Jeremiah 8

1At that time, saith Jehovah, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves;

1The LORD says: At that time, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people living in Jerusalem will be pulled out of their graves.

2and they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they have loved, and which they have served, and after which they have walked, and which they have sought, and which they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

2These bones will be spread out before the sun, the moon, and all the stars of heaven, which the people loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will lie like manure on the ground.

3And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith Jehovah of hosts.

3Everyone who is left alive from this evil nation, in all the places where I have driven them, will prefer death over life, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

4Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah: Shall men fall, and not rise up again? Shall one turn away, and not return?

4Tell them that the LORD says: When people fall down, don’t they get back up? When someone goes the wrong way, don’t they turn around?

5Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

5Then why do these people of Jerusalem keep going the wrong way? They hold onto their lies and refuse to turn back to me.

6I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repenteth him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turneth to his course, as a horse that rusheth headlong in the battle.

6I have listened carefully, but they do not speak the truth. No one repents of their wickedness or asks, 'What have I done?' Each one stays on their own path, like a horse charging into battle.

7Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the law of Jehovah.

7Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons; the dove, the swift, and the thrush know the time to migrate. But my people do not know what the LORD requires of them.

8How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of Jehovah is with us? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes hath wrought falsely.

8How can you say, 'We are wise, and we have the law of the LORD,' when the lying pens of the scribes have distorted it?

9The wise men are put to shame, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of Jehovah; and what manner of wisdom is in them?

9The so-called wise men will be put to shame; they will be terrified and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they really have?

10Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall possess them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

10Therefore, I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, everyone is greedy for money; from the prophets to the priests, everyone practices deceit.

11And they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

11They try to heal the wounds of my people as if they were minor, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace at all.

12Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall; in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.

12Are they ashamed of the disgusting things they have done? No, they have no shame at all; they don't even know how to blush. Therefore, they will fall among the dead; they will be brought down when I punish them, says the LORD.

13I will utterly consume them, saith Jehovah: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

13I will take away their harvests, says the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine and no figs on the tree. Even the leaves will wither. Whatever I gave them will be taken away.

14Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; for Jehovah our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against Jehovah.

14The people say, 'Why are we just sitting here? Let’s get together! Let’s run to the fortified cities and die there. For the LORD our God has judged us to die and given us poison to drink, because we have sinned against him.'

15We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and, behold, dismay!

15We hoped for peace, but no good came of it. We looked for a time of healing, but found only terror.

16The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan: at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembleth; for they are come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it; the city and those that dwell therein.

16The snorting of the enemy’s horses is heard from the city of Dan. The whole land trembles at the neighing of their warhorses. They have come to devour the land and everything in it—the city and everyone who lives there.

17For, behold, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith Jehovah.

17Look, I am sending poisonous snakes among you—vipers that cannot be charmed—and they will bite you, says the LORD.

18Oh that I could comfort myself against sorrow! my heart is faint within me.

18My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken within me.

19Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land that is very far off: is not Jehovah in Zion? is not her King in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with foreign vanities?

19Listen to the cry of my people from a distant land: 'Is the LORD no longer in Zion? Is her King no longer there?' The LORD answers, 'Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved idols and their useless foreign gods?'

20The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

20The people cry out, 'The harvest is over, the summer has ended, and we are still not saved.'

21For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt: I mourn; dismay hath taken hold on me.

21I am crushed because my people are crushed. I mourn, and terror has seized me.

22Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

22Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no doctor there? Why then is there no healing for the wounds of my people?