1 Then the bones of the dead kings of Judah and their officials will be dug up, along with the bones of the priests, the prophets, and everyone else in Jerusalem 2 who loved and worshiped the sun, moon, and stars. These bones will be scattered and left lying on the ground like trash, where the sun and moon and stars can shine on them.
3 Some of you people of Judah will be left alive, but I will force you to go to foreign countries, and you will wish you were dead. I, the Lord God All-Powerful, have spoken.
The People Took the Wrong Road
4 The Lord said:
People of Jerusalem,
when you stumble and fall,
you get back up,
and if you take a wrong road,
you turn around and go back.
5 So why do you refuse
to come back to me?
Why do you hold so tightly
to your false gods?
6 I listen carefully,
but none of you admit
that you've done wrong.
Without a second thought,
you run down the wrong road
like horses running blindly
into battle.
7 Storks, doves, swallows,
and thrushes
all know when it's time
to fly away for the winter
and when to come back.
But you, my people,
don't know what I demand.
8 You say, “We are wise
because we have the teachings
and laws of the Lord.”
But I say that your teachers
have turned my words
into lies!
9 Your wise men
have rejected what I say,
and so they have no wisdom.
Now they will be trapped
and put to shame;
they won't know what to do.
10 I'll give their wives and fields
to strangers.
Everyone is greedy and dishonest,
whether poor or rich.
Even the prophets and priests
cannot be trusted.
11 All they ever offer
to my deeply wounded people
are empty hopes for peace.
12 They should be ashamed
of the way they live,
but they don't even blush.
And so, when I punish Judah,
they will end up on the ground,
dead like everyone else.
13 I will wipe them out.
They are vines without grapes;
fig trees without figs or leaves.
They have not done a thing
that I told them!
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The People and Their Punishment
14 The people of Judah
say to each other,
“What are we waiting for?
Let's run to a town with walls
and die there.
We rebelled against the Lord,
and we were sentenced to die
by drinking poison.
15 We had hoped for peace
and a time of healing,
but all we got was terror.
16 Our enemies have reached
the town of Dan in the north,
and the snorting of their horses
makes us tremble with fear.
The enemy will destroy Jerusalem
and our entire nation.
No one will survive.”
17 “Watch out!” the Lord says.
“I'm sending poisonous snakes
to attack you,
and no one can stop them.”
Jeremiah Mourns for His People
18 I'm burdened with sorrow
and feel like giving up.
19 In a foreign land
my people are crying.
Listen! You'll hear them say,
“Has the Lord deserted Zion?
Is he no longer its king?”
I hear the Lord reply,
“Why did you make me angry
by worshiping useless idols?”
20 The people complain,
“Spring and summer
have come and gone,
but still the Lord
hasn't rescued us.”
21 My people are crushed,
and so is my heart.
I am horrified and mourn.
22 If medicine and doctors
may be found in Gilead,
why aren't my people healed?
Tautas pretestība un neatgriezība
1 “Tajā laikā,” saka Kungs, “lai iznes no kapiem Jūdas ķēniņu kaulus, tās augstmaņu kaulus, priesteru kaulus, praviešu kaulus un Jeruzālemes iedzīvotāju kaulus. 2 Lai tos izkaisa zem saules un mēness un zem zvaigžņu pulkiem, ko tie mīlējuši, kam tie vergojuši, kam skrējuši pakaļ, pēc kā dzinušies un kam klanījušies, – lai tos nedz vāc, nedz aprok, lai tie ir par mēsliem uz zemes virsas! 3 Un tie, kas no šīs ļaunās dzimtas vēl būs atlikuši, labāk vēlēsies nāvi, ne dzīvi – visi, kas vēl būs atlikuši tais vietās, kur es tos sadzinu, saka Pulku Kungs.
4 Saki viņiem: tā saka Kungs:
vai ir kāds,
kas krīt un neceļas?
Vai ir kāds,
kas aiziet un neatgriežas?
5 Kādēļ šī tauta atkritusi
un Jeruzāleme novērsusies? –
Tie tveras pie meliem
un liedzas atgriezties!
6 Es klausījos uzmanīgi,
bet viņi nerunāja,
neviens savu ļaunumu nenožēloja,
neteica: ko esmu izdarījis?!
Tiem katram savs skrējiens –
kā zirgam, kas aiztraucas kaujā.
7 Pat stārķis debesīs zina savu reizi,
pat ūbele, bezdelīga un dzērve
turas pie sava gāju laika,
bet mana tauta nezina Kunga spriedumu!
8 Kā jūs varat teikt:
mēs esam gudri,
un Kunga bauslība ar mums! –
Redzi, par meliem to vērš
rakstvežu melīgā spalva!
9 Gudrie tiks kaunā,
trūksies un kritīs gūstā!
Redzi, Kunga vārdu tie atmetuši!
Kāda vēl gudrība tiem!?
10 Tādēļ es atdošu viņu sievas citiem
un viņu laukus mantos iekarotāji!
Gan mazi, gan lieli –
visi tie tīko pēc netaisnas mantas,
gan pravietis, gan priesteris –
visi tie krāpjas.
11 Manas tautas brūci
tie tik apārstē –
tie saka: miers, miers,
bet miera nav!
12 Nu tie apkaunoti,
jo tie darīja preteklību,
kauna tie nepratās,
goda tie nezināja –
tādēļ tie kritīs kritējiem līdzi,
tie klups, kad tos piemeklēšu,
saka Kungs.
13 Es tos noplūkšu,
lai vairs nav,
saka Kungs,
nav vīnogu vīnakokā,
nav vīģu vīģes kokā,
lapas novītušas
un tas, ko es devu,
ir prom!”
Dieva sods par neatgriezību
14 Ko mēs vēl sēžam?
Pulcēsimies un iesim
uz nocietinātajām pilsētām,
lai nonīkstam tur! –
jo mūsu Dievs Kungs nīdē mūs,
ar indes ūdeni dzirdī,
ka pret Kungu mēs grēkojuši!
15 Ilgojāmies pēc miera,
bet laba nav,
pēc dziedināšanas,
un, redzi, šaušalas!
16 No Dāna dzird sprauslojam
viņu zirgus,
no zviedzieniem
dreb visa zeme –
tie nāk un aprij zemi
un visu, kas to pilda,
pilsētas un visus,
kas tajās mīt.
17 “Jo, redzi, es sūtu jums
čūskas un odzes,
čūskuvārdi tām nelīdz,
tās sadzels jūs,”
saka Kungs.
18 Kā lai remdinu savas raizes,
sirgst mana sirds!
19 Redzi, manas tautmeitas sauc palīgā,
no zemes tālumiem skan:
vai nav Ciānā Kunga,
vai nav tur ķēniņa!?
“Kādēļ viņi kaitina mani
ar saviem elku tēliem
un svešajiem dievekļiem?”
20 Garām pļaujas laiks,
un vasara prom,
bet mēs vēl neesam glābti!
21 Manas tautmeitas posta dēļ –
es izpostīts!
Es tumsā!
Šausmas kampj mani!
22 Vai Gileādā nav balzama,
vai ārsta tur nav?
Kādēļ mana tautmeita
nav dziedināta?
23 Kaut mana galva par ūdeni taptu
un manas acis par asaru avotu!
Es raudātu dienu un nakti
par manas tautmeitas kritušajiem!
