Jeremiah 8

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 'When that time comes, Yahweh declares, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its chief men,the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, wil be takenfrom their tombs.	1 At that time, says the LORD, the bones of the kings and princes of Judah, the bones of the priests and the prophets, and the bones of the citizens of Jerusalem will be emptied out of their graves
2 They wil be spread out before the sun, the moon, the whole array of heaven, whom they have loved andserved, fol owed, consulted and worshipped. They wil not be gathered or reburied but will be left lying on thesurface like dung.	2 and spread out before the sun and the moon and the whole army of heaven, which they loved and served, which they followed, consulted, and worshiped. They will not be gathered up for burial, but will lie like dung upon the ground.
3 And death will seem preferable to life to al the survivors of this wicked race, wherever I have driventhem, Yahweh Sabaoth declares.	3 Death will be preferred to life by all the survivors of this wicked race who remain in any of the places to which I banish them, says the LORD of hosts.
4 'You are to tel them, "Yahweh says this: If someone fal s, can he not stand up again? If people stray,can they not turn back?	4 Tell them: Thus says the LORD: When someone falls, does he not rise again? if he goes astray, does he not turn back?
5 Why does this people persist in acts of infidelity, why does Jerusalem persist in continuous infidelity?They cling to il usion, they refuse to turn back.	5 Why do these people rebel with obstinate resistance? Why do they cling to deceptive idols, refuse to turn back?
6 I have listened attentively: they have never said anything like that. Not one repents of wickednesssaying: What have I done? Each one keeps returning to the course like a horse charging into battle.	6 I listen closely: they speak what is not true; No one repents of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done!" Everyone keeps on running his course, like a steed dashing into battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky knows the appropriate season; turtledove, swal ow and crane observe theirtime of migration. But my people do not know Yahweh's laws!" '	7 Even the stork in the air knows it seasons; Turtledove, swallow and thrush observe their time of return, But my people do not know the ordinance of the LORD.
8 How can you say, 'We are wise, since we have Yahweh's Law?' Look how it has been falsified by thelying pen of the scribes!	8 How can you say, "We are wise, we have the law of the LORD"? Why, that has been changed into falsehood by the lying pen of the scribes!
9 The wise are put to shame, alarmed, caught out because they have rejected Yahweh's word. What pricetheir wisdom now?	9 The wise are confounded, dismayed and ensnared; Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, of what avail is their wisdom?
10 So I shal give their wives to other men, their fields to new masters, for, from the least to greatest, theyare al greedy for gain; prophet no less than priest, al of them practise fraud.	10 Therefore, I will give their wives to strangers, their fields to spoilers. Small and great alike, all are greedy for gain, prophet and priest, all practice fraud.
11 Without concern they dress the wound of the daughter of my people, saying, 'Peace! Peace!' whereasthere is no peace.	11 They would repair, as though it were nought, the injury to the daughter of my people: "Peace, peace!" they say, though there is no peace.
12 They should be ashamed of their loathsome deeds. Not they! They feel no shame, they do not evenknow how to blush. And so as others fall, they too wil fal , will be thrown down when the time for punishing themcomes, Yahweh says.	12 They are odious; they have done abominable things, yet they are not at all ashamed, they know not how to blush. Hence they shall be among those who fall; in their time of punishment they shall go down, says the LORD.
13 I shal put an end to them, Yahweh declares, no more grapes on the vine, no more figs on the fig treeonly withered leaves: I have found them people to trample on them!	13 I will gather them all in, says the LORD: no grapes on the vine, No figs on the fig trees, foliage withered!
14 Why are we sitting still? Mobilise! Take to the fortified towns and there fall silent, since Yahweh ourGod means to silence us by giving us poisoned water to drink because we have sinned against him.	14 Why do we remain here? Let us form ranks and enter the walled cities, to perish there; For the LORD has wrought our destruction, he has given us poison to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.
15 We are hoping for peace -- no good came of it! For the time of healing -- nothing but terror!	15 We wait for peace to no avail; for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.
16 From Dan you can hear the snorting of his horses; at the neighing of his stal ions the whole countryquakes; they are coming to devour the country and its contents, the town and those that live in it.	16 From Dan is heard the snorting of his steeds; The neighing of his stallions shakes the whole land. They come devouring the land and all it contains, the city and those who dwell in it.
17 Yes, now I am sending you poisonous snakes against which no charm exists; and they wil bite you,Yahweh declares.	17 Yes, I will send against you poisonous snakes, Against which no charm will work when they bite you, says the LORD.
18 Incurable sorrow overtakes me, my heart fails me.	18 My grief is incurable, my heart within me is faint.
19 Hark, from the daughter of my people the cry for help, ringing far and wide throughout the land! 'IsYahweh no longer in Zion, her King no longer there?' (Why have they provoked me with their idols, with theirfutile foreign gods?)	19 Listen! the cry of the daughter of my people, far and wide in the land! Is the LORD no longer in Zion, is her King no longer in her midst? (Why do they provoke me with their idols, with their foreign nonentities?)
20 'Harvest is over, summer at an end, and we have not been saved!'	20 "The harvest has passed, the summer is at an end, and yet we are not safe!"
21 The wound of the daughter of my people wounds me too, all looks dark to me, terror grips me.	21 I am broken by the ruin of the daughter of my people. I am disconsolate; horror has seized me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead any more? Is no doctor there? Then why is there no progress in the cure ofthe daughter of my people?	22 Is there no balm in Gilead, no physician there? Why grows not new flesh over the wound of the daughter of my people?
23 Who wil turn my head into a fountain, and my eyes into a spring of tears, that I can weep day and nightover the slain of the daughter of my people?	23 Oh, that my head were a spring of water, my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night over the slain of the daughter of my people!