Jeremiah 5

The Foolishness of Leadership Jeremiah 5:4–6

⁴Verse 4. Then I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don’t know the way of Yahweh, nor the law of their God. ⁵Verse 5. I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they know the way of Yahweh, and the law of their God.” But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. ⁶Verse 6. Therefore a lion out of the forest will kill them, a wolf of the evenings will destroy them, a leopard will watch against their cities. Everyone who goes out there will be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, and their backsliding has increased.

Forsaking God Jeremiah 5:7–9

⁷Verse 7. “How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes’ houses. ⁸Verse 8. They were as fed horses roaming at large. Everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife. ⁹Verse 9. Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Warning of Coming Judgment Jeremiah 5:10–12

¹⁰Verse 10. “Go up on her walls, and destroy; but don’t make a full end. Take away her branches, for they are not Yahweh’s. ¹¹Verse 11. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me,” says Yahweh. ¹²Verse 12. They have denied Yahweh, and said, “It is not he. Evil will won’t come on us. We won’t see sword or famine.

False Prophets and Security Jeremiah 5:13–15

¹³Verse 13. The prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them.” ¹⁴Verse 14. Therefore Yahweh, the God of Armies says, “Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it will devour them. ¹⁵Verse 15. Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far away, house of Israel,” says Yahweh. “It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don’t know and don’t understand what they say.

Consequences of Rebellion Jeremiah 5:16–19

¹⁶Verse 16. Their quiver is an open tomb. They are all mighty men. ¹⁷Verse 17. They will eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They will eat up your flocks and your herds. They will eat up your vines and your fig trees. They will beat down your fortified cities in which you trust with the sword. ¹⁸Verse 18. “But even in those days,” says Yahweh, “I will not make a full end of you. ¹⁹Verse 19. It will happen, when you say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’

Call to Hear and Repent Jeremiah 5:20–31

²⁰Verse 20. “Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, ²¹Verse 21. ‘Hear this now, foolish people without understanding; who have eyes, and don’t see; who have ears, and don’t hear: ²²Verse 22. Don’t you fear me?’ says Yahweh ‘Won’t you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? Though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail. Though they roar, they still can’t pass over it.’ ²³Verse 23. “But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart. They have revolted and gone. ²⁴Verse 24. They don’t say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’

²⁵Verse 25. “Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you. ²⁶Verse 26. For among my people are found wicked men. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men. ²⁷Verse 27. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich. ²⁸Verse 28. They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t judge the right of the needy. ²⁹Verse 29. “Shouldn’t I punish for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

³⁰Verse 30. “An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land. ³¹Verse 31. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?