Jeremiah 5:20-31

¶“Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying: ‘Now hear this, O foolish people without heart, Who have eyes but do not see, Who have ears but do not hear. [Is 6:9, 10; Matt 13:10-15; Mark 8:17, 18] ‘Do you not fear Me?’ says the LORD. ‘Do you not tremble [in awe] in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree and a perpetual barrier beyond which it cannot pass. Though the waves [of the sea] toss and break, yet they cannot prevail [against the sand ordained to hold them back]; Though the waves and the billows roar, yet they cannot cross over [the barrier]. [Is not such a God to be feared?] ‘But this people has a stubborn heart and a rebellious will [that draws them away from Me]; They have turned away and have gone [into idolatry]. ‘They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear and worship the LORD our God [with profound awe and reverence], Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest.” ‘Your wickedness has turned these [blessings] away, And your sins have withheld good [harvests] from you. ‘For wicked men are found among My people, They watch like fowlers who lie in wait; They set a trap, They catch men. ‘As a cage is full of birds, So are their houses full of deceit and treachery; Therefore they have become influential and rich. ‘They are fat and they are sleek (prosperous), They excel in acts of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, so that they [the wicked] may prosper, And they do not defend the rights of the poor. ‘Shall I not punish them [for these things]?’ says the LORD. ‘Shall I not avenge Myself On such a nation as this?’ ¶“An appalling and horrible thing [bringing desolation and destruction] Has come to pass in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love [to have] it so! But what will you do when the end comes?