Jeremiah 11

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh,	1 The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2 'Hear the terms of this covenant; tel them to the people of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.	2 Speak to the men of Judah and to the citizens of Jerusalem,
3 Tel them, "Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: Cursed be anyone who will not listen to the terms of thiscovenant	3 saying to them: Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not observe the terms of this covenant,
4 which I ordained for your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of that iron-foundry. Listen tomy voice, I told them, carry out al my orders, then you wil be my people and I shal be your God,	4 which I enjoined upon your fathers the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that iron foundry, saying: Listen to my voice and do all that I command you. Then you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
5 so that I may fulfil the oath I swore to your ancestors, that I may give them a country flowing with milkand honey, as is the case today." ' I replied, 'So be it, Yahweh!'	5 Thus I will fulfill the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey: the one you have today. "Amen, LORD," I answered.
6 Then Yahweh said to me, 'Proclaim al these terms in the towns of Judah and in the streets ofJerusalem, saying, "Listen to the terms of this covenant and obey them.	6 Then the LORD said to me: Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and obey them.
7 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, I solemnly warned them, and have persistently warnedthem until today, saying: Listen to my voice.	7 Urgently and constantly I warned your fathers to obey my voice, from the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt even to this day.
8 But they did not listen, did not pay attention; instead, each followed his own stubborn and wickedinclinations. And against them, in consequence, I put into action the words of this covenant which I had orderedthem to obey and which they had not obeyed." '	8 But they did not listen or give ear. Each one followed the hardness of his evil heart, till I brought upon them all the threats of this covenant which they had failed to observe as I commanded them.
9 Yahweh said to me, 'Plainly there is conspiracy among the people of Judah and the citizens ofJerusalem.	9 A conspiracy has been found, the LORD said to me, among the men of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem.
10 They have reverted to the sins of their ancestors who refused to listen to my words: they too arefol owing other gods and serving them. The House of Israel and the House of Judah have broken my covenantwhich I made with their ancestors.	10 They have returned to the crimes of their forefathers who refused to obey my words. They also have followed and served strange gods; the covenant which I had made with their fathers, the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken.
11 And so, Yahweh says this, "I shal now bring a disaster on them which they cannot escape; they willcal to me for help, but I shal not listen to them.	11 Therefore, thus says the LORD: See, I bring upon them misfortune which they cannot escape. Though they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.
12 The towns of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem wil then go and cal for help to the gods to whomthey burn incense, but these will be no help at al to them in their time of distress!	12 Then the cities of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been offering incense. But these gods will give them no help whatever when misfortune strikes.
13 "For you have as many gods as you have towns, Judah! You have built as many altars to Shame, asmany incense altars to Baal, as Jerusalem has streets!	13 For as numerous as your cities are your gods, O Judah! And as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars for offering sacrifice to Baal.
14 "You, for your part, must not intercede for this people, nor raise either plea or prayer on their behalf, for I wil not listen when their distress forces them to cal to me for help."	14 Do not intercede on behalf of this people, nor utter a plea for them. I will not listen when they call to me at the time of their misfortune.
15 'What is my beloved doing in my house? She has achieved her wicked plans. Can vows andconsecrated meat turn disaster from you for you to be so happy?	15 What right has my beloved in my house, while she prepares her plots? Can vows and sacred meat turn away your misfortune from you? Will you still be jubilant
16 "Green olive-tree covered in fine fruit", was Yahweh's name for you. With a shattering noise he hasset fire to it, its branches are broken.'	16 when you hear the great invasion? A spreading olive tree, goodly to behold, the LORD has named you; Now he sets fire to it, its branches burn.
17 And Yahweh Sabaoth, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you because of the evil the Houseof Israel and the House of Judah have done, provoking me by burning incense to Baal.	17 The LORD of hosts who planted you has decreed misfortune for you because of the evil done by the house of Israel and by the house of Judah, who provoked me by sacrificing to Baal.
18 Yahweh informed me and I knew it; you then revealed their scheming to me.	18 I knew it because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings.
19 I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughterhouse, not knowing the schemes theywere plotting against me, 'Let us destroy the tree in its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the living, sothat his name may no longer be remembered!'
20 Yahweh Sabaoth, whose judgement is upright, tester of motives and thoughts, I shal see yourvengeance on them, for I have revealed my cause to you.
21 Against the people of Anathoth who are determined to kil me and say to me, 'Do not prophesy in thename of Yahweh or you will die at our hands!'
22 Yahweh says this, 'I am about to punish them. Their young people will die by the sword, their sonsand daughters by famine.
23 Not one wil be left when I bring disaster on the people of Anathoth, when the year for punishing themcomes.'