalem

in the morning,

we'll attack at midday.

But if we arrive later,

₅we'll attack after dark

and destroy its fortresses.”

₆I am the LORD All-Powerful,

and I will command these armies

to chop down trees

and build a ramp up to the walls

of Jerusalem.

People of Jerusalem,

I must punish you

for your injustice.

₇Evil pours from your city

like water from a spring.

Sounds of violent crimes

echo within your walls;

victims are everywhere,

wounded and dying.

₈Listen to me,

you people of Jerusalem

and Judah.

I will abandon you,

and your land will become

an empty desert.

₉I will tell your enemies

to leave your nation bare

like a vine stripped of grapes.

I, the LORD All-Powerful,

have spoken.

₁₀I have told the people

that you, LORD,

will punish them,

but they just laugh

and refuse to listen.

₁₁Your anger against Judah

flames up inside me,

and I can't hold it in

much longer.

Don't hold back my anger!

Let it sweep away everyone—

the children at play

and all adults,

young and old alike.

₁₂I'll punish the people of Judah

and give to others

their houses and fields,

as well as their wives.

I, the LORD, have spoken.

₁₃Everyone is greedy and dishonest,

whether poor or rich.

Even the prophets and priests

cannot be trusted.

₁₄All they ever offer

to my deeply wounded people

are empty hopes for peace.

₁₅They should be ashamed

of their disgusting sins,

but they don't even blush.

And so, when I punish Judah,

they will end up on the ground,

dead like everyone else.

I, the LORD, have spoken.

My people, when you stood

at the crossroads,

I told you, “Follow the road

your ancestors took,

and you will find peace.”

But you refused.

₁₇I also sent prophets

to warn you of danger,

but when they sounded the alarm,

you paid no attention.

_18-19So I tell all nations on earth,

“Watch what I will do!

My people ignored me

and rejected my laws.

They planned to do evil,

and now the evil they planned

will happen to them.”

₂₀People of Judah,

you bring me incense from Sheba

and spices from distant lands.

You offer sacrifices of all kinds.

But why bother?

I hate these gifts of yours!

₂₁So I will put stumbling blocks

in your path,

and everyone will die,

including parents and children,

neighbours and friends.

“Look towards the north,

where a powerful nation

has prepared for war.

₂₃Its well armed troops are cruel

and never show mercy.

Their galloping horses sound

like ocean waves

pounding on the shore.

This army will attack you,

lovely Jerusalem.”

“Just hearing about them

makes us tremble with fear,

and we twist and turn in pain

like a woman giving birth.”

“Don't work in your fields

or walk along the roads.

It's too dangerous.

The enemy is well armed

₂₆and attacks without warning.

So mourn, my people, as though

your only child had died.

Wear clothes made of sackcloth

and roll in the ash heap.”

₂₇Jeremiah, test my people

as though they were metal.

₂₈And you'll find they are hard

like bronze and iron.

They are stubborn rebels,

always spreading lies.

_29-30Silver can be purified

in a fiery furnace,

but my people are too wicked

to be made pure,

and so I have rejected them.

₉God saved us and chose us

to be his holy people.

We did nothing

to deserve this,

but God planned it

because he is so kind.

Even before time began

God planned for Christ Jesus

to show kindness to us.

₁₀Now Christ Jesus has come

to show us the kindness

of God.

Christ our Saviour defeated death

and brought us

the good news.

It shines like a light

and offers life

that never ends.