Jeremiah 5

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.	1 Roam the streets of Jerusalem, look about and observe, Search through her public places, to find even one Who lives uprightly and seeks to be faithful, and I will pardon her!
2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.	2 Though they say, "As the LORD lives," they swear falsely.
3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.	3 O LORD, do your eyes not look for honesty? You struck them, but they did not cringe; you laid them low, but they refused correction; They set their faces harder than stone, and refused to return to you.
4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.	4 It is only the lowly, I thought, who are foolish; For they know not the way of the LORD, their duty to their God.
5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.	5 I will go to the great ones and speak with them; For they know the way of the LORD, their duty to their God. But, one and all, they had broken the yoke, torn off the harness.
6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.	6 Therefore lions from the forest slay them, wolves of the desert ravage them, Leopards keep watch round their cities: all who come out are torn to pieces For their many crimes and their numerous rebellions.
7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.	7 Why should I pardon you these things? Your sons have forsaken me, they swear by gods that are not. I fed them, but they committed adultery; to the harlot's house they throng.
8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.	8 Lustful stallions they are, each neighs after another's wife.
9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?	9 Shall I not punish them for these things? says the LORD; On a nation such as this shall I not take vengeance?
10 Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD's.	10 Climb to her terraces, and ravage them, destroy them (not) wholly. Tear away her tendrils, they do not belong to the LORD.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.	11 For they have openly rebelled against me, both the house of Israel and the house of Judah, says the LORD.
12 They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:	12 They denied the LORD, saying, "Not he-- No evil shall befall us, neither sword nor famine shall we see.
13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.	13 The prophets have become wind, and the word is not in them. May their threats be carried out against themselves!"
14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.	14 Now, for this that you have said, says the LORD, the God of hosts- Behold, I make my words in your mouth, a fire, And this people is the wood that it shall devour!--
15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.	15 Beware, I will bring against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, says the LORD; A long-lived nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you know not, whose speech you cannot understand.
16 Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.	16 Their quivers are like open graves; all of them are warriors.
17 And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.	17 They will devour your harvest and your bread, devour your sons and your daughters, Devour your sheep and cattle, devour your vines and fig trees; They will beat flat with the sword the fortified city in which you trust.
18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.	18 Yet even in those days, says the LORD, I will not wholly destroy you.
19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.	19 And when they ask, "Why has the LORD done all these things to us?" say to them, "As you have forsaken me to serve strange gods in your own land, so shall you serve strangers in a land not your own."
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,	20 Announce this to the house of Jacob, proclaim it in Judah:
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:	21 Pay attention to this, foolish and senseless people Who have eyes and see not, who have ears and hear not.
22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?	22 Should you not fear me, says the LORD, should you not tremble before me? I made the sandy shore the sea's limit, which by eternal decree it may not overstep. Toss though it may, it is to no avail; though its billows roar, they cannot pass.
23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.	23 But this people's heart is stubborn and rebellious; they turn and go away,
24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.	24 And say not in their hearts, "Let us fear the LORD, our God, Who gives us rain early and late, in its time; Who watches for us over the appointed weeks of harvest."
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.	25 Your crimes have prevented these things, your sins have turned back these blessings from you.
26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.	26 For there are among my people criminals; like fowlers they set traps, but it is men they catch.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.	27 Their houses are as full of treachery as a bird-cage is of birds; Therefore they grow powerful and rich,
28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.	28 fat and sleek. They go their wicked way; justice they do not defend By advancing the claim of the fatherless or judging the cause of the poor.
29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?	29 Shall I not punish these things? says the LORD; on a nation such as this shall I not take vengeance?
30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;	30 A shocking, horrible thing has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?	31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests teach as they wish; Yet my people will have it so; what will you do when the end comes?