¹The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD , saying ,

²“Hear the words of this covenant , and speak to the men of Judah , and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem ;

³and say to them , the LORD , the God of Israel says : ‘Cursed is the man who doesn’t hear the words of this covenant ,

⁴which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt , out of the iron furnace ,’ saying , ‘Obey my voice and do them , according to all which I command you ; so you shall be my people , and I will be your God;

⁵that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey ,’ as it is today .”

Then I answered , and said , “Amen, LORD .”

⁶The LORD said to me , “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah , and in the streets of Jerusalem , saying , ‘Hear the words of this covenant , and do them .

⁷For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt , even to this day , rising early and protesting , saying , “Obey my voice .”

⁸Yet they didn’t obey , nor turn their ear , but everyone walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart . Therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant , which I commanded them to do , but they didn’t do them .’”

⁹The LORD said to me , “A conspiracy is found amongst the men of Judah , and amongst the inhabitants of Jerusalem .

¹⁰They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers , who refused to hear my words . They have gone 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.

¹¹Therefore the LORD says , ‘Behold , I will bring evil on them which they will not be able to escape ; and they will cry to me , but I will not listen to them .

¹²Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to which they offer incense , but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble .

¹³For according to the number of your cities are your gods, Judah ; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to the shameful thing , even altars to burn incense to Baal .’

¹⁴“Therefore don’t pray for this people . Don’t lift up cry or prayer for them ; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry to me because of their trouble .

¹⁵What has my beloved to do in my house ,

since she has behaved lewdly with many ,

and the holy flesh has passed from you ?

When you do evil ,

then you rejoice .”

¹⁶The LORD called your name , “A green olive tree ,

beautiful with goodly fruit .”

With the noise of a great roar he has kindled fire on it ,

and its branches are broken .

¹⁷For the LORD of Armies , who planted you , has pronounced evil against you , because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah , which they have done to themselves in provoking me to anger by offering incense to Baal .

¹⁸The LORD gave me knowledge of it , and I knew it . Then you showed me their doings .

¹⁹But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter . I didn’t know that they had devised plans against me , saying,

“Let ’s destroy the tree with its fruit ,

and let ’s cut him off from the land of the living ,

that his name may be no more remembered .”

²⁰But , LORD of Armies , who judges righteously ,

who tests the heart and the mind ,

I will see your vengeance on them ;

for to you I have revealed my cause .

²¹“Therefore the LORD says concerning the men of Anathoth , who seek your life , saying, ‘You shall not prophesy in the LORD ’s name , that you not die by our hand ’—

²²therefore the LORD of Armies says , ‘Behold , I will punish them . The young men will die by the sword . Their sons and their daughters will die by famine .

²³There will be no remnant to them , for I will bring evil on the men of Anathoth , even the year of their visitation .’”