Immerse: Prophets - Flipbook - Page 241
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J eremiah
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your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, “Obey me!” I have
repeated this warning over and over to this day, but your ancestors did not
listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own
evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought upon them all the
curses described in this covenant.’”
Again the Lord spoke to me and said, “I have discovered a conspiracy
against me among the people of Judah and Jerusalem. They have returned
to the sins of their ancestors. They have refused to listen to me and are wor
shiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the covenant I made
with their ancestors. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am going to
bring calamity upon them, and they will not escape. Though they beg for
mercy, I will not listen to their cries. Then the people of Judah and Jerusa
lem will pray to their idols and burn incense before them. But the idols will
not save them when disaster strikes! Look now, people of Judah; you have
as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame—altars
for burning incense to your god Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem.
“Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them,
for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress.
“What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple,
when they have done so many immoral things?
Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction?
They actually rejoice in doing evil!
I, the Lord, once called them a thriving olive tree,
beautiful to see and full of good fruit.
But now I have sent the fury of their enemies
to burn them with fire,
leaving them charred and broken.
“I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who planted this olive tree, have
ordered it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil,
arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal.”
Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against
me. I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were
planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said.
“Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
you make righteous judgments,
and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets.
Let me see your vengeance against them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
