16 The Lord said to me, 2 ‘You must not marry in this place. You must not have sons or daughters here. 3 I will tell you what will happen to children who are born here and what will happen to their parents. 4 Terrible disease will kill them. Nobody will weep for them. Nobody will bury them. Their bodies will lie on the ground like dung. Either war or famine will kill them. Birds and wild animals will come to eat their dead bodies.’
5 The Lord also said to me, ‘Do not go into a house where they are eating a funeral meal. Do not join with them to weep because someone in the family has died. I have removed my blessing and my faithful love from these people. I will no longer be kind to them. That is what I say. 6 When people die, nobody will bury them, whether they are rich people or poor people. Nobody will weep for them. People will not cut their bodies because they are upset. They will not cut the hair from their heads. 7 Nobody will take food to comfort families when someone has died. Even if their mother or their father has died, nobody will bring any wine to comfort them.
8 Do not join with people who are eating a feast because they are happy. Do not go into their house to eat and drink with them. 9 I, the Lord Almighty, Israel's God, tell you what I will do. I will stop their happy songs and their marriage parties in this place. You will see this happen while you are still alive.
10 Tell the people everything that I have said. Then they will ask you, “Why has the Lord told us that he will punish us so much? What wrong things have we done? What sin have we done against the Lord , our God?” 11 Then you must tell them what I say: “It is because your ancestors turned against me. They went to other gods. They worshipped and they served those gods. They turned against me and they did not obey my law. 12 And you have done even more wicked things than your ancestors! You do any wicked thing that you want to do. You refuse to change. You do not obey me. 13 So I will throw you out of this land. I will send you away to a land that you and your ancestors never knew. There you will worship other gods, as much as you like. I will no longer help you.” ’
14 The Lord also said, ‘Listen! A better time will come. When people make a promise, they will not say, “I promise to do this as surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites safely out of Egypt.” 15 Instead they will say, “I promise to do this as surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites safely back from the land in the north. He brought them back from all the places that he had sent them to as prisoners.” Yes, at that time I will bring them back to this land that I gave to their ancestors.
16 But now I will send enemies to catch these people. They will catch them like fishermen catch fish. [ a ] They will chase after them like hunters who catch wild animals. They will find them everywhere in the mountains, in the hills and in holes in the rocks. 17 I am watching them carefully all the time. They cannot hide from me. I can see all their sins. 18 I will punish them for their sins. I will make them pay twice for the wrong things that they have done. That is because they have spoiled my land. They have made it unclean with their disgusting idols that have no life. They have filled my special land with the evil things that they have done.’
19 Lord , you give me strength.
You are the safe place where I can hide.
When I am in trouble,
I can run to you and be safe.
People will come from nations all over the earth,
to give you honour.
They will say, ‘Our ancestors worshipped false gods.
Those gods were useless and they could not help us.
20 Can people make gods for themselves?
If they make them, they are not really gods.’
21 ‘So I, the Lord , will teach these people about my great power.
Then they will understand that I am the Lord ,
the true God.’ [ b ]
16 The Lord ’s message came to me: 2 “Jeremiah, you must not get married. You must not have sons or daughters in this place.”
3 This is what the Lord says about the sons and daughters who are born in the land of Judah and about their mothers and fathers: 4 “They will die from terrible disease. And no one will cry for them or bury them. Their bodies will lie on the ground like dung. Or they will die in war or starve to death. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth.”
5 So the Lord says, “Jeremiah, don’t go into a house where people are eating a funeral meal. Don’t go there to cry for the dead or to show your sorrow. Don’t do these things, because I have taken back my blessing. I will not be kind to the people of Judah. I will not feel sorry for them.” This message is from the Lord .
6 “Important people and common people will die in the land of Judah. No one will bury them or cry for them. No one will cut himself or shave his head to show sorrow for them. 7 No one will bring food to those who are crying for the dead. No one will comfort those whose mother or father has died. No one will offer a drink to comfort those who are crying for the dead.
8 “Jeremiah, don’t go into a house where the people are having a party. Don’t go into that house and sit down to eat and drink. 9 This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel says: I will soon stop the sounds of people having fun. I will stop the happy sounds of people enjoying a wedding party. This will happen during your lifetime. I will do these things very soon.
10 “Jeremiah, you will tell the people of Judah these things, and the people will ask you, ‘Why has the Lord said these terrible things to us? What have we done wrong? What sin have we done against the Lord our God?’ 11 You must tell them: ‘Terrible things will happen to you because your ancestors stopped following me.’ This message is from the Lord . ‘They stopped following me and began to follow and serve other gods. They worshiped those other gods. Your ancestors left me and stopped obeying my law. 12 But you people have sinned more than your ancestors. You are very stubborn, and you are doing only what you want to do. You are not obeying me. Because you do only what you want to do, 13 I will throw you out of this country. I will force you to go to a foreign land. You will go to a land that you and your ancestors never knew. There you can serve false gods all you want to. I will not help you or show you any favors.’
14 “People make promises and say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives—the Lord who brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt ….’ But the time is coming,” says the Lord , “when people will not say that. 15 They will say something new. They will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives—the Lord who brought the Israelites out of the northern land, who brought them out of all the countries where he had sent them ….’ Why will they say that? Because I will bring the Israelites back to the land that I gave to their ancestors.
16 “I will soon send for many fishermen to come to this land.” This message is from the Lord . “They will catch the people of Judah. After that happens, I will send for many hunters [ a ] to come to this land. They will hunt the people of Judah on every mountain and hill and in the cracks of the rocks. 17 I see everything they do. The people of Judah cannot hide the things they do. Their sin is not hidden from me. 18 I will pay the people of Judah back for the evil things they did—I will punish them two times for every sin. I will do this because they have made my land ‘dirty.’ They made my land ‘dirty’ with their terrible idols. I hate those idols, but they have filled my country with their idols.”
19 Lord , you are my strength and my protection.
You are a safe place to run to in time of trouble.
The nations will come to you from all around the world.
They will say, “Our fathers had false gods.
They worshiped those worthless idols,
but the idols did not help them.
20 Can people make real gods for themselves?
No, they can only make statues that are not really gods.”
21 “So I will teach those who make idols.
Right now I will teach them about my power and my strength.
Then they will know that I am God.
They will know that I am the Lord .
16 The word of the Lord came also unto me, saying,
2 Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
3 For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;
4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
5 For thus saith the Lord , Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord , even lovingkindness and mercies.
6 Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
7 Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.
8 Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.
9 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.
10 And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?
11 Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord , and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;
12 And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:
13 Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.
14 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord , that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
15 But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
16 Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord , and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
17 For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.
18 And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.
19 O Lord , my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
20 Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?
21 Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord .
16 The word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 2 “You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.” 3 For this is what the Lord says concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and concerning their ( A ) mothers who give birth to them, and their ( B ) fathers who father them in this land: 4 “They will ( C ) die of deadly diseases, they ( D ) will not be mourned or buried; they will be like ( E ) dung on the surface of the ground. And they will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the ( F ) birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.”
5 For this is what the Lord says: “Do not enter a house of ( G ) mourning, or go to mourn or to console them; for I have ( H ) withdrawn My peace from this people,” declares the Lord , “ and My ( I ) favor and compassion. 6 Both ( J ) great people and small will die in this land; they will not be buried, people will not mourn for them, nor will anyone ( K ) make cuts on himself or have his head ( L ) shaved for them. 7 People will not ( M ) break bread in mourning for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, nor give them a cup of consolation to drink for anyone’s father or mother. 8 Moreover, you shall ( N ) not go into a house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink.” 9 For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to ( O ) eliminate from this place, before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of joy, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride.
10 “Now it will happen that, when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, ‘ ( P ) For what reason has the Lord declared all this great disaster against us? And what is our wrongdoing, or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ 11 Then you are to say to them, ‘ It is ( Q ) because your forefathers have abandoned Me,’ declares the Lord , ‘and have followed ( R ) other gods, and served and worshiped them; but they have abandoned Me and have not kept My Law. 12 You too have done evil, even ( S ) more than your forefathers; for behold, each one of you is following the ( T ) stubbornness of his own ( U ) evil heart, without listening to Me. 13 So I will ( V ) hurl you off this land to the ( W ) land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will ( X ) serve other gods day and night, because I will show you no compassion.’
14 “ ( Y ) Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord , “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who ( Z ) brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 15 but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the ( AA ) land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.
16 “Behold, I am going to send for many ( AB ) fishermen,” declares the Lord , “and they will fish for them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will ( AC ) hunt them ( AD ) from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks. 17 ( AE ) For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, ( AF ) nor is their wrongdoing concealed from My eyes. 18 I will first repay them ( AG ) double for their wrongdoing and their sin, because they have ( AH ) defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their ( AI ) detestable idols and their abominations.”
19 Lord , my ( AJ ) strength and my stronghold,
And my ( AK ) refuge in the day of distress,
To You the ( AL ) nations will come
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Our fathers have inherited nothing but ( AM ) falsehood,
Futility, and [ a ] ( AN ) things of no benefit.”
20 Can a person make gods for himself?
But they are ( AO ) not gods!
21 “Therefore behold, I am going to make them know—
This time I will ( AP ) make them know
My [ b ] power and My might;
And they will ( AQ ) know that My name is the Lord .”
16 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “You must not marry ( A ) and have sons or daughters in this place.” 3 For this is what the Lord says about the sons and daughters born in this land and about the women who are their mothers and the men who are their fathers: ( B ) 4 “They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried ( C ) but will be like dung lying on the ground. ( D ) They will perish by sword and famine, ( E ) and their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.” ( F )
5 For this is what the Lord says: “Do not enter a house where there is a funeral meal; do not go to mourn or show sympathy, because I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity ( G ) from this people,” declares the Lord . 6 “Both high and low will die in this land. ( H ) They will not be buried or mourned, ( I ) and no one will cut ( J ) themselves or shave ( K ) their head for the dead. 7 No one will offer food ( L ) to comfort those who mourn ( M ) for the dead—not even for a father or a mother—nor will anyone give them a drink to console ( N ) them.
8 “And do not enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink. ( O ) 9 For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Before your eyes and in your days I will bring an end to the sounds ( P ) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride ( Q ) and bridegroom in this place. ( R )
10 “When you tell these people all this and they ask you, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?’ ( S ) 11 then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors forsook me,’ declares the Lord , ‘and followed other gods and served and worshiped ( T ) them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. ( U ) 12 But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors. ( V ) See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts ( W ) instead of obeying me. 13 So I will throw you out of this land ( X ) into a land neither you nor your ancestors have known, ( Y ) and there you will serve other gods ( Z ) day and night, for I will show you no favor.’ ( AA )
14 “However, the days are coming,” ( AB ) declares the Lord , “when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ ( AC ) 15 but it will be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north ( AD ) and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ ( AE ) For I will restore ( AF ) them to the land I gave their ancestors. ( AG )
16 “But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord , “and they will catch them. ( AH ) After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt ( AI ) them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks. ( AJ ) 17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden ( AK ) from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. ( AL ) 18 I will repay ( AM ) them double ( AN ) for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land ( AO ) with the lifeless forms of their vile images ( AP ) and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols. ( AQ ) ” ( AR )
19 Lord , my strength and my fortress,
my refuge ( AS ) in time of distress,
to you the nations will come ( AT )
from the ends of the earth and say,
“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods, ( AU )
worthless idols ( AV ) that did them no good. ( AW )
20 Do people make their own gods?
Yes, but they are not gods!” ( AX )
21 “Therefore I will teach them—
this time I will teach them
my power and might.
Then they will know
that my name ( AY ) is the Lord .
