JOIN THE JOURNEY JR.

Jeremiah 1

1These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. 2The Lord first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.*3The Lord’s messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah’s sons. In August* of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives.

Jeremiah’s Call and First Visions

4The Lord gave me this message:

5“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.

Before you were born I set you apart

and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

6“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

7The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,

“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!

10Today I appoint you to stand up

against nations and kingdoms.

Some you must uproot and tear down,

destroy and overthrow.

Others you must build up

and plant.”

11Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?”

And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”

12And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching,* and I will certainly carry out all my plans.”

13Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked, “What do you see now?”

And I replied, “I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.”

14“Yes,” the Lord said, “for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. 15Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, the Lord, have spoken!

“They will set their thrones

at the gates of the city.

They will attack its walls

and all the other towns of Judah.

16I will pronounce judgment

on my people for all their evil—

for deserting me and burning incense to other gods.

Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands!

17“Get up and prepare for action.

Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say.

Do not be afraid of them,

or I will make you look foolish in front of them.

18For see, today I have made you strong

like a fortified city that cannot be captured,

like an iron pillar or a bronze wall.

You will stand against the whole land—

the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah.

19They will fight you, but they will fail.

For I am with you, and I will take care of you.

I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Jeremiah 2

The Lord’s Case against His People

1The Lord gave me another message. He said, 2“Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says:

“I remember how eager you were to please me

as a young bride long ago,

how you loved me and followed me

even through the barren wilderness.

3In those days Israel was holy to the Lord,

the first of his children.*

All who harmed his people were declared guilty,

and disaster fell on them.

I, the Lord, have spoken!”

4Listen to the word of the Lord, people of Jacob—all you families of Israel! 5This is what the Lord says:

“What did your ancestors find wrong with me

that led them to stray so far from me?

They worshiped worthless idols,

only to become worthless themselves.

6They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord

who brought us safely out of Egypt

and led us through the barren wilderness—

a land of deserts and pits,

a land of drought and death,

where no one lives or even travels?’

7“And when I brought you into a fruitful land

to enjoy its bounty and goodness,

you defiled my land

and corrupted the possession I had promised you.

8The priests did not ask,

‘Where is the Lord?’

Those who taught my word ignored me,

the rulers turned against me,

and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,

wasting their time on worthless idols.

9Therefore, I will bring my case against you,”

says the Lord.

“I will even bring charges against your children’s children

in the years to come.

10“Go west and look in the land of Cyprus*;

go east and search through the land of Kedar.

Has anyone ever heard of anything

as strange as this?

11Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,

even though they are not gods at all?

Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God*

for worthless idols!

12The heavens are shocked at such a thing

and shrink back in horror and dismay,”

says the Lord.

13“For my people have done two evil things:

They have abandoned me—

the fountain of living water.

And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns

that can hold no water at all!

The Results of Israel’s Sin

14“Why has Israel become a slave?

Why has he been carried away as plunder?

15Strong lions have roared against him,

and the land has been destroyed.

The towns are now in ruins,

and no one lives in them anymore.

16Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis* and Tahpanhes,

have destroyed Israel’s glory and power.

17And you have brought this upon yourselves

by rebelling against the Lord your God,

even though he was leading you on the way!

18“What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt

and your covenants with Assyria?

What good to you are the streams of the Nile*

or the waters of the Euphrates River?*

19Your wickedness will bring its own punishment.

Your turning from me will shame you.

You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is

to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him.

I, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!

20“Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you

and tore away the chains of your slavery,

but still you said,

‘I will not serve you.’

On every hill and under every green tree,

you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols.

21But I was the one who planted you,

choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best.

How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?

22No amount of soap or lye can make you clean.

I still see the stain of your guilt.

I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!

Israel, an Unfaithful Wife

23“You say, ‘That’s not true!

I haven’t worshiped the images of Baal!’

But how can you say that?

Go and look in any valley in the land!

Face the awful sins you have done.

You are like a restless female camel

desperately searching for a mate.

24You are like a wild donkey,

sniffing the wind at mating time.

Who can restrain her lust?

Those who desire her don’t need to search,

for she goes running to them!

25When will you stop running?

When will you stop panting after other gods?

But you say, ‘Save your breath.

I’m in love with these foreign gods,

and I can’t stop loving them now!’

26“Israel is like a thief

who feels shame only when he gets caught.

They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets—

all are alike in this.

27To an image carved from a piece of wood they say,

‘You are my father.’

To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say,

‘You are my mother.’

They turn their backs on me,

but in times of trouble they cry out to me,

‘Come and save us!’

28But why not call on these gods you have made?

When trouble comes, let them save you if they can!

For you have as many gods

as there are towns in Judah.

29Why do you accuse me of doing wrong?

You are the ones who have rebelled,”

says the Lord.

30“I have punished your children,

but they did not respond to my discipline.

You yourselves have killed your prophets

as a lion kills its prey.

31“O my people, listen to the words of the Lord!

Have I been like a desert to Israel?

Have I been to them a land of darkness?

Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God!

We don’t need him anymore!’

32Does a young woman forget her jewelry,

or a bride her wedding dress?

Yet for years on end

my people have forgotten me.

33“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers.

Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!

34Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor,

though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses!

35And yet you say,

‘I have done nothing wrong.

Surely God isn’t angry with me!’

But now I will punish you severely

because you claim you have not sinned.

36First here, then there—

you flit from one ally to another asking for help.

But your new friends in Egypt will let you down,

just as Assyria did before.

37In despair, you will be led into exile

with your hands on your heads,

for the Lord has rejected the nations you trust.

They will not help you at all.

Jeremiah 3

1“If a man divorces a woman

and she goes and marries someone else,

he will not take her back again,

for that would surely corrupt the land.

But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers,

so why are you trying to come back to me?”

says the Lord.

2“Look at the shrines on every hilltop.

Is there any place you have not been defiled

by your adultery with other gods?

You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a customer.

You sit alone like a nomad in the desert.

You have polluted the land with your prostitution

and your wickedness.

3That’s why even the spring rains have failed.

For you are a brazen prostitute and completely shameless.

4Yet you say to me,

‘Father, you have been my guide since my youth.

5Surely you won’t be angry forever!

Surely you can forget about it!’

So you talk,

but you keep on doing all the evil you can.”

Judah Follows Israel’s Example

6During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree. 7I thought, ‘After she has done all this, she will return to me.’ But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this. 8She saw* that I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery. But that treacherous sister Judah had no fear, and now she, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution. 9Israel treated it all so lightly—she thought nothing of committing adultery by worshiping idols made of wood and stone. So now the land has been polluted. 10But despite all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Hope for Wayward Israel

11Then the Lord said to me, “Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah! 12Therefore, go and give this message to Israel.* This is what the Lord says:

“O Israel, my faithless people,

come home to me again,

for I am merciful.

I will not be angry with you forever.

13Only acknowledge your guilt.

Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God

and committed adultery against him

by worshiping idols under every green tree.

Confess that you refused to listen to my voice.

I, the Lord, have spoken!

14“Return home, you wayward children,”

says the Lord,

“for I am your master.

I will bring you back to the land of Israel*—

one from this town and two from that family—

from wherever you are scattered.

15And I will give you shepherds after my own heart,

who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.

16“And when your land is once more filled with people,” says the Lord, “you will no longer wish for ‘the good old days’ when you possessed the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark. 17In that day Jerusalem will be known as ‘The Throne of the Lord.’ All nations will come there to honor the Lord. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires. 18In those days the people of Judah and Israel will return together from exile in the north. They will return to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance forever.

19“I thought to myself,

‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’

I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land—

the finest possession in the world.

I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’

and I wanted you never to turn from me.

20But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel!

You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband.

I, the Lord, have spoken.”

21Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains,

the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people.

For they have chosen crooked paths

and have forgotten the Lord their God.

22“My wayward children,” says the Lord,

“come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”

“Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply,

“for you are the Lord our God.

23Our worship of idols on the hills

and our religious orgies on the mountains

are a delusion.

Only in the Lord our God

will Israel ever find salvation.

24From childhood we have watched

as everything our ancestors worked for—

their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters—

was squandered on a delusion.

25Let us now lie down in shame

and cover ourselves with dishonor,

for we and our ancestors have sinned

against the Lord our God.

From our childhood to this day

we have never obeyed him.”

Jeremiah 4

1“O Israel,” says the Lord,

“if you wanted to return to me, you could.

You could throw away your detestable idols

and stray away no more.

2Then when you swear by my name, saying,

‘As surely as the Lord lives,’

you could do so

with truth, justice, and righteousness.

Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,

and all people would come and praise my name.”

Coming Judgment against Judah

3This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:

“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts!

Do not waste your good seed among thorns.

4O people of Judah and Jerusalem,

surrender your pride and power.

Change your hearts before the Lord,*

or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire

because of all your sins.

5“Shout to Judah, and broadcast to Jerusalem!

Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land:

‘Run for your lives!

Flee to the fortified cities!’

6Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem*:

‘Flee now! Do not delay!’

For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you

from the north.”

7A lion stalks from its den,

a destroyer of nations.

It has left its lair and is headed your way.

It’s going to devastate your land!

Your towns will lie in ruins,

with no one living in them anymore.

8So put on clothes of mourning

and weep with broken hearts,

for the fierce anger of the Lord

is still upon us.

9“In that day,” says the Lord,

“the king and the officials will tremble in fear.

The priests will be struck with horror,

and the prophets will be appalled.”

10Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord,

the people have been deceived by what you said,

for you promised peace for Jerusalem.

But the sword is held at their throats!”

11The time is coming when the Lord will say

to the people of Jerusalem,

“My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert,

and it’s not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain.

12It is a roaring blast sent by me!

Now I will pronounce your destruction!”

13Our enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds!

His chariots are like whirlwinds.

His horses are swifter than eagles.

How terrible it will be, for we are doomed!

14O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart

that you may be saved.

How long will you harbor

your evil thoughts?

15Your destruction has been announced

from Dan and the hill country of Ephraim.

16“Warn the surrounding nations

and announce this to Jerusalem:

The enemy is coming from a distant land,

raising a battle cry against the towns of Judah.

17They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field,

for my people have rebelled against me,”

says the Lord.

18“Your own actions have brought this upon you.

This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!”

Jeremiah Weeps for His People

19My heart, my heart—I writhe in pain!

My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still.

For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets

and the roar of their battle cries.

20Waves of destruction roll over the land,

until it lies in complete desolation.

Suddenly my tents are destroyed;

in a moment my shelters are crushed.

21How long must I see the battle flags

and hear the trumpets of war?

22“My people are foolish

and do not know me,” says the Lord.

“They are stupid children

who have no understanding.

They are clever enough at doing wrong,

but they have no idea how to do right!”

Jeremiah’s Vision of Coming Disaster

23I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless.

I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.

24I looked at the mountains and hills,

and they trembled and shook.

25I looked, and all the people were gone.

All the birds of the sky had flown away.

26I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness.

The towns lay in ruins,

crushed by the Lord’s fierce anger.

27This is what the Lord says:

“The whole land will be ruined,

but I will not destroy it completely.

28The earth will mourn

and the heavens will be draped in black

because of my decree against my people.

I have made up my mind and will not change it.”

29At the noise of charioteers and archers,

the people flee in terror.

They hide in the bushes

and run for the mountains.

All the towns have been abandoned—

not a person remains!

30What are you doing,

you who have been plundered?

Why do you dress up in beautiful clothing

and put on gold jewelry?

Why do you brighten your eyes with mascara?

Your primping will do you no good!

The allies who were your lovers

despise you and seek to kill you.

31I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor,

the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child.

It is beautiful Jerusalem*

gasping for breath and crying out,

“Help! I’m being murdered!”

Jeremiah 5

The Sins of Judah

1“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord.

“Look high and low; search throughout the city!

If you can find even one just and honest person,

I will not destroy the city.

2But even when they are under oath,

saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’

they are still telling lies!”

3Lord, you are searching for honesty.

You struck your people,

but they paid no attention.

You crushed them,

but they refused to be corrected.

They are determined, with faces set like stone;

they have refused to repent.

4Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor?

They are ignorant.

They don’t know the ways of the Lord.

They don’t understand God’s laws.

5So I will go and speak to their leaders.

Surely they know the ways of the Lord

and understand God’s laws.”

But the leaders, too, as one man,

had thrown off God’s yoke

and broken his chains.

6So now a lion from the forest will attack them;

a wolf from the desert will pounce on them.

A leopard will lurk near their towns,

tearing apart any who dare to venture out.

For their rebellion is great,

and their sins are many.

7“How can I pardon you?

For even your children have turned from me.

They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all!

I fed my people until they were full.

But they thanked me by committing adultery

and lining up at the brothels.

8They are well-fed, lusty stallions,

each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.

9Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.

“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?

10“Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines,

leaving a scattered few alive.

Strip the branches from the vines,

for these people do not belong to the Lord.

11The people of Israel and Judah

are full of treachery against me,”

says the Lord.

12“They have lied about the Lord

and said, ‘He won’t bother us!

No disasters will come upon us.

There will be no war or famine.

13God’s prophets are all windbags

who don’t really speak for him.

Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’”

14Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Because the people are talking like this,

my messages will flame out of your mouth

and burn the people like kindling wood.

15O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,”

says the Lord.

“It is a mighty nation,

an ancient nation,

a people whose language you do not know,

whose speech you cannot understand.

16Their weapons are deadly;

their warriors are mighty.

17They will devour the food of your harvest;

they will devour your sons and daughters.

They will devour your flocks and herds;

they will devour your grapes and figs.

And they will destroy your fortified towns,

which you think are so safe.

18“Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely,” says the Lord. 19“And when your people ask, ‘Why did the Lord our God do all this to us?’ you must reply, ‘You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’

A Warning for God’s People

20“Make this announcement to Israel,*

and say this to Judah:

21Listen, you foolish and senseless people,

with eyes that do not see

and ears that do not hear.

22Have you no respect for me?

Why don’t you tremble in my presence?

I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline

as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross.

The waves may toss and roar,

but they can never pass the boundaries I set.

23But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.

They have turned away and abandoned me.

24They do not say from the heart,

‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God,

for he gives us rain each spring and fall,

assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’

25Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.

Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.

26“Among my people are wicked men

who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind.

They continually set traps

to catch people.

27Like a cage filled with birds,

their homes are filled with evil plots.

And now they are great and rich.

28They are fat and sleek,

and there is no limit to their wicked deeds.

They refuse to provide justice to orphans

and deny the rights of the poor.

29Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.

“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?

30A horrible and shocking thing

has happened in this land—

31the prophets give false prophecies,

and the priests rule with an iron hand.

Worse yet, my people like it that way!

But what will you do when the end comes?

Jeremiah 6

Jerusalem’s Last Warning

1“Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin!

Get out of Jerusalem!

Sound the alarm in Tekoa!

Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem!

A powerful army is coming from the north,

coming with disaster and destruction.

2O Jerusalem,* you are my beautiful and delicate daughter—

but I will destroy you!

3Enemies will surround you, like shepherds camped around the city.

Each chooses a place for his troops to devour.

4They shout, ‘Prepare for battle!

Attack at noon!’

‘No, it’s too late; the day is fading,

and the evening shadows are falling.’

5‘Well then, let’s attack at night

and destroy her palaces!’”

6This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Cut down the trees for battering rams.

Build siege ramps against the walls of Jerusalem.

This is the city to be punished,

for she is wicked through and through.

7She spouts evil like a fountain.

Her streets echo with the sounds of violence and destruction.

I always see her sickness and sores.

8Listen to this warning, Jerusalem,

or I will turn from you in disgust.

Listen, or I will turn you into a heap of ruins,

a land where no one lives.”

9This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Even the few who remain in Israel

will be picked over again,

as when a harvester checks each vine a second time

to pick the grapes that were missed.”

Judah’s Constant Rebellion

10To whom can I give warning?

Who will listen when I speak?

Their ears are closed,

and they cannot hear.

They scorn the word of the Lord.

They don’t want to listen at all.

11So now I am filled with the Lord’s fury.

Yes, I am tired of holding it in!

“I will pour out my fury on children playing in the streets

and on gatherings of young men,

on husbands and wives

and on those who are old and gray.

12Their homes will be turned over to their enemies,

as will their fields and their wives.

For I will raise my powerful fist

against the people of this land,”

says the Lord.

13“From the least to the greatest,

their lives are ruled by greed.

From prophets to priests,

they are all frauds.

14They offer superficial treatments

for my people’s mortal wound.

They give assurances of peace

when there is no peace.

15Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions?

Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush!

Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered.

They will be brought down when I punish them,”

says the Lord.

Judah Rejects the Lord’s Way

16This is what the Lord says:

“Stop at the crossroads and look around.

Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.

Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.

But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’

17I posted watchmen over you who said,

‘Listen for the sound of the alarm.’

But you replied,

‘No! We won’t pay attention!’

18“Therefore, listen to this, all you nations.

Take note of my people’s situation.

19Listen, all the earth!

I will bring disaster on my people.

It is the fruit of their own schemes,

because they refuse to listen to me.

They have rejected my word.

20There’s no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba.

Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands!

I will not accept your burnt offerings.

Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me.”

21Therefore, this is what the Lord says:

“I will put obstacles in my people’s path.

Fathers and sons will both fall over them.

Neighbors and friends will die together.”

An Invasion from the North

22This is what the Lord says:

“Look! A great army coming from the north!

A great nation is rising against you from far-off lands.

23They are armed with bows and spears.

They are cruel and show no mercy.

They sound like a roaring sea

as they ride forward on horses.

They are coming in battle formation,

planning to destroy you, beautiful Jerusalem.*”

24We have heard reports about the enemy,

and we wring our hands in fright.

Pangs of anguish have gripped us,

like those of a woman in labor.

25Don’t go out to the fields!

Don’t travel on the roads!

The enemy’s sword is everywhere

and terrorizes us at every turn!

26Oh, my people, dress yourselves in burlap

and sit among the ashes.

Mourn and weep bitterly, as for the loss of an only son.

For suddenly the destroying armies will be upon you!

27“Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals,*

that you may determine the quality of my people.

28They are the worst kind of rebel,

full of slander.

They are as hard as bronze and iron,

and they lead others into corruption.

29The bellows fiercely fan the flames

to burn out the corruption.

But it does not purify them,

for the wickedness remains.

30I will label them ‘Rejected Silver,’

for I, the Lord, am discarding them.”

Jeremiah 6

Jerusalem’s Last Warning

1“Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin!

Get out of Jerusalem!

Sound the alarm in Tekoa!

Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem!

A powerful army is coming from the north,

coming with disaster and destruction.

2O Jerusalem,* you are my beautiful and delicate daughter—

but I will destroy you!

3Enemies will surround you, like shepherds camped around the city.

Each chooses a place for his troops to devour.

4They shout, ‘Prepare for battle!

Attack at noon!’

‘No, it’s too late; the day is fading,

and the evening shadows are falling.’

5‘Well then, let’s attack at night

and destroy her palaces!’”

6This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Cut down the trees for battering rams.

Build siege ramps against the walls of Jerusalem.

This is the city to be punished,

for she is wicked through and through.

7She spouts evil like a fountain.

Her streets echo with the sounds of violence and destruction.

I always see her sickness and sores.

8Listen to this warning, Jerusalem,

or I will turn from you in disgust.

Listen, or I will turn you into a heap of ruins,

a land where no one lives.”

9This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“Even the few who remain in Israel

will be picked over again,

as when a harvester checks each vine a second time

to pick the grapes that were missed.”