1 “At that time the bones of the kings and of the officials of Judah, as well as the bones of the priests, of the prophets, and of the other people who lived in Jerusalem, will be taken out of their graves. 2 Instead of being gathered and buried, their bones will be like manure lying on the ground. They will be spread out before the sun, the moon, and the stars, which these people have loved and served, and which they have consulted and worshiped. 3 And the people of this evil nation who survive, who live in the places where I have scattered them, will prefer to die rather than to go on living. I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken.”
Sin and Punishment
4 The Lord told me to say to his people, “When someone falls down, doesn't he get back up? If someone misses the road, doesn't he turn back? 5 Why then, my people, do you turn away from me without ever turning back? You cling to your idols and refuse to return to me. 6 I listened carefully, but you did not speak the truth. Not one of you has been sorry for your wickedness; not one of you has asked, ‘What have I done wrong?’ Each of you keep on going your own way, like a horse rushing into battle. 7 Even storks know when it is time to return; doves, swallows, and thrushes know when it is time to migrate. But, my people, you do not know the laws by which I rule you. 8 How can you say that you are wise and that you know my laws? Look, the laws have been changed by dishonest scribes. 9 Your wise men are put to shame; they are confused and trapped. They have rejected my words; what wisdom do they have now? 10 So I will give their fields to new owners and their wives to other men. Everyone, great and small, tries to make money dishonestly. Even prophets and priests cheat the people. 11 They act as if my people's wounds were only scratches. ‘All is well,’ they say, when all is not well. 12 My people, were you ashamed because you did these disgusting things? No, you were not ashamed at all; you don't even know how to blush! And so you will fall as others have fallen; when I punish you, that will be the end of you. I, the Lord, have spoken.
13 “I wanted to gather my people, as a farmer gathers a harvest; but they are like a vine with no grapes, like a fig tree with no figs; even the leaves have withered. Therefore, I have allowed outsiders to take over the land.”
14 “Why are we sitting still?” God's people ask. “Come on, we will run to the fortified cities and die there. The Lord our God has condemned us to die; he has given us poison to drink, because we have sinned against him. 15 We hoped for peace and a time of healing, but it was no use; terror came instead. 16 Our enemies are already in the city of Dan; we hear the snorting of their horses. The whole land trembles when their horses neigh. Our enemies have come to destroy our land and everything in it, our city and all its people.”
17 “Watch out!” the Lord says, “I am sending snakes among you, poisonous snakes that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you.”
Jeremiah's Sorrow for His People
18 My sorrow cannot be healed;
I am sick at heart.
19 Listen! Throughout the land
I hear my people crying out,
“Is the Lord no longer in Zion?
Is Zion's king no longer there?”
The Lord, their king, replies,
“Why have you made me angry by worshiping your idols
and by bowing down to your useless foreign gods?”
20 The people cry out,
“The summer is gone, the harvest is over,
but we have not been saved.”
21 My heart has been crushed
because my people are crushed;
I mourn; I am completely dismayed.
22 Is there no medicine in Gilead?
Are there no doctors there?
Why, then, have my people not been 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!
