Parallel Bible results for "jeremiah 5"

Jeremiah 5

The Message Bible MSG

1 "Patrol Jerusalem's streets. Look around. Take note. Search the market squares. See if you can find one man, one woman, A single soul who does what is right and tries to live a true life. I want to forgive that person." God's Decree.

2 "But if all they do is say, 'As sure as God lives . . . ' they're nothing but a bunch of liars."

3 But you, God, you have an eye for truth, don't you? You hit them hard, but it didn't faze them. You disciplined them, but they refused correction. Hardheaded, harder than rock, they wouldn't change.

4 Then I said to myself, "Well, these are just poor people. They don't know any better. They were never taught anything about God. They never went to prayer meetings. I'll find some people from the best families.

5 I'll talk to them. They'll know what's going on, the way God works. They'll know the score." But they were no better! Rebels all! Off doing their own thing.

6 The invaders are ready to pounce and kill, like a mountain lion, a wilderness wolf, Panthers on the prowl. The streets aren't safe anymore. And why? Because the people's sins are piled sky-high; their betrayals are past counting.

7 "Why should I even bother with you any longer? Your children wander off, leaving me, Taking up with gods that aren't even gods. I satisfied their deepest needs, and then they went off with the 'sacred' whores, left me for orgies in sex shrines!

8 A bunch of well-groomed, lusty stallions, each one pawing and snorting for his neighbor's wife.

9 Do you think I'm going to stand around and do nothing?" God's Decree. "Don't you think I'll take serious measures against a people like this? Eyes That Don't Really Look, Ears That Don't Really Listen

10 "Go down the rows of vineyards and rip out the vines, but not all of them. Leave a few. Prune back those vines! That growth didn't come from God!

11 They've betrayed me over and over again, Judah and Israel both." God's Decree.

12 "They've spread lies about God. They've said, 'There's nothing to him. Nothing bad will happen to us, neither famine nor war will come our way.

13 The prophets are all windbags. They speak nothing but nonsense.'"

14 Therefore, this is what God said to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies: "Because they have talked this way, they are going to eat those words. Watch now! I'm putting my words as fire in your mouth. And the people are a pile of kindling ready to go up in flames.

15 "Attention! I'm bringing a far-off nation against you, O house of Israel." God's Decree. "A solid nation, an ancient nation, A nation that speaks another language. You won't understand a word they say.

16 When they aim their arrows, you're as good as dead. They're a nation of real fighters!

17 They'll clean you out of house and home, rob you of crops and children alike. They'll feast on your sheep and cattle, strip your vines and fig trees. And the fortresses that made you feel so safe - leveled with a stroke of the sword!

18 "Even then, as bad as it will be" - God's Decree! - "it will not be the end of the world for you.

19 And when people ask, 'Why did our God do all this to us?' you must say to them, 'It's tit for tat. Just as you left me and served foreign gods in your own country, so now you must serve foreigners in their own country.'

20 "Tell the house of Jacob this, put out this bulletin in Judah:

21 Listen to this, you scatterbrains, airheads, With eyes that see but don't really look, and ears that hear but don't really listen.

22 Why don't you honor me? Why aren't you in awe before me? Yes, me, who made the shorelines to contain the ocean waters. I drew a line in the sand that cannot be crossed. Waves roll in but cannot get through; breakers crash but that's the end of them.

23 But this people - what a people! Uncontrollable, untameable runaways.

24 It never occurs to them to say, 'How can we honor our God with our lives, The God who gives rain in both spring and autumn and maintains the rhythm of the seasons, Who sets aside time each year for harvest and keeps everything running smoothly for us?'

25 Of course you don't! Your bad behavior blinds you to all this. Your sins keep my blessings at a distance. To Stand for Nothing and Stand Up for No One

26 "My people are infiltrated by wicked men, unscrupulous men on the hunt. They set traps for the unsuspecting. Their victims are innocent men and women.

27 Their houses are stuffed with ill-gotten gain, like a hunter's bag full of birds. Pretentious and powerful and rich,

28 hugely obese, oily with rolls of fat. Worse, they have no conscience. Right and wrong mean nothing to them. They stand for nothing, stand up for no one, throw orphans to the wolves, exploit the poor.

29 Do you think I'll stand by and do nothing about this?" God's Decree. "Don't you think I'll take serious measures against a people like this?

30 "Unspeakable! Sickening! What's happened in this country?

31 Prophets preach lies and priests hire on as their assistants. And my people love it. They eat it up! But what will you do when it's time to pick up the pieces?

English Standard Version ESV

1 Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her.

2 Though they say, "As the LORD lives," yet they swear falsely.

3 O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.

4 Then I said, "These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.

5 I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God." But they all alike had broken the yoke; they had burst the bonds.

6 Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them down; a wolf from the desert shall devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities; everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great.

7 "How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores.

8 They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor's wife.

9 Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?

10 "Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the LORD's.

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly treacherous to me, declares the LORD.

12 They have spoken falsely of the LORD and have said, 'He will do nothing; no disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine.

13 The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them!'"

14 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts: "Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.

15 Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, declares the LORD. It is an enduring nation; it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say.

16 Their quiver is like an open tomb; they are all mighty warriors.

17 They shall eat up your harvest and your food; they shall eat up your sons and your daughters; they shall eat up your flocks and your herds; they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; your fortified cities in which you trust they shall beat down with the sword."

18 "But even in those days, declares the LORD, I will not make a full end of you.

19 And when your people say, 'Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' you shall say to them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.'"

20 Declare this in the house of Jacob; proclaim it in Judah:

21 "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

22 Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

23 But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.

24 They do not say in their hearts, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'

25 Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you.

26 For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men.

27 Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich;

28 they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.

29 Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?"

30 An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:

31 the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?