Is Anyone Honest and Faithful?
The Lord said to me:
1 “Search Jerusalem
for honest people
who try to be faithful.
If you can find even one,
I'll forgive the whole city.
2 Everyone breaks promises
made in my name.”
3 I answered, “I know
that you look for truth.
You punished your people
for their lies,
but in spite of the pain,
they became more stubborn
and refused to turn back
to you.”
4 Then I thought to myself,
“These common people
act like fools,
and they have never learned
what the Lord their God
demands of them.
5 So I'll go and talk to the leaders.
They know what God demands.”
But even they had decided
not to obey the Lord.
6 The people have rebelled
and rejected the Lord
too many times.
So enemies will attack
like lions from the forest
or wolves from the desert.
Those enemies will watch
the towns of Judah,
and like leopards
they will tear to pieces
whoever goes outside.
Enemies Will Punish Judah
The Lord said:
7 People of Judah,
how can I forgive you?
I gave you everything,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped idols.
You men go to prostitutes
and are unfaithful
to your wives.
8 You are no better than animals,
and you always want sex
with someone else's wife.
9 Why shouldn't I punish
the people of Judah?
10 I will tell their enemies,
“Go through my vineyard.
Don't destroy the vines,
but cut off the branches,
because they are the people
who don't belong to me.”
11 In every way, Judah and Israel
have been unfaithful to me.
* 12 Their prophets lie and say,
“The Lord won't punish us.
We will have peace
and plenty of food.”
13 They tell these lies in my name,
so now they will be killed in war
or starve to death.
14 I am the Lord God All-Powerful.
Jeremiah, I will tell you
exactly what to say.
Your words will be a fire;
Israel and Judah
will be the fuel.
15 People of Israel,
I have made my decision.
An army from a distant country
will attack you.
I've chosen an ancient nation,
and you won't understand
their language.
16 All of them are warriors,
and their arrows bring death.
17 This nation will eat your crops
and livestock;
they will leave no fruit
on your vines or fig trees.
And although you feel safe
behind thick walls,
your towns will be destroyed
and your children killed.
Israel Refused To Worship the Lord
18 The Lord said:
Jeremiah, the enemy army won't kill everyone in Judah. 19 And the people who survive will ask, “Why did the Lord our God do such terrible things to us?” Then tell them:
I am the Lord,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped other gods
in your own land.
Now you will be slaves
in a foreign country.
20 Tell these things to each other,
you people of Judah,
you descendants of Jacob.
21 You fools! Why don't you listen
when I speak?
Why can't you understand
22 that you should worship me
with fear and trembling?
I'm the one who made the shore
to hold back the ocean.
Waves may crash on the beach,
but they can come no farther.
23 You stubborn people have rebelled
and turned your backs on me.
24 You refuse to say,
“Let's worship the Lord!
He's the one who sends rain
in spring and autumn
and gives us a good harvest.”
25 That's why I cannot bless you!
* 26 A hunter traps birds
and puts them in a cage,
but some of you trap humans
and make them your slaves.
27 You are evil, and you lie and cheat
to make yourselves rich.
You are powerful
28 and prosperous,
but you refuse to help the poor
get the justice they deserve.
29 You need to be punished,
and so I will take revenge.
30 Look at the terrible things
going on in this country.
I am shocked!
31 Prophets give their messages
in the name of a false god,
my priests don't want
to serve me,
and you—my own people—
like it this way!
But on the day of disaster,
where will you turn for help?
Jeruzālemes bezdievība
1 Klīstiet pa Jeruzālemes ielām,
jel raugiet un ziniet! –
Meklējiet laukumos,
vai vēl kādu atradīsiet!?
Ja tur ir kāds,
kas dara tiesu un meklē taisnību,
tad es tev piedošu!
2 Ja arī tie teiks:
dzīvs Kungs! –
būs melīgi zvērējuši!
3 Kungs, vai tavas acis neredz patiesību?
Tu viņus sit,
bet tie nebīstas,
tu dari tiem galu,
bet tie liedzas laboties, –
cietāk par klinti
nocietinājuši savas sejas,
liedzas atgriezties.
4 Es teicu:
tie taču niekkalbji,
jo nezina Kunga ceļu,
sava Dieva tiesu.
5 Es iešu pie stiprajiem
un runāšu ar tiem,
tie zinās Kunga ceļu,
sava Dieva tiesu! –
Kā vieni, tā otri
jūgu salauzuši
un saites sarāvuši!
6 Tādēļ tos aprīs
biezokņu lauva,
klajumu vilks
tos saplēsīs,
leopards viņu pilsētām uzglūn, –
kas iznāks – to saplosīs,
jo tiem grēku daudz,
un liela to atkrišana!
7 “Kā lai piedodu tev?
Tavi dēli mani ir atmetuši
un zvērējuši tiem,
kas pat nav dievi!
Es viņus baroju,
bet tie pārkāpa laulību
un bariem slāja uz mauku māju!
8 Kā vaisli un baroti zirgi
tie zviedz pēc sava tuvākā sievas!
9 Vai tādus lai atstāju mierā? –
saka Kungs,
vai tādai tautai
lai es neatriebju pats?
10 Kāpiet viņas vīnadārzos
un graujiet tos,
tik neizpostiet pavisam!
Izraujiet viņas stīgas,
jo tās nepieder Kungam!
11 Jo viltin pievīlis mani
Israēla nams un Jūdas nams,
saka Kungs,
12 tie noliedz Kungu
un saka: tas nav viņš!
Pār mums nenāks ļaunums,
ne badu, ne zobenu
mēs neredzēsim. –
13 Pravieši ķers vēju,
un vārda tiem nebūs –
tā tiem tiks darīts!”
Sprieduma vēstījums
14 Nu saka Kungs,
Pulku Dievs:
“Tādēļ ka jūs tā teicāt,
redzi, es likšu savus vārdus
tavā mutē kā uguni,
un šo tautu par malku,
lai uguns tos aprij!
15 Redzi, Israēla nams,
es uzsūtīšu
tev tautu no tālienes,
saka Kungs,
tā ir sīksta tauta,
tā ir sena tauta,
tās mēli tu nezini,
un, ko tie saka,
tu nesaproti.
16 Viņu bultu maks
ir kā atvērts kaps,
viņi visi ir varoņi!
17 Tie aprīs tavus graudus un maizi,
aprīs tavus dēlus un meitas,
aprīs tavas avis un vēršus,
aprīs tavus vīģes kokus un vīnakokus,
tavas nocietinātās pilsētas,
uz ko tu paļaujies,
tie sagraus ar zobenu.
18 Bet pat tajās dienās, saka Kungs, es tevi nenobeigšu pavisam! 19 Un, kad tie prasīs: kādēļ Kungs, mūsu Dievs, mums visu to darīja? – saki tiem: kā jūs atmetāt mani un savā zemē kalpojāt svešiem dieviem, tā jūs kalposiet svešiniekiem zemē, kas nebūs jūsu!”
20 Stāstiet to Jēkaba namam
un vēstījiet Jūdā:
21 “Klausies nu,
muļķu un bezsiržu tauta,
jums ir acis,
bet jūs neredzat,
jums ir ausis,
bet jūs nedzirdat!
22 Vai manis jūs nebīstaties,
saka Kungs,
vai nedrebat manā priekšā?
Es liku smiltis par robežu jūrai –
mūžīgu šķērsli, kam netikt pāri!
Tā gan sitas, bet nevar,
krāc viļņus, bet pāri netiek!
23 Šai tautai bija
spītīga un iecirtīga sirds,
tā novērsās un aizgāja prom.
24 Tie neteica savās sirdīs:
lai bīstamies Kunga,
mūsu Dieva,
kas mums laikā dod
lietu, lītavas un rasu
un īstajā reizē
rūpē mums ražu.
25 To jums atņēma jūsu vainas,
un jūsu grēki liedza jums labu!
26 Jo manā tautā atradās ļaundari,
tie glūn un liecas
kā putnu ķērāji,
tie lamatas izliek
un cilvēkus ķer.
27 Kā būrī pilns putnu,
tā viņu mājās pilns laupījuma,
tie tapuši lieli un bagāti,
28 tie treknumā ļum,
pārplūst no ļaundarības,
taisnu tiesu tie nespriež,
bāreņiem tiesā nepalīdz,
nabagu taisnību neaizstāv.
29 Vai tādēļ lai tos atstāju mierā? –
saka Kungs,
vai tādai tautai
lai es neatriebju pats?”
30 Šausmas un šaušalas
notikušas uz zemes –
31 pravieši pravieto melus,
priesteri valda, kā tīk,
un manai tautai tas tīk!
Ko darīsiet, kad nāks gals?
