Jeremiah 5

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Rove the streets of Jerusalem, now look and enquire, see in her squares if you can find an individual,one individual who does right and seeks the truth, and I will pardon her, Yahweh says.	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 Although they say, 'As Yahweh lives,' they are, in fact, swearing a false oath.	2 Though they say, "As the LORD lives," they swear falsely.
3 Yahweh, do your eyes not look for truth? You have struck them; they have not felt it. You haveannihilated them, for they ignored the lesson. They have set their faces harder than rock, they have refused torepent.	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 I thought, 'These are only the poor! They behave stupidly since they do not know Yahweh's way or theruling 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 shal approach the great men and speak to them, for these will know Yahweh's way and the ruling oftheir God.' But these, too, have broken the yoke, have 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 And so, a lion from the forest will slaughter them, a wolf from the plains will despoil them, a leopard wilbe lurking round their towns: anyone who goes out will be torn to pieces -- because of their many crimes, theircountless infidelities.	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 'Why should I pardon you? Your sons have abandoned me, to swear by gods that are not gods at al . Ifed them full, and they became adulterers, they hurried to the brothel.	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 are well-fed, roving stal ions, each neighing for his neighbour's wife.	8 Lustful stallions they are, each neighs after another's wife.
9 Shal I fail to punish this, Yahweh demands, or on such a nation to exact vengeance?	9 Shall I not punish them for these things? says the LORD; On a nation such as this shall I not take vengeance?
10 Scale her terraces! Destroy! But do not annihilate her completely! Strip off her branches, for Yahwehdoes not own them!	10 Climb to her terraces, and ravage them, destroy them (not) wholly. Tear away her tendrils, they do not belong to the LORD.
11 How treacherously they have treated me, the House of Israel and the House of Judah! Yahwehdeclares.	11 For they have openly rebelled against me, both the house of Israel and the house of Judah, says the LORD.
12 'They have denied Yahweh, they have said, "He is nothing; no evil wil overtake us, we shall not seesword or 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? Nothing but wind; the word is not in them; let those very things happen to them!" '	13 The prophets have become wind, and the word is not in them. May their threats be carried out against themselves!"
14 Because of this, Yahweh, God Sabaoth, says this, 'Since you have said such things, now I shal makemy words a fire in your mouth, and make this people wood, for the fire to devour.	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 Now I shall bring on you a nation from afar, House of Israel, Yahweh declares, an enduring nation, anancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you grasp 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 a gaping tomb, they are al of them fighters.	16 Their quivers are like open graves; all of them are warriors.
17 They will devour your harvest and your food, devour your sons and daughters, devour your flocks andherds, devour your vines and fig trees, and demolish your fortified towns in which you trust -- 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 'Yet even in those days, Yahweh declares, I shal not annihilate you completely.	18 Yet even in those days, says the LORD, I will not wholly destroy you.
19 'And when you ask, "Why has Yahweh our God done al this to us?" you wil give them this answer, "As you abandon me to serve alien gods in your own country, so you must serve aliens in a country not your own."	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 'Announce this in the House of Jacob, proclaim it in Judah, and say,	20 Announce this to the house of Jacob, proclaim it in Judah:
21 "Now listen to this, stupid, brainless people who have eyes and do not see, who have ears and do nothear!	21 Pay attention to this, foolish and senseless people Who have eyes and see not, who have ears and hear not.
22 Have you no fear of me? Yahweh demands. Wil you not tremble before me who set the sand as limit to the sea, as an everlasting barrier it cannot pass? Its waves may toss but not prevail, they may roar but cannotpass beyond.	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 has a rebellious, unruly heart; they have rebelled and gone!	23 But this people's heart is stubborn and rebellious; they turn and go away,
24 Nor do they say to themselves: Now we ought to fear Yahweh our God who gives the rain, of autumnand of spring, at the right season, and reserves us the weeks appointed for 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 misdeeds have upset al this, your sins have deprived you of these blessings."	25 Your crimes have prevented these things, your sins have turned back these blessings from you.
26 Yes, there are wicked men among my people who watch like fowlers on the alert; they set traps andthey catch human beings.	26 For there are among my people criminals; like fowlers they set traps, but it is men they catch.
27 Like a cage full of birds so are their houses full of loot; they have grown rich and powerful because of it,	27 Their houses are as full of treachery as a bird-cage is of birds; Therefore they grow powerful and rich,
28 they are fat, they are sleek, in wickedness they go to any lengths: they have no respect for rights, fororphans' rights, and yet they succeed! They have not upheld the cause of the needy.	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 Shal I fail to punish this, Yahweh demands, or on such a nation to exact vengeance?	29 Shall I not punish these things? says the LORD; on a nation such as this shall I not take vengeance?
30 Horrible, disgusting things are happening in the land:	30 A shocking, horrible thing has happened in the land:
31 the prophets prophesy falsely and the priests exploit the people. And my people love it! But when theend comes, what wil you do?	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?