The Sin and Punishment of Judah
1 The Lord says, “People of Judah, your sin is written with an iron pen; it is engraved on your hearts with a diamond point and carved on the corners of your altars. 2 Your people worship at the altars and the symbols that have been set up for the goddess Asherah by every green tree and on the hilltops 3 and on the mountains in the open country. I will have your enemies take away your wealth and your treasures because of all the sins you have committed throughout your land. 4 You will have to give up the land I gave you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land you know nothing about, because my anger is like a fire, and it will burn forever.”
Various Sayings
5 The Lord says,
“I will condemn those
who turn away from me
and put their trust in human beings,
in the strength of mortals.
6 He is like a bush in the desert,
which grows in the dry wasteland,
on salty ground where nothing else grows.
Nothing good ever happens to him.
7 “But I will bless the person
who puts his trust in me.
8 He is like a tree growing near a stream
and sending out roots to the water.
It is not afraid when hot weather comes,
because its leaves stay green;
it has no worries when there is no rain;
it keeps on bearing fruit.
9 “Who can understand the human heart?
There is nothing else so deceitful;
it is too sick to be healed.
10 I, the Lord, search the minds
and test the hearts of people.
I treat each of them according to the way they live,
according to what they do.”
11 The person who gets money dishonestly
is like a bird that hatches eggs it didn't lay.
In the prime of life he will lose his riches,
and in the end he is nothing but a fool.
12 Our Temple is like a glorious throne,
standing on a high mountain from the beginning.
13 Lord, you are Israel's hope;
all who abandon you will be put to shame.
They will disappear like names written in the dust,
because they have abandoned you, the Lord,
the spring of fresh water.
Jeremiah Asks the Lord for Help
14 Lord, heal me and I will be completely well; rescue me and I will be perfectly safe. You are the one I praise!
15 The people say to me, “Where are those threats the Lord made against us? Let him carry them out now!”
16 But, Lord, I never urged you to bring disaster on them; I did not wish a time of trouble for them. Lord, you know this; you know what I have said. 17 Do not be a terror to me; you are my place of safety when trouble comes. 18 Bring disgrace on those who persecute me, but spare me, Lord. Fill them with terror, but do not terrify me. Bring disaster on them and break them to pieces.
On Observing the Sabbath
19 The Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, go and announce my message at the People's Gate, through which the kings of Judah enter and leave the city; then go to all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20 Tell the kings and all the people of Judah and everyone who lives in Jerusalem and enters these gates, to listen to what I say. 21 Tell them that if they love their lives, they must not carry any load on the Sabbath; they must not carry anything in through the gates of Jerusalem 22 or carry anything out of their houses on the Sabbath. They must not work on the Sabbath; they must observe it as a sacred day, as I commanded their ancestors. 23 Their ancestors did not listen to me or pay any attention. Instead, they became stubborn; they would not obey me or learn from me.
24 “Tell these people that they must obey all my commands. They must not carry any load in through the gates of this city on the Sabbath. They must observe the Sabbath as a sacred day and must not do any work at all. 25 Then their kings and princes will enter the gates of Jerusalem and have the same royal power that David had. Together with the people of Judah and of Jerusalem, they will ride in chariots and on horses, and the city of Jerusalem will always be filled with people. 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and from the villages around Jerusalem; they will come from the territory of Benjamin, from the foothills, from the mountains, and from southern Judah. They will bring to my Temple burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, as well as thank offerings. 27 But they must obey me and observe the Sabbath as a sacred day. They must not carry any load through the gates of Jerusalem on that day, for if they do, I will set the gates of Jerusalem on fire. Fire will burn down the palaces of Jerusalem, and no one will be able to put it out.”
Jūdas ļaunprātīgā sirds
1 Jūdas grēks ir ierakstīts
ar dzelzs spalvu,
ar dimanta grebli iegrebts
uz viņu sirds plāksnēm
un uz jūsu altāru ragiem,
2 kamēr vien viņu dēli piemin
savus altārus un ašēras –
zem katra zaļoksna koka
un uz pakalnu pakalniem!
3 “Mans laukvidus kalns!
Tavus labumus un tavus dārgumus
es atdošu laupīt
un tavus pakalnus grūdīšu grēkā
visur, kur vien tu esi!
4 Rokas tu atlaidīsi
no sava īpašuma,
ko es tev devu,
tavi naidnieki kalpinās tevi
zemē, kuru tu nepazīsti,
jo manās dusmās tu uguni dedzi,
mūžam tā degs!”
5 Tā saka Kungs:
“Nolādēts vīrs, kas uz cilvēku paļaujas,
miesu par savu spēku tur
un novērš sirdi no Kunga!
6 Tāds ir kā tuksneša ērkšķis,
neredzēs labu –
mitīs tuksneša degzemē,
sāļainē, kur neviens nemīt.
7 Svētīts vīrs,
kas uzticas Kungam,
Kungs būs viņa uzticība!
8 Tas būs kā koks,
pie ūdeņiem stādīts,
pie straumēm stieps savas saknes,
tam lapotne zaļos
un sausuma gads paies bez rūpēm,
tas nestās dot augļus.”
9 Sirds pieviļ un sirgst!
Kas zina?!
10 “Es – Kungs,
es caurskatu prātus,
es pārbaudu sirdis
un dodu ikvienam pēc viņa augļiem,
pēc viņa darba augļiem!”
11 Kā irbe perē olas,
ko dējusi nav,
tā bagātais netaisni mantu rauš, –
viņa dienas apstāsies pusē,
viņš nāves cisās būs nelga!
12 Tu jau no sākumiem esi
visaugstais goda tronis,
mūsu svētnīcas vieta,
13 Israēla cerība – Kungs!
Visi, kas tevi atmet,
paliks kaunā,
kas novēršas –
piederēs zemei,
jo pametuši dzīvā ūdens avotu – Kungu!
Jeremijas lūgšana pēc aizstāvības
14 Dziedini mani, Kungs,
un es būšu dziedēts,
glāb mani, un es būšu glābts,
jo tu esi mana slava!
15 Redzi, viņi man saka:
“Kur Kunga vārds?
Lai nāk!”
16 Es nevairījos tev sekot!
Sērgas es nekāroju!
Tu zināji, kas nāk no manas mutes –
tas bija tev atklāts!
17 Nepazudini mani,
tu esi mans patvērums ļaunā dienā!
18 Lai mani vajātāji paliek kaunā –
bet ne es!
Satriec viņus, bet ne mani!
Nes viņiem ļaunu dienu,
ar divkāršu nīcību nīcini tos!
Svētījiet sabatu!
19 Tā man teica Kungs: “Ej un nostājies Tautas dēlu vārtos, pa kuriem nāk Jūdas ķēniņi un pa kuriem tie iet, un visos Jeruzālemes vārtos! 20 Un saki tiem: klausieties Kunga vārdu, Jūdas ķēniņi un visa Jūda, un visi, kas vien Jeruzālemē mītat un kas pa šiem vārtiem nākat!”
21 Tā saka Kungs: “Piesargiet savu dzīvību! Nenesiet sabatā nastas, neienesiet tās pa Jeruzālemes vārtiem! 22 Un neiznesiet nastas no saviem namiem sabatā, nedariet nevienu darbu un svētījiet sabatu, kā es jūsu tēviem esmu pavēlējis! 23 Bet viņi neklausījās, pat ausi nepastiepa, stūrgalvīgi tie nedz klausīja, nedz labojās!
24 Ja klausīsiet mani, saka Kungs, un pa šīs pilsētas vārtiem nenesīsiet nastas sabatā, bet svētīsiet sabata dienu, nedarīdami nekādu darbu, 25 tad pa šīs pilsētas vārtiem ienāks augstmaņi un ķēniņi, kuri sēž uz Dāvida troņa, tie brauks ar ratiem un jās zirgiem – viņi un viņu augstmaņi, Jūdas vīri un Jeruzālemes iedzīvotāji – un viņi dzīvos šai pilsētā mūžam. 26 Un nāks ļaudis no Jūdas pilsētām un no Jeruzālemes apkārtnes, un no Benjāmina zemes, un no Šefelas, un no kalniem, un no Negebas – tie nesīs sadedzināmos upurus un kaujamos upurus, vīraku un labības dāvanas Kunga namam. 27 Ja jūs mani neklausīsiet un nesvētīsiet sabata dienu, bet nesīsiet nastas un iesiet sabatā pa vārtiem, tad es tās vārtos iedegšu uguni, un tā rīs Jeruzālemes pilis, ka ne nodzēst!”
