1 Judah has broken the covenant
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
3 And say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Deut. 27:26Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,
4 Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, Deut. 4:20from the iron furnace, saying, Lev. 26:12;ch. 7:23Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:
5 That I may perform the Deut. 7:12;Ps. 105:9oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, [a]So be it, O Lord.
6 Then the Lord said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, Rom. 2:13;Jas. 1:22and do them.
7 For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, ch. 35:15rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.
8 ch. 7:26Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but ch. 9:14walked every one in the [b]imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.
9 And the Lord said unto me, Ezek. 22:25A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 They are turned back to Ezek. 20:18the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
11 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able [c]to escape; and Ps. 18:41;Prov. 1:28though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.
12 Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and Deut. 32:37cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their [d]trouble.
13 For according to the number of thy ch. 2:28cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that ch. 3:24[e]shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.
14 Therefore Ex. 32:10pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their [f]trouble.
15 The certainty of doom
15 Ps. 50:16[g]What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath Ezek. 16:25wrought lewdness with many, and Tit. 1:15the holy flesh is passed from thee? [h]when thou doest evil, then thou Prov. 2:14rejoicest.
16 The Lord called thy name, Ps. 52:8A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
17 For the Lord of hosts, Is. 5:2that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.
18 And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.
19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy [i]the tree with the fruit thereof, Ps. 83:4and let us cut him off from Ps. 27:13the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
20 But, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that 1 Chr. 28:9;Ps. 7:9triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
21 Therefore thus saith the Lord of the men of Anathoth, ch. 12:5,6that seek thy life, saying, Mic. 2:6Prophesy not in the name of the Lord, that thou die not by our hand:
22 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will [j]punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:
23 And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even ch. 23:12the year of their visitation.
24 Jeremiah's prayer
