Jeremiah 8

1“At that time,” says Yahweh, “they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves; 2and they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the army of the sky, which they have loved, and which they have served, and after which they have walked, and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung on the surface of the earth. 3Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places where I have driven them,” says Yahweh of Armies. 4Shall one turn away, and not return? “‘Shall men fall, and not rise up again? “Moreover you shall tell them, ‘Yahweh says: 5They cling to deceit, they refuse to return. Why then have the people of Jerusalem fallen back by a perpetual backsliding? 6No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle. I listened and heard, but they didn’t say what is right. Everyone turns to his course, 7and the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people don’t know Yahweh’s law. Yes, the stork in the sky knows her appointed times; 8But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has worked falsely. “‘How do you say, “We are wise, and Yahweh’s law is with us?” 9They are dismayed and trapped. What kind of wisdom is in them? The wise men are disappointed. Behold, they have rejected Yahweh’s word. 10and their fields to those who shall possess them. from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. Therefore will I give their wives to others, For everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness; 11“Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, 12No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, says Yahweh. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? therefore they shall fall among those who fall; 13no grapes shall be on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; shall pass away from them.’” “‘I will utterly consume them, says Yahweh: and the things that I have given them 14Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against Yahweh. “Why do we sit still? for Yahweh our God has put us to silence, 15and for a time of healing, and behold, dismay! We looked for peace, but no good came; 16at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembles; the city and those who dwell therein.” The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan: for they have come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it; 17adders among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you,” says Yahweh. “For, behold, I will send serpents, 18My heart is faint within me. Oh that I could comfort myself against sorrow! 19“Isn’t Yahweh in Zion? Isn’t her King in her?” and with foreign vanities?” Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land that is very far off: “Why have they provoked me to anger with their engraved images, 20the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” “The harvest is past, 21I mourn; dismay has taken hold on me. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt: 22is there no physician there? Is there no balm in Gilead? Why then isn’t the health of the daughter of my people recovered?