Chapter 7

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,²

Stand³ in the gate of the LORD'S house, and proclaim¹ there this word, and say,¹ Hear³ the word of the LORD, all [ye of] Judah, that enter in⁶ at these gates to worship⁹⁹ the LORD.

Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend⁵⁴ your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell¹⁷ in this place.

Trust⁴ ye not in lying words, saying,² The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, [are] these.

For if ye throughly⁵³ amend⁵⁵ your ways and your doings; if ye throughly² execute⁴ judgment between a man and his neighbour;

[If] ye oppress⁴ not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed⁴ not innocent blood in this place, neither walk⁴ after other gods to your hurt:

Then will I cause you to dwell¹⁴ in this place, in the land that I gave¹ to your fathers, for ever and ever.

Behold, ye trust⁶ in lying words, that cannot profit.⁵³

Will ye steal,² murder,² and commit adultery,² and swear⁹ falsely, and burn incense¹⁵ unto Baal, and walk² after other gods whom ye know¹ not;

And come¹ and stand¹ before me in this house, which is called⁸ by my name, and say,¹ We are delivered⁸ to do² all these abominations?

Is this house, which is called⁸ by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen¹ [it], saith⁷ the LORD.

But go³ ye now unto my place which [was] in Shiloh, where I set¹⁴ my name at the first, and see³ what I did¹ to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.

And now, because ye have done² all these works, saith⁷ the LORD, and I spake¹⁷ unto you, rising up early⁵³ and speaking,¹⁵ but ye heard¹ not; and I called⁴ you, but ye answered¹ not;

Therefore will I do¹ unto [this] house, which is called⁸ by my name, wherein ye trust,⁶ and unto the place which I gave¹ to you and to your fathers, as I have done¹ to Shiloh.

And I will cast⁵² you out of my sight, as I have cast⁵² out all your brethren, [even] the whole seed of Ephraim.

Therefore pray¹⁰¹ not thou for this people, neither lift up⁴ cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession⁴ to me: for I will not hear⁶ thee.

Seest⁶ thou not what they do⁶ in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

The children gather¹⁸ wood, and the fathers kindle¹⁸ the fire, and the women knead⁶ [their] dough, to make² cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out⁵³ drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.⁵³

Do they provoke me to anger?⁵⁶ saith⁷ the LORD: [do they] not [provoke] themselves to the confusion of their own faces?

Therefore thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out¹² upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn,¹ and shall not be quenched.⁴

Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put³ your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat³ flesh.

For I spake¹⁴ not unto your fathers, nor commanded¹⁴ them in the day that I brought them out⁵³ of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:

But this thing commanded¹⁴ I them, saying,² Obey³ my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk¹ ye in all the ways that I have commanded¹⁷ you, that it may be well⁴ unto you.

But they hearkened¹ not, nor inclined⁵² their ear, but walked⁴ in the counsels [and] in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

Since the day that your fathers came forth¹ out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent⁴ unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early⁵³ and sending² [them]:

Yet they hearkened¹ not unto me, nor inclined⁵² their ear, but hardened⁵⁵ their neck: they did worse⁵² than their fathers.

Therefore thou shalt speak¹⁴ all these words unto them; but they will not hearken⁴ to thee: thou shalt also call¹ unto them; but they will not answer⁴ thee.

But thou shalt say¹ unto them, This [is] a nation that obeyeth¹ not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth¹ correction: truth is perished,¹ and is cut off⁸ from their mouth.

Cut off³ thine hair, [O Jerusalem], and cast [it] away,⁵⁴ and take up³ a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected¹ and forsaken⁴ the generation of his wrath.

For the children of Judah have done¹ evil in my sight, saith⁷ the LORD: they have set¹ their abominations in the house which is called⁸ by my name, to pollute¹⁵ it.

And they have built¹ the high places of Tophet, which [is] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn² their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded¹⁴ [them] not, neither came¹ it into my heart.

Therefore, behold, the days come,⁶ saith⁷ the LORD, that it shall no more be called¹¹ Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury¹ in Tophet, till there be no place.

And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray [them] away.⁵⁶

Then will I cause to cease⁵² from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.