1 „Tanī laikā“, —tā saka tas Kungs, —„izmetīs Jūdas ķēniņu un viņu labiešu kaulus, priesteru un praviešu kaulus un Jeruzālemes iedzīvotāju kaulus no viņu kapiem,
2 Un tos izsviedīs ārā un izkaisīs pa lauku, lai pār tiem spīd saule, mēness un kopējais zvaigžņu pulks, ko visu tie mīlēja, kam tie kalpoja un sekoja, ko tie meklēja un pielūdza; tos vairs nesavāks un neapglabās, tie kļūs par mēslojumu zemei!
3 Un visi, kas no šās ļaunās cilts vēl pāri palikuši, gribēs labāk mirt nekā dzīvot, lai arī kādā malā tie atrastos, kur Es tos būšu aizdzinis“, —saka tas Kungs Cebaots.
4 „Saki vēl tiem: Tā saka tas Kungs: Kad cilvēks pakrīt, vai tad viņš neceļas vairs augšā? Un kad tas novērsies no ceļa, vai tad viņš negriežas vairs atpakaļ?
5 Kādēļ šī tauta Jeruzālemē nepārtrauktā novirzē vienmēr vēršas no ceļa nost un tik stipri turas pie maldiem u liedzas atgriezties?
6 Es esmu noklausījies un novērojis: tie nerunā patiesību, nav neviena, kas nožēlotu savu nekrietnību un teiktu: Ko es esmu darījis? Nē! Visi drāžas savā trauksmē tikai uz priekšu līdzīgi zirgam, kas satrakots traucas kaujā.
7 Pat stārks apakš debess zina savu laiku, un ūbele un bezdelīga un dzērve ietur savu atnākšanas laiku, bet mana tauta nepazīst tā Kunga tiesas kārtību!
8 Kā jūs varat sacīt: Mēs esam gudri, jo mums ir tā Kunga baušļi! Tas gan! Bet redzi, rakstu mācītāju viltus raksti tos padarījuši par meliem.
9 Apkaunoti stāvēs gudrie, tie būs satraukti un apmulsuši un jutīs sevi apgāztus savos uzskatos; viņi taču bija atteikušies no tā Kunga vārda; kādi gudrības avoti tad nu viņiem vēl ir?
10 Tādēļ Es došu viņu sievas citiem, viņu tīrumus citiem īpašniekiem, jo tie visi, mazi un lieli, ir mantas kāri; no pravieša līdz priesterim tie visi nododas meliem un krāpšanai.
11 Tie grib pavirši dziedināt manas tautas meitas dziļo brūci un saka: Miers, miers! kur taču nav miera.
12 Viņiem būs jāpaliek kaunā, jo tie darījuši nelietību. Tomēr tie nebūt nekaunas, un nosarkt viņi vairs nemāk! Tādēļ tiem jākrīt, kad notiks krišana, laikā, kad Es tos saukšu pie atbildības, tie kritīs!“ —tā saka tas Kungs.
13 „Kad Es gribu no tiem ievākt ražu“, —saka tas Kungs, —„tad nav tur vīnogu pie vīna koka, un nav vīģu pie vīģes koka, un to lapas ir novītušas. Es sūtīšu ļaudis, kas tos lai novāc!“
14 Ko tad mēs vēl kavējamies? Pulcējieties, dosimies steigšus stiprajās pilsētās, lai tur mirtu! Jo tas Kungs, mūsu Dievs, mums nolēmis nāvi un mūs dzirdinājis ar indīgu dzērienu, tāpēc ka mēs esam grēkojuši pret to Kungu.
15 Mēs cerējām un ceram joprojām j uz mieru, bet nekas labs nenāk; mēs 1 gaidījām, mēs būsim glābti, bet piedzīvo-jām tikai vēl vairāk zaudējumu un baiļu!
16 No Dana puses jau dzirdama viņu zirgu sprauslāšana, visa zeme trīc no viņu ērzeļu zviegšanas. Jā, viņi tuvojas un noēd zemi pliku un aprij tās bagātību, izēd tukšas pilsētas un atstāj badā to iedzīvotājus.
17 Jo redzi, Es sūtu jums virsū čūskas un odzes, vārdošana pret tām nepalīdz, tās jūs tomēr sakodīs!“ —saka tas Kungs.
18 Skumjas nospiež mani, mana sirds ir slima!
19 Klau! Manas tautas meitas vaimanu balss atskan no tālas zemes: „Vai tad tas Kungs nav vairs Ciānā? Vai Ciānas ķēniņa tur vairs nav?“ —„Kādēļ viņi Mani sarūgtinājuši ar saviem dievekļiem, ar beznozīmīgiem svešas zemes elkiem?“
20 „Pļauja ir jau pāri, beigusies arī augļu ievākšana, bet glābšanu mēs neieguvām!“
21 Es esmu satriekts savas tautas meitas sabrukuma dēļ; es staigāju apkārt noskumis, izbailes mani pārņēmušas!
22 Vai tad nav vairs nekādu zāļu Gileādā? Jeb tur nav vairs ari neviena ārsta? Kāpēc tad manas tautas meita nav vēl dziedināta?
23 Ak kaut manā galvā būtu ūdens, un manas acis taptu par asaru avotu, tad es apraudātu dienām un naktīm savas tautas meitas nokautos piederīgos!
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?
