The Sin of Jerusalem
1 People of Jerusalem, run through your streets!
Look around! See for yourselves!
Search the marketplaces!
Can you find one person
who does what is right
and tries to be faithful to God?
If you can, the Lord will forgive Jerusalem.
2 Even though you claim to worship the Lord,
you do not mean what you say.
3 Surely the Lord looks for faithfulness.
He struck you, but you paid no attention;
he crushed you, but you refused to learn.
You were stubborn and would not turn from your sins.
4 Then I thought, “These are only the poor and ignorant.
They behave foolishly;
they don't know what their God requires,
what the Lord wants them to do.
5 I will go to the people in power
and talk with them.
Surely they know what their God requires,
what the Lord wants them to do.”
But all of them have rejected the Lord's authority
and refuse to obey him.
6 That is why lions from the forest will kill them;
wolves from the desert will tear them to pieces,
and leopards will prowl through their towns.
If those people go out, they will be torn apart
because their sins are numerous
and time after time they have turned from God.
7 The Lord asked, “Why should I forgive the sins of my people?
They have abandoned me
and have worshiped gods that are not real.
I fed my people until they were full,
but they committed adultery
and spent their time with prostitutes.
8 They were like well-fed stallions wild with desire,
each lusting for his neighbor's wife.
9 Shouldn't I punish them for these things
and take revenge on a nation such as this?
10 I will send enemies to cut down my people's vineyards,
but not to destroy them completely.
I will tell them to strip away the branches,
because those branches are not mine.
11 The people of Israel and Judah
have betrayed me completely.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
The Lord Rejects Israel
12 The Lord's people have denied him and have said, “He won't really do anything. We won't have hard times; we won't have war or famine.” 13-14 They have said that the prophets are nothing but windbags and that they have no message from the Lord. The Lord God Almighty said to me, “Jeremiah, because these people have said such things, I will make my words like a fire in your mouth. The people will be like wood, and the fire will burn them up.”
15 People of Israel, the Lord is bringing a nation from far away to attack you. It is a strong and ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know. 16 Their archers are mighty soldiers who kill without mercy. 17 They will devour your crops and your food; they will kill your sons and your daughters. They will slaughter your flocks and your herds and destroy your vines and fig trees. The fortified cities in which you trust will be destroyed by their army.
18 The Lord says, “Yet even in those days I will not completely destroy my people. 19 When they ask why I did all these things, tell them, Jeremiah, that just as they turned away from me and served foreign gods in their own land, so they will serve strangers in a land that is not theirs.”
God Warns His People
20 The Lord says, “Tell the descendants of Jacob, tell the people of Judah: 21 Pay attention, you foolish and stupid people, who have eyes, but cannot see, and have ears, but cannot hear. 22 I am the Lord; why don't you fear me? Why don't you tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary of the sea, a permanent boundary that it cannot cross. The sea may toss, but it cannot go beyond it; the waves may roar, but they cannot break through. 23 But you people! You are stubborn and rebellious; you have turned aside and left me. 24 You never thought to honor me, even though I send the autumn rains and the spring rains and give you the harvest season each year. 25 Instead, your sins have kept these good things from you.
26 “Evildoers live among my people; they lie in wait like those who lay nets to catch birds, but they have set their traps to catch people. 27 Just as a hunter fills a cage with birds, they have filled their houses with loot. That is why they are powerful and rich, 28 why they are fat and well fed. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They do not give orphans their rights or show justice to the oppressed.
29 “But I, the Lord, will punish them for these things; I will take revenge on this nation. 30 A terrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 prophets speak nothing but lies; priests rule as the prophets command, and my people offer no objections. But what will they do when it all comes to an end?”
1 Eita un pastaigājiet pa Jeruzālemes ielām, palūkojiet, apjautājieties un pameklējiet, vai jūs tur atradīsit kādu, kas dara pēc taisnības, ir uzticīgs un patiess un domā par ticību,- tad Es tai piedošu! 2 Un, jebšu tie arī apliecina, sacīdami: tik tiešām, ka Tas Kungs dzīvo! - tie zvēr nepatiesi. 3 Ak, Kungs! Vai Tavas acis neraugās uz uzticību un patiesību? Tu tos gan siti, bet tie nejūt sāpes; Tu tos bargi pārmācīji, bet tie nelabojas; tie apcietinājuši savu pieri vairāk nekā akmeni un negrib atgriezties. 4 Tad es domāju: tādi ir tikai mazie nabaga ļaudis, tie ir neprātīgi, jo tie nepazīst Tā Kunga ceļus un sava Dieva prasības. 5 Es iešu pie lielajiem un runāšu ar tiem; tie taču pazīs Tā Kunga ceļu, sava Dieva prasības. - Bet taisni tie visi ir šo jūgu nokratījuši un savas saites sarāvuši! 6 Tādēļ tos plēsīs lauva, kas nāk no meža, tuksneša vilki tos nomāks, leopards glūnēs uz viņiem pilsētu priekšā, tas saplosīs visus, kas no turienes izies laukā. Jo daudz ir viņu grēku, un viņu pārkāpumi ir dažādi. 7 "Kāpēc Es to tev lai piedodu? Tavi bērni ir Mani atstājuši un zvēr pie tiem, kas nav dievi. Kaut gan Es esmu viņus paēdinājis, tie pārkāpj laulību un skrien netiklības namā. 8 Kā iekarsuši ērzeļi tie blandās apkārt, un ikviens zviedz pēc sava tuvākā sievas. 9 Vai Es to lai nesodītu, saka Tas Kungs, jeb vai Es to tādai tautai kā šī lai nepiemeklētu dusmās? 10 Kāpiet uz tās mūriem un graujiet tos, bet nesagraujiet tos pavisam! Nogrieziet tās vīnogu stīgas, jo tās nepieder vairs Tam Kungam. 11 Israēla nams un Jūdas nams palikuši Man pavisam neuzticīgi un rīkojušies pret Mani necienīgi, saka Tas Kungs, 12 tie aizliedza To Kungu un sacīja: Viņš nav nekas! Mums nekas ļauns nenotiks, mēs neredzēsim ne zobena, ne bada! 13 Arī pravieši runā vējā, Tā Kunga vārds nav pie viņiem. Lai viņiem vēja liktenis!" 14 Tādēļ arī saka Tas Kungs Dievs Cebaots: "Tāpēc ka jūs šādu vārdu sludināt, Es likšu Savus vārdus kā uguni tavā mutē un šo tautu padarīšu par malku, ka tā to aprīs! 15 Redzi, Es atvedīšu un iecelšu pār jums, Israēla nams, tautu no tālienes, saka Tas Kungs, stipru tautu, kuras valoda tev ir sveša, un tu nesaproti, ko tā runā. 16 Tās bultu maksts ir kā atvērts kaps, tie visi ir varonīgi karotāji. 17 Tā apēdīs tavu ražu un tavu maizi; tā iedzīs nāvē tavus dēlus un tavas meitas, aprīs tavus vēršus un sīklopus, noplūks kailu tavu vīna un tavu vīģes koku; tavas stiprās pilsētas, uz kurām tu paļāvies, tā izpostīs ar zobenu. 18 Bet arī tanīs dienās, saka Tas Kungs, Es negribu jūs pavisam iznīcināt. 19 Un, kad jūs jautāsit: kādēļ Tas Kungs, mūsu Dievs, mums to visu darījis? - tad atbildiet tiem: kā jūs esat Mani atstājuši un kalpojuši svešiem dieviem savā zemē, tā jūs kalposit svešiem tādā zemē, kas jums nepieder!" 20 Sludiniet to Jēkaba namam, nesiet šo vēsti Jūdas zemei un sakiet: 21 "Klausies jel, tu negudrā tauta, bez prāta, kam ir acis, bet kas neredz, kam ir ausis, bet kas tomēr nedzird! 22 Mani jūs negribat bīties un Manā priekšā bijībā zemoties, saka Tas Kungs, tā priekšā, kas licis smiltis jūrai par paliekamu robežu, ko tā nepārkāps; lai gan tās viļņi plosās, tie tomēr nekā nespēj, lai gan tie krāc, tie tomēr neiet pāri robežai. 23 Šai tautai ir ietiepīga un nepakļāvīga sirds; tie ir atkrituši un aizgājuši; 24 tie nekad nav savā sirdī domājuši: bīsimies To Kungu, mūsu Dievu, kas mums dod lietu, agro un vēlo, katru savā laikā, kas ļauj ieturēt mums par svētību noliktās pļaujas laika nedēļas! 25 Jūsu noziegumi to aizkavēja, un jūsu grēki laupīja jums svētību. 26 Jo Manas tautas vidū ir bezdievji, kas slepus uzglūn citiem, zagdamies kā putnu ķērēji; viņi izliek valgus un gūsta cilvēkus. 27 Kā putnu sprosts pildās ar putniem, tā pildās viņu nami ar netaisnu mantu; tā tie kļuvuši lieli un bagāti. 28 Tie ir kļuvuši apaļi un trekni, viņu nelietība iet pāri par mēru, tie neturas pie taisnības, tie neiestājas par bāriņu lietām, lai tiem palīdzētu vajadzībā, un neizdod nabagiem viņu tiesu. 29 Vai Es to lai nesodītu, saka Tas Kungs, jeb vai Es lai neatriebtos dusmās tādai tautai?" 30 Briesmīgas un negantas lietas notiek šai zemē: 31 pravieši sludina melus, un priesteri iet ar tiem roku rokā, un manai tautai tas patīk. Bet ko tad jūs darīsit, kad viss ies uz beigām?
