Day 283 of 730

¹The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

²to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

³It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

⁴Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵"Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. Before you came forth out of the womb, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."

⁶Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak; for I am a child."

⁷But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a child;' for to whoever I shall send you, you shall go, and whatever I shall command you, you shall speak.

⁸Do not be afraid because of them; for I am with you to deliver you," says the Lord.

⁹Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

¹⁰Behold, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

¹¹Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree."

¹²Then the Lord said to me, "You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it."

¹³The word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, "What do you see?" I said, "I see a boiling caldron; and it is tipping away from the north."

¹⁴Then the Lord said to me, "Out of the north evil will break out on all the inhabitants of the land.

¹⁵For, behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north," says the Lord; "and they shall come, and they shall each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.

¹⁶I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

¹⁷"You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.

¹⁸For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.

¹⁹They will fight against you; but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you," says the Lord, "to deliver you."

¹The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

²"Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the Lord, "I remember you, the devotion of your youth, the love of your weddings; how you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

³Israel was holiness to the Lord, the first fruits of his increase. All who devour him shall be held guilty. Evil shall come on them,"' says the Lord."

⁴Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel!

⁵Thus says the Lord, "What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

⁶Neither did they say, 'Where is the Lord who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that none passed through, and where no man lived?'

⁷I brought you into a plentiful land, to eat its fruit and its goodness; but when you entered, you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.

⁸The priests did not say, 'Where is the Lord?' And those who handle the law did not know me. The rulers also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

⁹"Therefore I will yet contend with you," says the Lord, "and I will contend with your children's children.

¹⁰For pass over to the islands of Kittim, and see; and send to Kedar, and consider diligently; and see if there has been such a thing.

¹¹Has a nation changed its gods, which really are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

¹²"Be astonished, you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be very desolate," says the Lord.

¹³"For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

¹⁴Is Israel a servant? Is he a native-born slave? Why has he become a prey?

¹⁵The young lions have roared at him, and yelled. They have made his land waste. His cities are burned up, without inhabitant.

¹⁶The children also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of your head.

¹⁷"Haven't you brought this on yourself, in that you have forsaken the Lord your God, when he led you by the way?

¹⁸Now what have you to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? Or what have you to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?

¹⁹"Your own wickedness shall correct you, and your backsliding shall reprove you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and that my fear is not in you," says the Lord, God of Hosts.

²⁰"For of old time I have broken your yoke, and burst your bonds; and you said, 'I will not serve;' for on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed yourself, playing the prostitute.

²¹Yet I had planted you a noble vine, wholly a right seed. How then have you turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine to me?

²²For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before me," says the Lord God.

²³"How can you say, 'I am not defiled. I have not gone after the Baals'? See your way in the valley. Know what you have done. You are a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

²⁴a wild donkey used to the wilderness, that snuffs up the wind in her desire. When she is in heat, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves. In her month, they will find her.

²⁵"Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, 'It is in vain. No, for I have loved strangers, and I will go after them.'

²⁶As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets;

²⁷who tell wood, 'You are my father;' and a stone, 'You have brought me out:' for they have turned their back to me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise, and save us.'

²⁸"But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble: for according to the number of your cities are your gods, Judah.

²⁹"Why will you contend with me? You all have transgressed against me," says the Lord.

³⁰"I have struck your children in vain. They received no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

³¹Generation, consider the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness to Israel? Or a land of thick darkness? Why do my people say, 'We have broken loose. We will come to you no more?'

³²"Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me for days without number.

³³How well you prepare your way to seek love! Therefore you have taught even the wicked women your ways.

³⁴Also the blood of the souls of the innocent poor is found in your skirts. You did not find them breaking in; but it is because of all these things.

³⁵"Yet you said, 'I am innocent. Surely his anger has turned away from me.' "Behold, I will judge you, because you say, 'I have not sinned.'

³⁶Why do you go about so much to change your way? You will be ashamed of Egypt also, as you were ashamed of Assyria.

³⁷From there also you shall go forth, with your hands on your head; for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust, and you shall not prosper with them.

¹See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity!

²It is like the precious oil on the head, that ran down on the beard, even Aaron's beard; that came down on the edge of his robes;

³like the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the hills of Zion: for there the Lord gives the blessing, even life forevermore.

¹Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

²for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.

³For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

⁶Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶For they do not sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.

²⁰My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

²⁷Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.