Jeremiah 11

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

1This is the message the LORD gave to Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a prophet, a man who told people what God said.

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

2God said, "Listen to the words of this agreement. It is the agreement God made with his people. Tell those words to the men of Judah and to the people living in Jerusalem."

3And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,

3Tell them this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says. "Anyone who does not obey the words of this agreement is cursed. That means my punishment will come to him."

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

4"I gave this agreement to your fathers long ago. That was the day I brought them out of Egypt. Egypt was a place of hard, painful slavery, like a burning hot furnace. I told them, 'Obey my voice. Do everything I command you. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God.'"

5That I may perform the oath 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, So be it, O LORD.

5"I made a promise to your fathers. I promised to give them a land flowing with milk and honey. I wanted to keep that promise, and you live in that land today." Then I answered, "Yes, LORD. Let it be so."

Note"A land flowing with milk and honey" is an old way of saying a rich land with plenty of good food.

6Then 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, and do them.

6Then the LORD said to me, "Say all these words out loud. Say them in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Tell the people, 'Listen to the words of this agreement and do them.'"

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

7"I warned your fathers again and again. I warned them from the day I brought them out of Egypt until now. I got up early to warn them. I said, 'Obey my voice.'"

8Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the 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.

8"But they did not obey. They did not even turn their ears to listen. Each one did what his own stubborn, evil heart wanted. So I brought on them everything this agreement warned about. I told them to keep it, but they did not."

9And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

9The LORD said to me, "The men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem have made a secret plan against me."

10They are turned back to the 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.

10"They have gone back to the sins of their fathers long ago. Those fathers refused to listen to my words. These people follow other gods and serve them. The people of Israel and the people of Judah have broken the agreement I made with their fathers."

11Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.

11So the LORD says this: "I am going to bring trouble on them. They will not be able to get away from it. They will cry out to me, but I will not listen to them."

NoteWhere the King James Bible says God will bring "evil" on them, it means disaster or trouble, not wickedness.

12Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

12"Then the people of Judah's towns and of Jerusalem will cry to their other gods. They burn sweet-smelling incense to those gods. But those gods will not save them at all when trouble comes."

13For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.

13"Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns. Jerusalem, you have as many altars as you have streets. Altars are tables for giving gifts to a god. These are shameful altars for burning incense to Baal, a false god."

14Therefore pray 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 trouble.

14"So do not pray for these people, Jeremiah. Do not cry out or ask me to help them. I will not listen when they call to me in their trouble."

15What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

15"My dear people come into my house. But they have done many evil things. Can the holy meat they bring save them? Holy meat is meat given to God as a gift. When they do wrong, they are glad."

16The LORD called thy name, A 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.

16The LORD once called you a green olive tree. It was lovely and full of good fruit. But now, with a loud roar, he has set that tree on fire. Its branches are broken.

17For the LORD of hosts, that 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.

17The LORD of Armies is the God who commands all of heaven's armies. He planted you, and now he says trouble is coming to you. The people of Israel and Judah did evil and hurt themselves. They made God angry by burning incense to Baal.

18And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.

18The LORD showed me what was happening, so I knew about it. He let me see the things these people were doing.

19But 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 the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

19I was like a gentle lamb led away to be killed. I did not know they were making plans against me. They said, "Let us cut down the tree and its fruit. Let us kill him so no one remembers his name."

20But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

20But I prayed, "LORD of Armies, you judge in a fair way. You test what is deep inside a person's heart and mind. Let me see you punish them. I have handed my case over to you."

NoteThe King James Bible says God "trieth the reins and the heart." Reins means the kidneys, which people long ago spoke of as the deepest part of a person. The verse means God tests a person's deepest thoughts and feelings.

21Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand:

21So the LORD spoke about the men of the town of Anathoth. They were trying to kill Jeremiah. They said, "Do not speak messages in the name of the LORD, or we will kill you."

22Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:

22So the LORD of Armies says, "I will punish them. Their young men will die in war. Their sons and daughters will die from hunger."

23And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.

23"Not one of them will be left. I will bring trouble on the men of Anathoth. It will come in the year I punish them."