Jeremiah 5

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 5

1¶ Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be [any] that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

2And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.

3O LORD, [are] not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, [but] they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

4Therefore I said, Surely these [are] poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, [nor] the judgment of their God.

5I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, [and] the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, [and] burst the bonds.

6Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, [and] a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, [and] their backslidings are increased.

7How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by [them that are] no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.

8They were [as] fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.

9Shall I not visit for these [things]? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10¶ Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they [are] not the LORD'S.

11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.

12They have belied the LORD, and said, [It is] not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:

13And the prophets shall become wind, and the word [is] not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

14Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

15Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it [is] a mighty nation, it [is] an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

16Their quiver [is] as an open sepulchre, they [are] all mighty men.

17And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, [which] thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.

18Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.

19And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these [things] unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land [that is] not yours.

20¶ Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

21Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

22Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand [for] the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

23But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

24Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

25¶ Your iniquities have turned away these [things], and your sins have withholden good [things] from you.

26For among my people are found wicked [men]: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

27As a cage is full of birds, so [are] their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

28They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

29Shall I not visit for these [things]? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love [to have it] so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah 5 opens with God's search for a single righteous person in Jerusalem, finding none who execute judgment or seek truth, leading to a declaration of widespread corruption. The people, from the poor to the great, have forsaken the Lord, engaging in idolatry and immorality, and refusing correction. Consequently, God promises to bring a mighty, foreign nation to devastate Judah as a just punishment for their treachery and rebellion.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with a divine challenge to find one righteous individual in Jerusalem, but none are found who seek truth or judgment, even among those who falsely swear by the Lord. God observes that the people, despite being afflicted, have hardened their hearts, refusing to repent or acknowledge His ways. Both the ignorant and the learned have broken God's covenant through pervasive idolatry, adultery, and general wickedness. As a result, the Lord declares that a fierce, unknown nation will be brought against them to consume their resources and destroy their fortified cities. This judgment is a direct consequence of their forsaking God and serving strange gods, yet the Lord assures that He will not make a full end of them. The people's foolishness and rebellion are highlighted, as they fail to fear the God who controls nature, while their iniquities withhold good from them.

Long Summary

Jeremiah 5 commences with a divine mandate to search Jerusalem's streets for a single individual who executes judgment and seeks truth, promising pardon if such a person is found; however, the search proves fruitless, as even those who swear by the Lord do so falsely. God laments that the people have hardened their hearts against correction, refusing to grieve or return, likening them to those who have made their faces harder than a rock. Initially, the prophet considers the poor foolish for not knowing God's law, but then finds that even the great men, who should know the way of the Lord, have broken His yoke and burst His bonds. Consequently, God declares that wild beasts and a foreign nation will bring destruction upon them due to their abundant transgressions and backslidings, specifically citing their forsaking Him for idols and their widespread adultery. The Lord questions how He can pardon such a nation and promises divine vengeance. He commands a partial destruction of Jerusalem's walls, affirming that both Israel and Judah have dealt treacherously against Him, denying His power and disbelieving in coming judgment. God then declares that His words in Jeremiah's mouth will become fire to devour the people, as He will bring a mighty, ancient, and foreign nation, whose language is unknown, to devastate their land, consume their harvest, flocks, and cities. Despite this severe judgment, God reiterates that He will not make a full end. When the people question the reason for their suffering, they are to be told it is because they forsook God to serve strange gods, and thus will serve strangers in a foreign land. The chapter further condemns the people as foolish and without understanding, who fail to fear the Lord despite His power over creation. Their iniquities have withheld good from them, as wicked men among them set traps for others, growing rich through deceit and neglecting the cause of the fatherless and needy. The Lord repeatedly questions if His soul should not be avenged on such a nation, concluding with the observation of a horrible thing in the land: false prophets and priests ruling by their means, with the people loving this corruption.

Core Concepts

  • Search for RighteousnessGod challenges the people to find a single individual in Jerusalem who practices justice and seeks truth, promising pardon for the city if such a one is found, but the search yields no righteous person.
  • Pervasive CorruptionThe chapter reveals widespread moral decay, from the poor to the great, encompassing false oaths, idolatry, adultery, and a general forsaking of the Lord's ways, demonstrating a complete breakdown of covenant faithfulness.
  • Hardened HeartsDespite divine chastisement and affliction, the people are described as having made their faces harder than a rock, refusing to grieve, receive correction, or return to God, indicating a deep-seated rebellion.
  • Impending Foreign InvasionAs a direct consequence of their sins, God declares He will bring a mighty, ancient, and foreign nation, whose language is unknown, to devastate Judah, consuming their resources and destroying their fortified cities.
  • Divine Judgment and VengeanceThe Lord repeatedly questions how He can pardon such a nation and affirms His intention to visit for these things, promising that His soul will be avenged on a people so rebellious and treacherous.
  • False Prophets and PriestsThe spiritual leaders are condemned for prophesying falsely and ruling by deceit, with the people willingly embracing this corruption, contributing to the nation's downfall.
  • Partial DestructionDespite the severe judgment and promised devastation, God assures that He will not make a full end of the people, indicating a future hope or remnant even amidst the punishment.