Jeremiah 8

1 “At that time,” declares the LORD, “the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of the officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves.

“At that time—this is Yahweh's declaration—they will bring out from the graves the bones of the kings of Judah and its officials, the bones of the priests and the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2 They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground.

Then they will spread them out in the light of the sun and moon and all the stars of the skies; these things in the sky that they have followed and served, that they have walked after and sought, and that they have worshiped. The bones will not be gathered or buried again. They will be like dung on the surface of the earth.

3 And wherever I have banished them, the remnant of this evil family will choose death over life,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

In every remaining place where I have driven them, they will choose death instead of life for themselves, all who are still left over from this evil nation—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.

4 So you are to tell them this is what the LORD says: “Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not return?

So say to them, 'Yahweh says this: Does anyone fall and not get up? Does anyone get lost and not try to return?

5 Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

Why has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in permanent faithlessness? They hold on to treachery and refuse to repent.

6 I have listened and heard; they do not speak what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, asking, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone has pursued his own course like a horse charging into battle.

I paid attention and listened, but they did not speak right; no one was sorry for his wickedness, no one who says, “What have I done?” All of them go where they wish, like a stallion rushing toward battle.

7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

Even the stork in heaven knows the right times; and the doves, swifts, and cranes. They go on their migrations at the right time, but my people do not know Yahweh's decrees.

8 How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception?

How can you say, “We are wise, for the law of Yahweh is with us”? Indeed, see! The deceitful pen of the scribes has created deceit.

9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom do they really have?

The wise men will be ashamed. They are dismayed and trapped. Behold! They reject Yahweh's word, so what use is their wisdom?

10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.

So I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will possess them, because from the least to the greatest, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain! From the prophet to the priest, all of them practice deceit.

11 They dress the wound of the daughter of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.

They healed the wounds of my people lightly, saying, “Peace, Peace,” when there was no peace.

12 Are they ashamed of the abomination they have committed? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD.

Were they ashamed when they practiced abominations? They were not ashamed; they did not know how to blush! So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says Yahweh.

13 I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the tree, and even the leaf will wither. Whatever I have given them will be lost to them.”

I will remove them completely—this is Yahweh's declaration—there will be no grapes on the vine, nor will there be figs on the fig trees. For the leaf will wither, and what I have given to them will pass away.

14 Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

Why are we sitting here? Come together; let us go to the fortified cities, and we will become silent there in death. For Yahweh our God will silence us. He will make us drink poison, since we have sinned against him.

15 We hoped for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but there was only terror.

We are hoping for peace, but there will be nothing good. We are hoping for a time of healing, but see, there will be terror.

16 The snorting of enemy horses is heard from Dan. At the sound of the neighing of mighty steeds, the whole land quakes. They come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who dwell in it.

The snorting of his stallions is heard from Dan. The whole earth shakes at the sound of the neighing of his strong horses. For they will come and consume the land and its wealth, the city and the ones living in it.

17 “For behold, I will send snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you,”

For see, I am sending out snakes among you, vipers that you cannot charm. They will bite you—this is Yahweh's declaration.'”

18 My sorrow is beyond healing; my heart is faint within me.

My sorrow has no end, and my heart is sick.

19 Listen to the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far away: “Is the LORD no longer in Zion? Is her King no longer there?” “Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?”

Behold! The screaming voice of the daughter of my people from a land far away! Is Yahweh not in Zion? Is her king no longer there? Why then do they provoke me to anger with their carved figures and their worthless foreign idols?

20 “The harvest has passed, the summer has ended, but we have not been saved.”

The harvest has passed on, summer is over. But we have not been saved.

21 For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am crushed. I mourn; horror has gripped me.

I am hurt because of the hurt of the daughter of my people. I mourn at the horrible things that have happened to her; I am dismayed.

22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?

Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no healer there? Why will the healing of the daughter of my people not happen?