The Broken Covenant

11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ² “^(A)Hear the words of this ^(B)covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; ³ and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “^(C)Cursed is the one who does not obey the words of this covenant ⁴ which I commanded your forefathers on the ^(D)day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the ^(E)iron furnace, saying, ‘^(F)Listen to My voice, and ^[a]do according to all that I command you; so you shall be ^(G)My people, and I will be your God,’ ⁵ in order to confirm the ^(H)oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I replied, “^(I)Amen, Lord.”

⁶ And the Lord said to me, “^(J)Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘^(K)Hear the words of this covenant and ^(L)do them. ⁷ For I solemnly ^(M)warned your fathers on the ^(N)day I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, ^(O)warning them persistently, saying, “^(P)Listen to My voice.” ⁸ Yet they ^(Q)did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart, each one of them; therefore I brought on them all the ^(R)words of this covenant which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”

⁹ Then the Lord said to me, “A ^(S)conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ They have ^(T)turned back to the wrongdoings of their ^[b]ancestors who ^(U)refused to hear My words, and they ^(V)have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have ^(W)broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” ¹¹ Therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am ^(X)bringing disaster on them which they will ^(Y)not be able to escape; though they will ^(Z)cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. ¹² Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will ^(AA)go and cry out to the gods to whom they ^[c]burn incense, but they certainly will not save them in the time of their disaster. ¹³ For your gods are ^[d](AB)as many as your cities, Judah; and ^[e]as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the ^(AC)shameful thing, altars for ^[f](AD)burning incense to Baal.

¹⁴ “So as for you, ^(AE)do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will ^(AF)not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.

¹⁷ The Lord of armies, who ^(AL)planted you, has ^(AM)pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have ^[i]done to provoke Me by ^[j](AN)offering sacrifices to Baal.

Plots against Jeremiah

²¹ Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the people of ^(AW)Anathoth, who are ^(AX)seeking your life, saying: “^(AY)Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you do not ^(AZ)die by our hand”; ²² therefore, this is what the Lord of armies says: “Behold, I am going to ^(BA)punish them! The ^(BB)young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine; ²³ and a remnant ^(BC)will not be left to them, because I will ^(BD)bring disaster on the people of Anathoth—^(BE)the year of their punishment.”