Jeremiah Speaks in the Temple
(Jeremiah 26.1-6)1-3 The Lord told me to stand by the gate of the temple and tell the people who were going in that the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, had said:
Pay attention, people of Judah! Change your ways and start living right, then I will let you keep on living in your own country. 4 Don't fool yourselves! My temple is here in Jerusalem, but that doesn't mean I will protect you. 5 I will keep you safe only if you change your ways and are fair and honest with each other. 6 Stop taking advantage of foreigners, orphans, and widows. Don't kill innocent people. And stop worshiping other gods. 7 Then I will let you enjoy a long life in this land I gave your ancestors.
8 But just look at what is happening! You put your trust in worthless lies. 9 You steal and murder; you lie in court and are unfaithful in marriage. You worship idols and offer incense to Baal, when these gods have never done anything for you. 10 And then you come into my temple and worship me! Do you think I will protect you so that you can go on sinning? 11 You are thieves, and you have made my temple your hideout. But I've seen everything you have done.
12 Go to Shiloh, where my sacred tent once stood. Take a look at what I did there. My people Israel sinned, and so I destroyed Shiloh!
13 While you have been sinning, I have been trying to talk to you, but you refuse to listen. 14 Don't think this temple will protect you. Long ago I told your ancestors to build it and worship me here, but now I have decided to tear it down, just as I destroyed Shiloh. 15 And as for you, people of Judah, I'm going to send you away from my land, just as I sent away the people of Ephraim and the other northern tribes.
Punishment for Worshiping Other Gods
16 Jeremiah, don't pray for these people! I, the Lord, would refuse to listen. 17 Do you see what the people of Judah are doing in their towns and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 Children gather firewood, their fathers build fires, and their mothers mix dough to bake bread for the goddess they call the Queen of Heaven. They even offer wine sacrifices to other gods, just to insult me. 19 But they are not only insulting me; they are also harming themselves by doing these shameful things.
20 And now, I, the Lord All-Powerful, will flood Judah with my fiery anger until nothing is left—no people or animals, no trees or crops.
It Is Useless To Offer Sacrifices
21 The Lord told me to say to the people of Judah:
I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, but I won't accept sacrifices from you. So don't even bother bringing them to me. You might as well just cook the meat for yourselves.
22 At the time I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, I didn't command them to offer sacrifices to me. 23 Instead, I told them, “If you listen to me and do what I tell you, I will be your God, you will be my people, and all will go well for you.” 24 But your ancestors refused to listen. They were stubborn, and whenever I wanted them to go one way, they always went the other. 25 Ever since your ancestors left Egypt, I have been sending my servants the prophets to speak for me. 26 But you have ignored me and become even more stubborn and sinful than your ancestors ever were!
Slaughter Valley
The Lord said:
27 Jeremiah, no matter what you do, the people won't listen. 28 So you must say to them:
People of Judah, I am the Lord your God, but you have refused to obey me, and you didn't change when I punished you. And now, you no longer even pretend to be faithful to me.
29 Shave your head bald
and throw away the hair.
Sing a funeral song
on top of a barren hill.
You people have made me angry,
and I have abandoned you.
30 You have disobeyed me by putting your disgusting idols in my temple, and now the temple itself is disgusting to me. 31 At Topheth in Hinnom Valley you have built altars where you kill your children and burn them as sacrifices to other gods. I would never think of telling you to do this. 32 So watch out! Someday that place will no longer be called Topheth or Hinnom Valley. It will be called Slaughter Valley, because you will bury your dead there until you run out of room, 33 and then bodies will lie scattered on the ground. Birds and wild animals will come and eat, and no one will be around to scare them off. 34 When I am finished with your land, there will be deathly silence in the empty ruins of Jerusalem and the towns of Judah—no happy voices, no sounds of parties or wedding celebrations.
Kunga vēstījums par viltus dievkalpošanu
(Jer 26:4–6)1 Vārdi, kas Jeremijam nāca no Kunga: 2 “Stājies Kunga nama vārtos un sauc tur šos vārdus: klausieties Kunga vārdu jūs, visi jūdi, kas pa šiem vārtiem nākat zemoties Kungam!
3 Tā saka Pulku Kungs, Israēla Dievs: lai jūsu darbi un gaitas kļūst labi, tad es mājošu pie jums šajā vietā. 4 Nepaļaujieties uz viltus vārdiem, sacīdami: Kunga templis, Kunga templis, Kunga templis! 5 Ja jūsu gaitas un darbi kļūs labi, ja spriedīsiet taisnu tiesu 6 un neapspiedīsiet ne svešinieku, ne bāreni, ne atraitni, un neizliesiet nevainīgas asinis šajā vietā un nepielūgsiet citus dievus – paši sev par ļaunu, 7 tad es mājošu pie jums šajā vietā – zemē, ko es devu jūsu tēviem uz mūžīgiem laikiem. 8 Redzi, jūs paļaujaties uz melu vārdiem, kas neko nedod! 9 Kādēļ jums zagt, slepkavot, pārkāpt laulību? Un melīgi zvērēt un kvēpināt Baalam? Un pielūgt citus dievus, kurus jūs nepazīstat? 10 Un tad jūs nākat un stājaties manā priekšā šajā namā, kas saukts manā vārdā, un sakāt: tagad esam glābti un darīsim visas šīs preteklības! 11 Vai jums šķiet, ka šis nams, kas saukts manā vārdā, kļuvis par laupītāju bedri?! Patiesi, arī es to redzu! – saka Kungs.
12 Ejiet uz manu vietu, uz Šīlo, kur es vispirms liku mist savam vārdam, un skatiet, ko es ar to izdarīju savas tautas Israēla ļaunuma dēļ! 13 Un tagad – tādēļ ka jūs darījāt visus šos darbus, saka Kungs, es nerimis runāju uz jums, es runāju, bet jūs neklausījāties, es saucu jūs, bet jūs neatbildējāt! – 14 tagad šim namam, kas saukts manā vārdā un uz ko jūs paļāvāties, tai vietai, kuru es devu jūsu tēviem, es darīšu tāpat, kā es darīju Šīlo! 15 Es jūs atmetīšu tāpat, kā es atmetu jūsu brāļus – visu Efraima dzimumu!
16 Un tu par šo tautu nelūdz, nekauc un nelūdz par tiem! Mani nelūdz, jo es nedzirdu! 17 Vai tu neredzi, ko viņi dara Jūdas pilsētās un Jeruzālemes ielās? 18 Dēli vāc malku, tēvi dedz uguni, un sievas jauc mīklu, lai ceptu elku maizes debesu ķēniņienei. Viņi lej vīna upuri citiem dieviem, kaitinādami mani! 19 Vai mani tie kaitina? – saka Kungs, – vai ne sevi, pašiem par kaunu? 20 Tādēļ tā saka Kungs Dievs: redzi, šajā vietā izlīs manas dusmas un niknums – pār cilvēku un pār zvēru, pār lauka koku un pār zemes augli: viss degs, ka ne nodzēst!”
21 Tā saka Pulku Kungs, Israēla Dievs: “Jūsu sadedzināmos upurus lieciet pie jūsu kaujamiem upuriem un rijiet gaļu! 22 Jo jūsu tēviem todien, kad es tos izvedu no Ēģiptes zemes, es neko neteicu un nepavēlēju par sadedzināmajiem upuriem un kaujamiem upuriem. 23 Es pavēlēju šos vārdus: klausieties manā balsī, un es būšu jums par Dievu, un jūs būsiet mana tauta, un jūs staigāsiet pa tiem ceļiem, kurus es jums pavēlu – un jums būs labi. 24 Bet viņi neklausījās, pat ausi nepastiepa un staigāja savā padomā un savu ļauno siržu stūrgalvībā – gāja atpakaļ, ne uz priekšu! 25 No tās dienas, kad jūsu tēvi iznāca no Ēģiptes zemes, līdz pat šai dienai es esmu sūtījis pie jums daudzus savus kalpus, praviešus. Ik dienas es nemitējos, tos sūtīdams. 26 Bet viņi manī neklausījās – pat ausi nepastiepa un bija stūrgalvīgi, un darīja ļaunu vairāk par saviem tēviem! 27 Tu runāsi uz viņiem visus šos vārdus, bet tie tevī neklausīsies, tu sauksi uz viņiem, bet tie neatbildēs! 28 Saki viņiem: šī ir tauta, kas neklausa sava Dieva Kunga balsij un nelabojas: patiesība ir izdeldēta un iznīdēta no viņu lūpām!
29 Cērp nost savus matus, met tos prom
un raudi pār kailajiem kalniem,
jo Kungs ir atmetis un atstūmis
sava barguma audzi!
30 Jūdas dēli darīja ļaunu, man redzot, saka Kungs, savus dievekļus tie nolika namā, kas saukts manā vārdā, un aptraipīja to. 31 Tie cēla ziedokļus Tofetā, Ben-Hinnomas ielejā, lai tur ugunī dedzinātu savus dēlus un meitas. To es neesmu pavēlējis, tas nenāk no manas sirds!
32 Redzi, tādēļ nāk dienas, saka Kungs, kad to vairs nesauks par Tofetu un Ben-Hinnomas ieleju, bet par Slepkavu ieleju. Tie nāks apbedīt Tofetā, jo citur vairs nebūs vietas! 33 Šīs tautas līķi kļūs par barību debesu putniem un zemes zvēriem, neviens tos netramdīs projām! 34 Es darīšu, ka Jūdas pilsētās un Jeruzālemes ielās vairs neskanēs ne līksmes, ne prieka balss, ne līgavaiņa, ne līgavas balss, un šī zeme kļūs par postažu.”
