Jeremiah 5

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 “Travel the streets of Jerusalem; and gaze, and consider, and seek, in its wide streets. If you can find a man exercising judgment and seeking faith, then I will be forgiving to them.
2 Although they say, 'As Yahweh lives,' they are, in fact, swearing a false oath.	2 For even though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in this, too, 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, your eyes look with favor upon faith. You have struck them, and they have not grieved. You have bruised them, and they have refused to accept discipline. They have hardened their faces more than rock, and they are not willing to return.
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 But I said: Perhaps these are the poor and the senseless, who are ignorant of the way of the Lord, of the judgment of 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 Therefore, I will go to great men, and I will speak with them. For they have known the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God. And behold, these ones have broken the yoke all the more; they have torn apart the bonds.
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 For this reason, a lion from the forest has struck them down, a wolf toward evening has laid waste to them, a leopard lies in wait over their cities. All who go out from there will be taken. For their transgressions have been multiplied; their rebellions have been strengthened.
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 “Over which things am I able to be merciful to you? Your sons have forsaken me, and they swear by those who are not gods. I gave them everything, and they committed adultery, and they indulged themselves in the house of the harlot.
8 They are well-fed, roving stal ions, each neighing for his neighbour's wife.	8 They have become like wild horses in heat; each one was neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Shal I fail to punish this, Yahweh demands, or on such a nation to exact vengeance?	9 Shall I not visit against these things, says the Lord? And shall my soul not take vengeance on a nation such as this?
10 Scale her terraces! Destroy! But do not annihilate her completely! Strip off her branches, for Yahwehdoes not own them!	10 Scale its walls and tear them down. But do not be willing to bring about its very end. Take away its plantings, for they are not the Lord’s.
11 How treacherously they have treated me, the House of Israel and the House of Judah! Yahwehdeclares.	11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have greatly transgressed against me, 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 have denied the Lord, and they have said, ‘It is not him,’ and, ‘Evil will not overwhelm us. We will not see famine and the sword.’
13 And the prophets? Nothing but wind; the word is not in them; let those very things happen to them!" '	13 The prophets have spoken into the wind, and there was no answer with them. Therefore, these things will happen to them.”
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 Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: “Since you have spoken this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth like fire and this people like wood, and it will devour them.
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 Behold, O house of Israel, I will lead over you a far away nation, says the Lord, a robust nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you will not know, nor will you understand what they are saying.
16 Their quiver a gaping tomb, they are al of them fighters.	16 Their quiver is like an open sepulcher. They are all strong.
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 And they will consume your grain fields and your bread. They will devour your sons and your daughters. They will consume your flocks and your herds. They will consume your vineyards and your figs. And with the sword, they will crush your fortified cities, in which you have placed your trust.
18 'Yet even in those days, Yahweh declares, I shal not annihilate you completely.	18 Yet truly, in those days, says the Lord, I will not bring the consummation over 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 if they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ You shall say to them: ‘Just as you have abandoned me and have served a strange god in your own land, so will 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, and make it known in Judah, saying:
21 "Now listen to this, stupid, brainless people who have eyes and do not see, who have ears and do nothear!	21 Listen, O foolish people who have no heart! You have eyes, but you do not see, and ears, but you do not hear.
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 So then, will you not fear me, says the Lord. And will you not have sorrow before my face? I have placed the shore as a limit for the sea, as an everlasting precept that it will not transgress. And its waves will crash, but they will not prevail; and its waves will swell, but they will not go across.
23 But this people has a rebellious, unruly heart; they have rebelled and gone!	23 But the heart of this people has become incredulous and provocative; they have turned away and departed.
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 they have not said in their heart: ‘Let us dread the Lord our God, who gives us the timely and the late rains, in their proper time, who guards the full measure of the yearly harvest for us.’
25 Your misdeeds have upset al this, your sins have deprived you of these blessings."	25 Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have held back good things 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 the impious are found among my people; they lie in ambush like fowlers setting snares, for they set traps to catch men.
27 Like a cage full of birds so are their houses full of loot; they have grown rich and powerful because of it,	27 Just as a snare is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. As a result, they have become exalted and enriched.
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 They have grown stout and fat. And they have transgressed my words most wickedly. They have not judged the case of the widow; they have not given guidance to the case of the orphan; and they have not judged a judgment for the poor.
29 Shal I fail to punish this, Yahweh demands, or on such a nation to exact vengeance?	29 Shall I not visit against these things, says the Lord? Or shall my soul not take vengeance on a nation of this kind?
30 Horrible, disgusting things are happening in the land:	30 Astonishing and wondrous things have been done upon the earth.
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 have prophesied lies, and the priests have applauded with their hands, and my people have loved these things. So then, what shall be done at the very end?”