Jeremiah 5

1 “Go up and down [roam, traverse] the streets [public areas, marketplaces] of Jerusalem [the city of peace]. Look now [see, take note] and take note; search [inquire, investigate] her squares [broad places, plazas]. If you can find [discover, attain] a single person [man, individual], anyone who acts [does, executes] justly [with justice, righteousness], anyone who seeks [searches, inquires] the truth [faithfulness, sincerity], then I will forgive [pardon, show mercy] the city. word study 2 Although they say [with solemn oath, declaring], ‘As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] lives [is alive, has eternal life],’ they are swearing [making a vow, taking an oath] falsely [to deception, in a lie, with false intentions].” word study 3 O LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God], do not Your eyes [sources of divine insight] look for truth [faithfulness, loyalty]? You struck them [with judgment], but they felt no pain [did not grieve, were not sorrowful]. You finished them off [consumed them], but they refused to accept discipline [correction, instruction]. They have made their faces [presences, attitudes] harder than stone [rock] and refused to repent [turn back, return to You]. word study 4 Then I said, “They are only the poor [needy, weak]; they have played the fool [acted senselessly, been foolish], for they do not know [are ignorant of, have not learned] the way [path, manner of life] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], the justice [righteous judgment, moral law] of their God [Elohim, the one true God]. word study 5 I will go [proceed, walk] to the powerful [great men, leaders] and speak [communicate, declare] to them. Surely [certainly, indeed] they know [are aware of, understand] the way [path, manner] of the LORD [Yehovah], the justice [righteous judgment] of their God [Elohim, the supreme One].” But they too, with one accord [unitedly, together], had broken [shattered, violated] the yoke [bondage, restraint] and torn off [ripped away, separated from] the chains [bonds, restraints]. word study 6 Therefore a lion from the forest [the wilderness, a desolate area] will strike them down [slay, destroy], a wolf [a fierce and dangerous animal] from the desert [the wilderness, a barren land] will ravage them [spoil, devastate]. A leopard [a cunning and agile hunter] will lie in wait [watch, observe] near their cities [towns, populated areas], and everyone who ventures out [goes out, leaves] will be torn to pieces [torn apart, destroyed]. For their rebellious acts [transgressions, sinful deeds] are many [numerous, abundant], and their unfaithful deeds [backslidings, faithlessness] are numerous [increased, multiplied]. word study 7 “Why should I [be able to, have reason to] forgive you? Your children [sons, descendants] have forsaken [abandoned, loosened] Me and sworn [made an oath, vowed] by gods [idols, false deities] that are not [do not exist, are nonexistent] gods. I satisfied [filled, provided for] their needs, yet they committed [practiced, engaged in] adultery [unfaithfulness, idolatry] and assembled [gathered, came together] at the houses [places, temples] of prostitutes [harlots, idolaters]. word study 8 They are well-fed [full of desire, like horses after a meal of grain], lusty [virile, wanting sex] stallions [horses, often referring to chariot horses], each neighing [to cry out, gleam or be cheerful] after his neighbor’s [a companion, fellow or friend] wife [a female person, or animal]. word study 9 Should I not punish [visit, oversee] them for these things [these specific actions]?” declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. “Should I not avenge [take revenge, punish] Myself [my soul, the essence of my being] on such a nation [Gentile, a non-Hebrew people] as this [this specific one]? word study 10 Go up [ascend, scale the walls] through her vineyards [vine-rows, fortifications] and ravage [destroy, ruin] them, but do not [never, under no circumstances] finish them off [make a full end, completely consume]. Strip off [take away, remove] her branches [tendrils, shoots], for they do not [are not, belong not] belong to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 11 For [because of this reason] the house [family, descendants] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob] and the house [family, descendants] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] have been utterly [completely, totally] unfaithful [dealt treacherously, been deceitful] to Me [against the Lord],” declares [says, utters] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study 12 They have lied [deceived, denied] about the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and said: “He [the divine Person] will not do anything [intervene, act]; harm [evil, adversity] will not come to us; we will not see [experience, behold] sword [war, cutting instrument] or famine [hunger, lack of food]. word study 13 The prophets [messengers of God, spokesmen] are but wind [a blast of air], for the word [divine message, statement] is not in them [does not exist, is absent]. So let their own predictions [messages, statements] befall them [happen to them, come upon them].” word study 14 Therefore [thus, in this manner] this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Hosts [armies, a large group of people] says: “Because [since, as a result] you have spoken [communicated, uttered] this word [message, thing], I will make My words [messages, declarations] a fire [refining presence] in your mouth [lips, edge of something] and this people [nation, group of people] the wood [tree, strong and firm object] it consumes [eats, devours]. word study 15 Behold [look, see], I am bringing [introducing, sending] a distant [far away, from afar] nation [Gentile, non-Hebrew people] against you, O house [family, dwelling place] of Israel [God’s chosen people],” declares [utters, speaks] the LORD [Yehovah, God Almighty]. “It is an established [strong, mighty] nation [Gentile, non-Hebrew people], an ancient [from of old, long-standing] nation, a nation whose language [tongue, speech] you do not know [are not familiar with, cannot understand] and whose speech [words, communication] you do not understand [cannot comprehend, are unaware of]. word study 16 Their quivers [containers for holding arrows, like a warrior’s arsenal] are like open [exposed, uncovered] graves [sepulchres, places of death]; they are all [every one of them, without exception] mighty men [strong warriors, champions of war]. word study 17 They will devour [consume, eat up] your harvest [the produce of your fields, the fruit of your labor] and food [bread, sustenance]; they will consume [destroy, devour] your sons and daughters [your children, your offspring]; they will eat up [devour, destroy] your flocks [sheep, herds] and herds [cattle, livestock]; they will feed on [eat, consume] your vines [grapevines] and fig trees [a common food source]. With the sword [a cutting instrument, a tool of war] they will destroy [beat down, demolish] the fortified cities [strong, walled cities, places of refuge] in which you trust [have confidence, put your faith].” word study 18 “Yet [even then, in those circumstances] even in those days [a period of time, a season],” declares the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of covenant faithfulness], “I will not make [bring about, cause to happen] a full end [complete destruction, utter consumption] of you [with you, among you]. word study 19 And when the people ask, ‘For what offense [or sin, or wrongdoing] has the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] our God [Elohim, the supreme God] done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken [abandoned, turned away from] Me and served [worshiped, given allegiance to] foreign [strange, pagan] gods in your land, so will you serve [be enslaved to, work for] foreigners [strangers, those who are not your own] in a land that is not your own [not yours, a foreign country].’” word study 20 Declare [to tell, make known] this [specific message] in the house [dwelling place, family] of Jacob [a key figure in Israel’s history] and proclaim [publish, announce openly] it in Judah [the tribe and region] [saying, to speak and command]: word study 21 “Hear [listen attentively, pay attention] this, O foolish [lacking sense, without understanding] and senseless [without heart, spiritually insensitive] people, who have eyes [sight, ability to see] but do not see [are blind, perceive nothing], who have ears [the ability to hear] but do not hear [are deaf, do not listen]. word study 22 Do you not [tremble with reverence] fear Me?” declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. “Do you not [stand in awe] tremble before Me, the One who set [established, appointed] the sand [round or whirling particles] as the boundary [limit, border] for the sea [a large body of water], an enduring [perpetual, everlasting] barrier [statute, decree] it cannot [is unable to] cross? The waves [a heap of water] surge [shake, agitate], but they cannot [are not able to] prevail [overcome]. They roar [make a loud noise, like roaring or moaning] but cannot [are not able to] cross it. word study 23 But these people [a nation, Israel] have stubborn [uncontrolled, rebellious] and rebellious [resisting authority, disobedient] hearts [the seat of feelings, will, and intellect]. They have turned aside [departed, removed] and gone away [walked, departed from me]. word study 24 They have not said in their [innermost being, mind and emotions] hearts, ‘Let us [reverently worship, stand in awe of] fear the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] our God [Elohim, the supreme God], who gives [provides, bestows] the rains [shower or downpour from the sky], both autumn [early rain, from late October to early December] and spring [later rain], in season [at the right time, in due season], who keeps [preserves, watches over] for us the appointed [ordained, established] weeks [period of seven days] of harvest [time of gathering, reaping].’ word study 25 Your iniquities [moral evil, sin] have diverted [turned away, withheld] these [specific blessings] from you; your sins [guilt, punishment for sin] have deprived [withheld, kept back] you of My bounty [good things, pleasant welfare]. word study 26 For among My people [those I have chosen, My nation] are wicked men [morally wrong, guilty of sin]; they watch [lie in wait, observe carefully] like fowlers [bird catchers, trappers] lying in wait [secretly, patiently]; they set a trap [snare, net] to catch men [ensnare, deceive people]. word study 27 Like cages [as a fowl-house] full of birds [flying creatures, winged beings], so their houses [dwelling places, homes] are full [completely filled, having no empty space] of deceit [trickery, cheating]. Therefore they have become [grown, increased in power] powerful [great, magnified] and rich [wealthy, enriched, with abundant possessions]. word study 28 They have grown fat [become wealthy, prosperous] and sleek [shining, thriving], and have excelled [surpassed, overpassed] in the deeds [actions, works] of the wicked [evil, morally bad]. They have not taken up [pleaded, judged] the cause [judgment, case] of the fatherless [orphan, child without a father], that they might prosper [succeed, rush forward]; nor have they defended [judged, vindicated] the rights [justice] of the needy [poor, oppressed]. word study 29 Should I not [rightfully, justly] punish them for these things [their sinful actions, evil deeds]?” declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. “Should I not [is it not necessary for Me to] avenge [take revenge, punish] Myself [my soul, my being] on such a nation [a people, a Gentile nation] as this [like this, of this kind]? word study 30 A horrible [shocking, astonishing] and shocking [inspiring horror, fearful] thing [event, situation] has happened [come to pass, occurred] in the land [country, territory, region]. word study 31 The prophets [speaking falsely, giving false prophecies] prophesy falsely, and the priests [ruling by their own authority, with power to direct] rule by their own authority. My people [the nation, a group of individuals] love it so [in this manner, with great affection], but what [how, in what way] will you do [make, bring about] in the end [the final result, the outcome]? word study