Jeremiah 5 - New International Version (NIV)

Not One Is Upright

5 “Go up and down(A) the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,(B)
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(C)
who deals honestly(D) and seeks the truth,
I will forgive(E) this city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(F)
still they are swearing falsely.(G)

3 Lord, do not your eyes(H) look for truth?
You struck(I) them, but they felt no pain;
you crushed them, but they refused correction.(J)
They made their faces harder than stone(K)
and refused to repent.(L)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
they are foolish,(M)
for they do not know(N) the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
5 So I will go to the leaders(O)
and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds.(P)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest(Q) will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage(R) them,
a leopard(S) will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.(T)

7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me
and sworn(U) by gods that are not gods.(V)
I supplied all their needs,
yet they committed adultery(W)
and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(X)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.(Y)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”(Z)
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(AA) myself
on such a nation as this?

10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
but do not destroy them completely.(AB)
Strip off her branches,
for these people do not belong to the Lord.
11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah
have been utterly unfaithful(AC) to me,”
declares the Lord.

12 They have lied(AD) about the Lord;
they said, “He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;(AE)
we will never see sword or famine.(AF)
13 The prophets(AG) are but wind(AH)
and the word is not in them;
so let what they say be done to them.”

14 Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says:

“Because the people have spoken these words,
I will make my words in your mouth(AI) a fire(AJ)
and these people the wood it consumes.(AK)
15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord,
“I am bringing a distant nation(AL) against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
a people whose language(AM) you do not know,
whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers(AN) are like an open grave;
all of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour(AO) your harvests and food,
devour(AP) your sons and daughters;
they will devour(AQ) your flocks and herds,
devour your vines and fig trees.(AR)
With the sword(AS) they will destroy
the fortified cities(AT) in which you trust.(AU)

18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy(AV) you completely. 19 And when the people ask,(AW) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods(AX) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners(AY) in a land not your own.’

20 “Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
and proclaim(AZ) it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,(BA)
who have eyes(BB) but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:(BC)
22 Should you not fear(BD) me?” declares the Lord.
“Should you not tremble(BE) in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,(BF)
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar,(BG) but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious(BH) hearts;
they have turned aside(BI) and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear(BJ) the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains(BK) in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’(BL)
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.(BM)

26 “Among my people are the wicked(BN)
who lie in wait(BO) like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps(BP) to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;(BQ)
they have become rich(BR) and powerful
28 and have grown fat(BS) and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;(BT)
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.(BU)
29 Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(BV) myself
on such a nation as this?

30 “A horrible(BW) and shocking thing
has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies,(BX)
the priests(BY) rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?(BZ)

Cross references

  1. Jeremiah 5:1 : 2Ch 16:9; Eze 22:30
  2. Jeremiah 5:1 : Ps 45:10
  3. Jeremiah 5:1 : Ge 18:32; S Jer 2:29
  4. Jeremiah 5:1 : ver 31; Jer 14:14; Eze 13:6
  5. Jeremiah 5:1 : S Ge 18:24
  6. Jeremiah 5:2 : S Jer 4:2
  7. Jeremiah 5:2 : S Lev 19:12
  8. Jeremiah 5:3 : 2Ch 16:9
  9. Jeremiah 5:3 : S Isa 9:13
  10. Jeremiah 5:3 : S Lev 26:23
  11. Jeremiah 5:3 : Jer 7:26; 19:15; Eze 3:8-9; 36:26; Zec 7:12
  12. Jeremiah 5:3 : S 2Ch 28:22; S Isa 1:5; Eze 2:4-5; Am 4:6; Zec 7:11
  13. Jeremiah 5:4 : S ver 21; S Jer 4:22
  14. Jeremiah 5:4 : S Pr 10:21; S Isa 1:3
  15. Jeremiah 5:5 : Mic 3:1, 9
  16. Jeremiah 5:5 : S Jer 2:20
  17. Jeremiah 5:6 : S Ps 17:12
  18. Jeremiah 5:6 : S Lev 26:22
  19. Jeremiah 5:6 : Hos 13:7
  20. Jeremiah 5:6 : Jer 14:7; 30:14
  21. Jeremiah 5:7 : S Jos 23:7
  22. Jeremiah 5:7 : Dt 32:21; Jer 2:11; 16:20; Gal 4:8
  23. Jeremiah 5:7 : S Nu 25:1
  24. Jeremiah 5:7 : Jer 13:27
  25. Jeremiah 5:8 : Jer 29:23; Eze 22:11; 33:26
  26. Jeremiah 5:9 : ver 29; Jer 9:9
  27. Jeremiah 5:9 : S Isa 57:6
  28. Jeremiah 5:10 : S Jer 4:27; Am 9:8
  29. Jeremiah 5:11 : S 1Ki 19:10; S Ps 73:27; S Isa 24:16
  30. Jeremiah 5:12 : Isa 28:15
  31. Jeremiah 5:12 : Jer 23:17
  32. Jeremiah 5:12 : Jer 14:13; 27:8
  33. Jeremiah 5:13 : Jer 14:15
  34. Jeremiah 5:13 : S 2Ch 36:16; S Job 6:26
  35. Jeremiah 5:14 : Hos 6:5
  36. Jeremiah 5:14 : S Ps 39:3; Jer 23:29
  37. Jeremiah 5:14 : S Isa 1:31
  38. Jeremiah 5:15 : S Dt 28:49; S 2Ki 24:2
  39. Jeremiah 5:15 : S Ge 11:7; S Isa 28:11
  40. Jeremiah 5:16 : S Job 39:23
  41. Jeremiah 5:17 : Lev 26:16; S Isa 1:7; Jer 8:16; 30:16
  42. Jeremiah 5:17 : Dt 28:32; Jer 50:7, 17
  43. Jeremiah 5:17 : Dt 28:31
  44. Jeremiah 5:17 : S Nu 16:14; Jer 8:13; Hos 2:12
  45. Jeremiah 5:17 : S Lev 26:25
  46. Jeremiah 5:17 : S Jos 10:20
  47. Jeremiah 5:17 : Dt 28:33
  48. Jeremiah 5:18 : S Jer 4:27
  49. Jeremiah 5:19 : S Dt 4:28; S 1Ki 9:9
  50. Jeremiah 5:19 : S Jer 2:8; 15:14; 16:13; 17:4
  51. Jeremiah 5:19 : Dt 28:48
  52. Jeremiah 5:20 : S Jer 4:5
  53. Jeremiah 5:21 : ver 4; S Dt 32:6; S Jer 4:22; Hab 2:18
  54. Jeremiah 5:21 : Isa 6:10; Eze 12:2
  55. Jeremiah 5:21 : S Dt 29:4; S Isa 42:20; S Mt 13:15; Mk 8:18
  56. Jeremiah 5:22 : S Dt 28:58
  57. Jeremiah 5:22 : S Job 4:14; S Isa 64:2
  58. Jeremiah 5:22 : S Ge 1:9
  59. Jeremiah 5:22 : S Ps 46:3
  60. Jeremiah 5:23 : S Dt 21:18
  61. Jeremiah 5:23 : Ps 14:3
  62. Jeremiah 5:24 : Dt 6:24
  63. Jeremiah 5:24 : S Lev 26:4; S 2Sa 1:21; Jas 5:7
  64. Jeremiah 5:24 : S Ge 8:22; Ac 14:17
  65. Jeremiah 5:25 : Ps 84:11
  66. Jeremiah 5:26 : S Mt 7:15
  67. Jeremiah 5:26 : S Ps 10:8
  68. Jeremiah 5:26 : Ecc 9:12; Jer 9:8; Hos 5:1; Mic 7:2
  69. Jeremiah 5:27 : Jer 8:5; 9:6
  70. Jeremiah 5:27 : Jer 12:1
  71. Jeremiah 5:28 : S Dt 32:15
  72. Jeremiah 5:28 : Zec 7:10
  73. Jeremiah 5:28 : Ex 22:21-24; S Ps 82:3; S Isa 1:23; Jer 7:6; Eze 16:49; Am 5:12
  74. Jeremiah 5:29 : S Isa 57:6
  75. Jeremiah 5:30 : ver 30-31; Jer 18:13; 23:14; Hos 6:10
  76. Jeremiah 5:31 : S ver 1; Mic 2:11
  77. Jeremiah 5:31 : La 4:13
  78. Jeremiah 5:31 : Hos 9:5