Jeremiah 11

1The message that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,

2Listen carefully to the stipulations of this covenant, and speak them to the men of Judah and the dwellers of Jerusalem.

3Say to them, Thus says Yahweh, God of Israel: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant.

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

5so as to uphold the oath I swore to your fathers, to give them a land overflowing with milk and honey, as it is today. Then I answered and said, Amen, Yahweh.

6Yahweh said to me, "Announce all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, 'Hear the words of this covenant, and carry them out.'"

7For I earnestly warned your fathers on the day I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even until this day, rising early and warning, saying, "Hear my voice."

8Yet they did not listen and would not bend their ear, but each walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart; so I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not do them.

9Yahweh said to me, "A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem."

10They have returned to the iniquities of their forefathers—the earlier ones—who refused to hear my words, and 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 thus says Yahweh: “Behold, I am bringing calamity upon them, from which they cannot escape; they will cry out to me, but I will not hear them.”

12The cities of Judah and Jerusalem's inhabitants will go and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their disaster.

13For your gods number as many as your cities, Judah, and you have set up altars to Shame as many as the streets of Jerusalem, altars for burning incense to Baal.

14You, do not pray for this people, nor raise a cry or prayer for them, for I will not hear them when they call to me for their affliction.

15What business does my beloved have in my house, having carried out so many devious schemes when the consecrated flesh has passed from you? For at the time of your evil, you rejoice.

16Yahweh called your name a flourishing green olive tree, beautiful with fine fruit; with the sound of a great tumult he kindled fire upon it, and its branches are broken.

17Yahweh of hosts, who planted you, has decreed calamity against you because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah committed against themselves to provoke my anger by burning incense to Baal.

18Yahweh made it known to me, and I knew it; then you showed me their deeds.

19I was like a meek lamb led to slaughter, unaware that they had plotted schemes against me: let us demolish the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so his name is not remembered anymore.

20Yahweh of hosts, who judges with justice, who tests mind and heart, let me see your vengeance against them, for to you I have revealed my dispute.

21Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life, saying, "Do not prophesy in the name of Yahweh, so that you do not die by our hand."

22Therefore this is what Yahweh of hosts says: "See, I will punish them; the young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine."

23No remnant will remain for them, for I will bring calamity upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their visitation.