I am talking about the agreement I made with your ancestors when I brought them out of that furnace called Egypt.' At that time I told them, 'Listen to me and obey all the commands I give you. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God.'
"I did this to keep the promise I had made to your ancestors. I promised to give them a very fertile land—a land flowing with milk and honey. And you are living in that country today." I answered, "Amen, Lord."
The Lord said to me, "Jeremiah, tell this message in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. This is the message: 'Listen to the words of this agreement, and then obey these laws.
I gave a warning to your ancestors at the time I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I warned them again and again to this very day. I told them to obey me.
But your ancestors did not listen to me. They were stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted. The agreement says that bad things will happen to them if they don't obey. So I made all the bad things happen to them. I commanded them to obey the agreement, but they did not.'"
They are committing the same sins that their ancestors did. Their ancestors refused to listen to my message. They followed and worshiped other gods. The family of Israel and the family of Judah have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors."
So this is what the Lord says: "I will soon make something terrible happen to the people of Judah. They will not be able to escape. They will be sorry and cry to me for help, but I will not listen to them.
The people in the towns of Judah and in the city of Jerusalem will go and pray to their idols for help. They burn incense to those idols. But their idols will not be able to help the people of Judah when that terrible disaster comes.
"People of Judah, you have many idols—there are as many idols as there are towns in Judah. You have built many altars for worshiping that disgusting god Baal — there are as many altars as there are streets in Jerusalem.
"As for you, Jeremiah, don't pray for these people of Judah. Don't beg for them. Don't say prayers for them. I will not listen. They will suffer and then call to me for help, but I will not listen.
"Judah is the one I love, but why is she in my temple? She has done too many evil things. Judah, do you think vows and sacrifices will keep you from being destroyed? Will I then allow you to enjoy your evil ways?"
The Lord gave you a name. He called you, "A green olive tree, beautiful to look at." But with a powerful storm, the Lord will set that tree on fire, and its branches will be burned up.
The Lord All-Powerful planted you, and he said that disaster will come to you. That is because the family of Israel and the family of Judah have done evil things. They offered sacrifices to Baal, and that made him angry!
Before the Lord showed me that the people were against me, I was like a gentle lamb waiting to be butchered. I did not understand that they were against me. They were saying this about me: "Let us destroy the tree and its fruit! Let us kill him! Then people will forget him."
But, Lord, you are a fair judge. You know how to test people's hearts and minds. I will tell you my arguments, and I will let you give them the punishment they deserve.
The men from Anathoth were planning to kill Jeremiah. They said to him, "Don't prophesy in the name of the Lord, or we will kill you." The Lord made a decision about the men from Anathoth.
The Lord All-Powerful said, "I will soon punish these men from Anathoth. Their young men will die in war. Their sons and daughters will die from hunger.