1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
3 And say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, [a]Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,
4 Which I commanded unto your fathers, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do according to all these things which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God,
5 That I may confirm the oath, that I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land, which floweth with milk and honey, as appeareth this day. Then answered [b]I, and said, So be it, O Lord.
6 Then the Lord said unto me, Cry all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.
7 For I have protested unto your fathers, when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt unto this day, [c]rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.
8 Nevertheless they would not obey, nor incline their ear: but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his [d]wicked heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the [e]words of this covenant which I commanded them to do, but they did it not.
9 And the Lord said unto me, A [f]conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words: and they went after other gods to serve them: thus the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant, which I made with their fathers.
11 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring a plague upon them, which they shall not be able to escape, and though they cry unto me, [g]I will not hear them.
12 Then shall the cities of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense, but they shall not be able to help them in time of their trouble.
13 [h]For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah, and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars of confusion, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.
14 Therefore thou shalt not [i]pray for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for when they cry unto me in their trouble, I will not hear them.
15 What should my [j]beloved tarry in mine house, seeing they have committed abomination with many, and the holy flesh [k]goeth away from thee: yet when thou doest evil, thou rejoicest.
16 The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: but with [l]noise and great tumult he hath set fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
17 For the Lord of hosts that planted thee, hath pronounced a plague against thee, for the wickedness of the house of Israel, and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal,
18 And the Lord hath taught me, and I know it, even then thou showedst me [m]their practices.
19 But I was like a lamb, or a bullock, that is brought to the slaughter, and I knew not that they had devised thus against me, saying, Let us [n]destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and cut him out of the land of the living, that his name may be no more in memory,
20 But O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, and triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy [o]vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.
21 The Lord therefore speaketh thus of the men of [p]Anathoth, (that seek thy life, and say, [q]Prophesy not in the name of the Lord, that thou die not by our hands.)
22 Thus therefore saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will visit them: the young men shall die by the sword: their sons and their daughters shall die by famine,
23 And none of them shall remain: for I will bring a plague upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.