Israel har brudt Guds pagt
1Herren talte igen til mig og sagde:
2-3„Mind Judas og Jerusalems indbyggere om de pagtsbetingelser, jeg forelagde jeres forfædre: Hvis I ikke overholder min pagt, bliver I ramt af min dom, for jeg er Herren, jeres Gud. 4Jeg indgik jo en pagt med jeres forfædre, da jeg førte dem ud af Egyptens smelteovn. Dengang sagde jeg udtrykkeligt, at hvis de ville adlyde mig og leve i overensstemmelse med pagtens ord, ville jeg antage dem som mit folk og være deres Gud 5og opfylde det løfte, jeg gav til Abraham og hans efterkommere om et land, der ‚flyder med mælk og honning’, det land, som I nu bor i.”
„Ja, Herre, det er sandt!” svarede jeg.
6Da sagde Herren til mig: „Gå ud i Jerusalems gader og i Judas byer med følgende budskab: Husk på Herrens pagt og overhold dens betingelser. 7Lige siden den dag, jeg førte jeres forfædre ud af Egypten, har jeg tidligt og silde tryglet mit folk om at adlyde mig. 8Men de ville ikke. I stedet fulgte de gang på gang deres onde tilskyndelser. Derfor var jeg nødt til at straffe dem med den dom, som er konsekvensen af at bryde pagten.”
9Derefter sagde Herren til mig: „Judas befolkning og Jerusalems indbyggere har gjort oprør imod mig. 10De har genoptaget deres forfædres syndige skikke og vendt sig fra mig for at dyrke afguderne. Både Israels og Judas folk har brudt den pagt, jeg indgik med deres forfædre. 11Derfor rammer jeg dem med en ulykke, de ikke kan undslippe. Og hvis de råber til mig om hjælp, vil jeg ikke høre deres bønner. 12Så vil de råbe til deres afguder, som de ofrer til, men de kan ikke redde dem fra katastrofen. 13Mit folk har lige så mange afguder, som der er byer i Juda, og altrene, hvor de ofrer til Ba’al, er så talrige som gaderne i Jerusalem.
14Jeremias, du skal ikke gå i forbøn for sådan et folk! Du skal ikke trygle mig om at redde dem, for jeg vil ikke høre på dine bønner. Jeg vil ikke høre på dem, selv om de desperat råber til mig om hjælp. 15Sig til dem: Hvad ret har I, mit elskede folk, til at være i mit tempel, når I har gjort så mange onde ting? Tror I, at jeres ofringer kan afværge dommen? Hvordan kan I fortsætte med jeres ondskab, mens I bringer jeres ofre? 16Engang var du et dejligt oliventræ, der bar gode frugter. Men nu sætter jeg ild til dig, så alle dine grene bliver ødelagt. 17Jeg er Herren, den Almægtige, som har plantet dig, men nu har jeg afsagt dommen over dig. Både Israels og Judas hus har ofret til Ba’al, og det har fremkaldt min vrede.”
Jeremias i fare for at blive dræbt
18Herren advarede mig om, at nogle mennesker ønskede at slå mig ihjel. 19Jeg var som et troskyldigt lam, der føres til slagtning. Jeg anede intet om deres hensigter. „Lad os gøre det af med den der profet,” sagde de, „så slipper vi for at høre på hans dommedagsprofetier.”
20Da sagde jeg til Herren: „Du er den almægtige Gud og den retfærdige dommer. Du kender menneskers tanker og motiver. Lad mig se dig straffe dem, for jeg har overgivet min sag til dig.”
21Herren havde nemlig sagt til mig: „Nogle mænd fra Anatot er ude på at slå dig ihjel. De vil true dig på livet for at få dig til at holde op med at profetere i mit navn. 22Derfor vil jeg straffe dem, siger Herren. Deres unge mænd vil falde i krig og deres børn sulte ihjel. 23Ikke en eneste af forræderne i Anatot vil blive skånet. Når tiden er inde, vil jeg straffe dem.”
The Covenant Is Broken
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2“Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.’ I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’—the land you possess today.”
I answered, “Amen, Lord.”
6The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” 8But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.’ ”
9Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 13You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’
14“Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.
15“What is my beloved doing in my temple
as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes?
Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?
When you engage in your wickedness,
then you rejoice.11:15 Or Could consecrated meat avert your punishment? / Then you would rejoice”
16The Lord called you a thriving olive tree
with fruit beautiful in form.
But with the roar of a mighty storm
he will set it on fire,
and its branches will be broken.
17The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.
Plot Against Jeremiah
18Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more.”
20But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously
and test the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
21Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are threatening to kill you, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands”— 22therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”
