Jeremiah
Chapter 11
1 God told Jeremiah:
2 Listen to the words of this agreement and tell them to the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.
3 Tell them, “This is what God of Israel says: The person who does not follow the words of this agreement will be cursed.”
4 On the day I led your ancestors out of Egypt, the land of harsh labor, I told them: “Listen to me and do as I say. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
5 I want to keep the promise I made to your ancestors to give them a land rich with milk and honey, just like today. Then I replied, “Let it be so, God.”
6 Then God told me, “Announce all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Say, ‘Listen to the terms of this agreement and follow them.’”
7 I strongly warned your ancestors when I took them from Egypt, and I’ve continued until today, telling them to listen to me.
8 They did not obey or listen, instead they followed their own evil desires. So I will make them face all the consequences of the agreement I gave them to follow, but they did not.
9 God told me, “There is a plot among the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.”
10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who didn’t listen to my words; they followed other gods to worship them: both Israel and Judah have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors.
11 So God says, “I will bring trouble to them that they can’t escape. Even if they call out to me, I won’t listen.”
12 Then the towns of Judah and people of Jerusalem will cry to the gods they burned incense to, but those gods won’t rescue them when they’re in trouble.
13 Judah, you had as many gods as you had cities; you built as many altars for that disgraceful idol as there are streets in Jerusalem, altars to offer incense to Baal.
14 Do not pray for these people, nor call out or pray for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in their trouble.
15 Why is my loved one in my house when she has done shameful things with many, and the sacred meat is gone from you? When you do wrong, you are happy.
16 God named you a green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit. But with loud noise, he set fire to it, and its branches are broken.
17 God, who planted you, has declared disaster because of the wrongs of Israel and Judah, who angered me by burning incense to Baal.
18 God has given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then you showed me what they have done.
19 But I was like a lamb or an ox led to be killed; I did not know they had planned against me, saying, “Let’s destroy the tree and its fruit, and let’s cut him off from the world of the living, so that his name will be forgotten.”
20 But, God of all, who judges fairly and tests our minds and feelings, let me see your revenge on them, because I have told you my reasons.
21 So, God tells the people of Anathoth who want to kill you, “Do not speak God’s words, or we will kill you.”
22 So God says, “Look, I will punish them: the young men will die by the sword; their sons and daughters will die by hunger.”
23 No one from them will survive because I will bring disaster upon the people of Anathoth when it’s time to punish them.