Jerusalem Refused to Repent

Jeremiah 5

1 "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
a If you can find a man,
b If there is anyone who executes 1 judgment,
Who seeks the truth,
c And I will pardon her. 2 d Though they say, 'As e the LORD lives,'
Surely they f swear falsely." 3 O LORD, are not g Your eyes on the truth?
You have h stricken them,
But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them,
But i they have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.

4 Therefore I said, "Surely these are poor.
They are foolish;
For j they do not know the way of the LORD,
The judgment of their God. 5 I will go to the great men and speak to them,
For k they have known the way of the LORD,
The judgment of their God."
But these have altogether l broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.

6 Therefore m a lion from the forest shall slay them,
n A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them;
o A leopard will watch over their cities.
Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many;
Their backslidings have increased.

7 "How shall I pardon you for this?
Your children have forsaken Me
And p sworn by those q that are not gods.
r When I had fed them to the full,
Then they committed adultery
And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. 8 s They were like well-fed lusty stallions;
Every one neighed after his neighbor's wife. 9 Shall I not punish them for these things?" says the LORD.
"And shall I not t avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

10 "Go up on her walls and destroy,
But do not 2 make a u complete end.
Take away her branches,
For they are not the LORD's. 11 For v the house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me," says the LORD. 12 w They have lied about the LORD,
And said, x "It is not He.
y Neither will 3 evil come upon us,
Nor shall we see sword or famine. 13 And the prophets become wind,
For the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them."

  1. Cross References
    Ezekiel 22:30
    So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 18:23 - 32
    And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 18:26
    So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
  4. Cross References
    Isaiah 48:1
    Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the LORD, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness.
    Titus 1:16
    They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
  5. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:2
    And you shall swear, 'The LORD lives,' In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory.
  6. Cross References
    Jeremiah 7:9
    Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know.
  7. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:1
    Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.
    2 Chronicles 16:9
    "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars."
    Jeremiah 16:17
    For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes.
  8. Cross References
    Isaiah 1:5
    Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints.
    Isaiah 9:13
    For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts.
    Jeremiah 2:30
    In vain I have chastened your children; They received no correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion.
  9. Cross References
    Isaiah 9:13
    For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts.
    Jeremiah 7:28
    So you shall say to them, 'This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.
    Zephaniah 3:2
    She has not obeyed His voice, She has not received correction; She has not trusted in the LORD, She has not drawn near to her God.
  10. Cross References
    Isaiah 27:11
    When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off; The women come and set them on fire. For it is a people of no understanding; Therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them, And He who formed them will show them no favor.
    Jeremiah 8:7
    Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD.
    Hosea 4:6
    My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
  11. Cross References
    Micah 3:1
    And I said: "Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?
  12. Cross References
    Exodus 32:25
    Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies).
    Psalms 2:3
    "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us."
    Jeremiah 2:20
    For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; And you said, 'I will not transgress,' When on every high hill and under every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot.
  13. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:7
    The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant.
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 104:20
    You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
    Ezekiel 22:27
    Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.
    Habakkuk 1:8
    Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.
    Zephaniah 3:3
    Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning.
  15. Cross References
    Hosea 13:7
    So I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard by the road I will lurk.
  16. Cross References
    Joshua 23:7
    And lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them.
    Jeremiah 12:16
    And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, 'As the LORD lives,' as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people.
    Zephaniah 1:5
    Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, But who also swear by Milcom.
  17. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 32:21
    They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.
    Jeremiah 2:11
    Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.
    Galatians 4:8
    But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.
  18. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 32:15
    But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
  19. Cross References
    Jeremiah 13:27
    I have seen your adulteries And your lustful neighings, The lewdness of your harlotry, Your abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! Will you still not be made clean?
    Jeremiah 29:23
    Because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.
    Ezekiel 22:11
    One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter.
  20. Cross References
    Jeremiah 9:9
    Shall I not punish them for these things? " says the LORD. "Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
  21. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:27
    For thus says the LORD: "The whole land shall be desolate; Yet I will not make a full end.
  22. Cross References
    Jeremiah 3:6
    The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: "Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.
    Jeremiah 3:7
    And I said, after she had done all these things, 'Return to Me.' But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
    Jeremiah 3:20
    Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel," says the LORD.
  23. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 36:16
    But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.
    Jeremiah 4:10
    Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, Saying, 'You shall have peace,' Whereas the sword reaches to the heart.
  24. Cross References
    Isaiah 28:15
    Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.
    Isaiah 47:8
    Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, Who dwell securely, Who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, Nor shall I know the loss of children'.
    Jeremiah 23:17
    They continually say to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You shall have peace" '; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, 'No evil shall come upon you.'
  25. Cross References
    Jeremiah 14:13
    Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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