The Dead Will Be Dishonored
Study note
When Babylon conquers Jerusalem, even the graves of the kings, officials, priests, and prophets will be opened and their bones scattered. The bones will be spread out under the sun, moon, and stars that these people worshipped. The living will wish they were dead.
1 "When that time comes," says the Lord. "The bones of Judah's kings and leaders will be dug up. So will the bones of priests, prophets, and the people of Jerusalem." At that time, saith the LORD, 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:
2 "Their bones will be scattered under the open sky — under the sun, moon, and stars they loved, served, followed, and worshipped. Nobody will gather the bones up or bury them again. They will lie there like trash on the ground." And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
3 "Every person left from this wicked nation will wish for death. I have scattered them far and wide. They will want to die rather than live," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.
A People Who Refuse to Return
Study note
God points out how unnatural the people's behavior is. When someone falls down, they get back up. When someone takes a wrong path, they turn around. But these people keep going the wrong way and will not come back. Even birds know when to migrate with the seasons, but God's people do not know his laws. The wise claim to understand God's word, but the scribes have twisted it with their lying pens.
4 "Tell them the Lord says this: 'When people trip and fall, don't they get back up? When somebody takes a wrong turn, don't they turn around and find the right way?'" Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?
5 "Then why have the people of Jerusalem turned away from me and refused to come back? They cling tightly to their lies and won't let go." Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
6 "I've been listening carefully, but no one says the right thing. Nobody feels sorry for their sins. Nobody asks, 'What have I done wrong?' Instead, everyone charges off in their own direction, like a horse racing into battle." I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.
7 "Even the stork up in the sky knows when the seasons change. Doves, swifts, and cranes all know when it's time to fly south. But my people have no idea what the Lord requires of them." Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.
8 "How can you claim, 'We are wise because we have the Lord's law,' when the scribes have used their lying pens to twist it into something false?" How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.
9 "These so-called wise people will be humiliated and trapped. They threw away the Lord's word. So what kind of wisdom could they possibly have?" The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?
False Peace and Coming Destruction
Study note
God repeats the charge that everyone from least to greatest is greedy, and the prophets and priests say 'Peace, peace' when there is no peace. Harvest time has passed and the people are not saved. The approaching enemy's horses can be heard snorting from Dan in the north. God warns that he is sending poisonous snakes that cannot be charmed.
10 "I will hand over their wives to other men and their land to new owners. Every person, from the least to the greatest, is greedy for money. From prophets to priests, every one of them lies." Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit 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.
11 "They treat my people's terrible wounds as if they were just small cuts. They say, 'Everything is fine! Everything is fine!' when nothing is fine at all." For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
12 "Were they embarrassed when they did those horrible things? Not one bit! They couldn't even blush. So they will fall right along with everyone else. When I punish them, they'll go down," says the Lord. Were 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 the LORD.
13 "I will completely wipe out their harvest," says the Lord. "No grapes on the vine, no figs on the tree, and even the leaves will shrivel up. Everything I gave them will be taken from them." I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: 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.
14 "Why are we sitting here doing nothing? Let's band together and run to the walled cities to die there. The Lord our God has condemned us. He has given us poisoned water to drink because we sinned against him." Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.
15 "We waited and hoped for peace, but nothing good appeared. We hoped for a time of healing, but all we got was terror." We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!
16 "Enemy horses can already be heard snorting from the town of Dan up north. The ground shakes beneath their powerful stallions. They have come to devour the whole land and everything in it — the cities and everyone who lives there." The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.
17 "Watch out! I am sending deadly snakes among you," says the Lord, "snakes that no one can tame. They will bite you." For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah's Grief for His People
Study note
Jeremiah is overwhelmed with grief. He hears the cries of his people from a distant land, wondering why God is not in Zion anymore. The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and the people are not saved. Jeremiah's heart is broken. He famously asks, 'Is there no healing medicine in Gilead? Is there no doctor there?' Gilead was known for producing a healing balm, making this a powerful metaphor for a nation beyond healing.
18 My sadness has no end. My heart is crushed inside me. When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.
19 Listen — the cries of my people rise up from a distant land: "Isn't the Lord still in Zion? Isn't their King still there?" The Lord responds, "Then why did they make me angry with their carved statues and worthless foreign gods?" Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?
20 "The harvest season has passed, summer is over, and still we have not been rescued." The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
21 My people are crushed, and so I am crushed too. I mourn, and horror has taken hold of me. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
22 Isn't there healing medicine in Gilead? Isn't there a doctor there? Then why haven't my people been made well again? Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?