THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH
Jeremiah 9 ©
The prophet presents his lamentation, v. 1, etc. And wishes to be absent from his people, because of the abominations that were common among them, as adultery, treachery, lying and deceit, 2, etc. Disobedience, and idolatry, 13, 14. Therefore God must and shall punish them, and so fearfully waste them, as that it be sufficiently lamented, 7, 9, 10, etc. God warns for vain confidence, and teaches His people to trust in Him alone, and to endeavor after that which pleases Him, 23. And lastly, He threatens not only the Jews, as abusers, but also the Gentiles round about, as despisers of circumcision, 25.
OH1 thata my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
Oh that I had in the wilderness a 2lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers,b an assembly of 3treacherous men.
And they 4bend their tongues like their bow for lies:c but they are not valiant 5for the truth upon the earth; for they 6proceed from evild to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother 7will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walke with slanders.
And they will 8deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
9Thine habitation is in the midst of 10deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.
Therefore thus saith the LORD of 11hosts, Behold, I will 12melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?
Their tonguefis as an 13arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: 14one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth,g but in 15heart he layeth his 16wait.
¶Shallh I not 17visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the 18habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are 19burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast 20are fled; they are gone.
And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons;i and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.
¶Who is the 21wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may 22declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?
And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;
But have walked after 23the imagination of their own heart, and after 24Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, 25I will feed them, even this people, with 26wormwood,j and give them waterk of gall to drink.
I will scatterl them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, 27till I have consumed them.
¶Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the 28mourning women, that they may come; and send for 29cunning women, that they may come:
And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may 30run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.
For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, 31because our dwellings have cast us out.
Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters 32wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.
33For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off 34the children from without, and the young men from the streets.
Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Evenm the carcases of men shall 35fall as dung upon the 36open field, and as the 37handful after the harvestman, 38and none shall gather them.
¶Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man gloryn39in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
¶Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will 40punish all them which are circumcised with the 41uncircumcised;
42Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost 43corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are 44uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are 45uncircumcisedo in the heart.