Jeremiah 7

1 This is the word [message from God] that came to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] from the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], saying [to speak or command], word study 2 “Stand [take your position, be firmly established] in the gate [entrance, doorway] of the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and proclaim [declare, announce] this message: Hear [listen, obey] the word [divine expression, command] of the LORD, all [every single one] you people of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] who enter [come, go] through these gates [entrances, doors] to worship [bow down, pay homage] the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God]. word study 3 Thus [in this manner, at this time] says the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces], the God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] of Israel [the chosen people, descendants of Jacob]: Correct [amend, make right] your ways [paths, manner of life] and deeds [actions, practices], and I will let you live [dwell, reside] in this place [location, land, region]. word study 4 Do not [by no means, trust not] trust in deceptive [lying, false] words, chanting: ‘This is the temple [house of worship, sacred place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], the temple [place of divine presence] of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’ word study 5 For if you really [thoroughly, completely] correct your ways [path, journey, manner of life] and deeds [actions, practices], if you act [execute, thoroughly do] justly [with justice, righteousness] toward one another [between a man and his neighbor, with fairness to all], word study 6 if you no longer [stop, cease from] oppress [defraud, violently harm] the foreigner [sojourner, temporary resident] and the fatherless [orphan, child without a father] and the widow [woman whose husband has died, left alone], and if you no longer shed [pour out, spill] innocent [morally clean, guiltless] blood in this [specific, particular] place or follow [walk after, pursue] other [different, false] gods to your own [personal, individual] harm [bad, evil, distress], word study 7 then I will let you live [dwell, reside] in this [specific] place [location, region], in the land [earth, territory] that I gave [bestowed, granted] to your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] forever [always, eternally] and ever [till the end of time, perpetually]. word study 8 But look [behold, see], you keep trusting [having faith, relying] in deceptive [lying, false] words [utterances, messages] to no avail [without profit, of no benefit]. word study 9 Will you steal [take something secretly] and murder [kill someone], commit adultery [be unfaithful, worship other gods] and perjury [swear falsely, deceive], burn incense to Baal [the Phoenician deity], and follow other gods [strange idols, unknown deities] that you have not known [previously encountered, been aware of], word study 10 and then come [approach, draw near] and stand [in a strong sense, firmly] before Me [in My presence, face to face] in this house [temple, dwelling place], which bears [is called by, named] My Name [identity, honor], and say [declare, proclaim], ‘We are delivered [rescued, saved] [from danger, trouble], so we can continue [to do, practice] with all [every, everything] these abominations’? word study 11 Has this house [the Temple, a dwelling place], which bears My Name [fame, renown, reputation], become a den [a cave, a hole] of robbers [thieves, violent men] in your sight [before your eyes, in your presence]? Yes, I [the Lord] too have seen [looked upon, observed] it, declares the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah]. word study 12 But go now to the place [my dwelling location, sacred site] in Shiloh [place of rest, where God dwells] where I first [at the beginning, initially] made a dwelling [set my name, established my presence] for My Name [my identity, character, and reputation], and see [behold, observe, understand] what I did [accomplished, brought about] to it because of [due to, as a result of] the wickedness [evil, sinful nature, moral badness] of My people [nation, community, those belonging to me] Israel [God’s chosen, descendants of Jacob]. word study 13 And now [at this moment, in this current situation], because you have done [committed, carried out] all these things [works, deeds, actions], declares the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], and because I have spoken [communicated, uttered] to you again and again [repeatedly, persistently] but you would not listen [hear, obey], and I have called [invited, summoned] to you but you would not answer [respond, reply], word study 14 therefore what I did [as I have done, in a similar manner] to Shiloh [the place of rest, a city where the Ark of the Covenant and Tabernacle were kept] I will now do [bring about, execute judgment] to the house [temple, dwelling place] that bears [is called by, named after] My Name [My identity, character, and reputation], the house [sanctuary, place of worship] in which you trust [have confidence, put your faith], the place [location, site] that I gave [granted, bestowed] to you and your fathers [ancestors, forefathers]. word study 15 And I will cast [throw away, expel] you out of My presence [before My face, from My sight], just as I have cast [thrown away, expelled] out all your brothers [relatives, kin], all the descendants [seed, offspring] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel]. word study 16 As for you [Jeremiah, the prophet], do not pray [make supplication, intercede] for these people [this nation, the Amaw], do not offer [lift up, present] a plea [cry, petition] or petition [prayer, request] on their behalf [for them, in their place], and do not beg [plead, intreat] Me, for I will not listen [hear, heed] to you [namely, your voice, your words]. word study 17 Do you not see [are you unaware of] what they [the people of Judah] are doing [practicing, carrying out] in the cities [towns, settlements] of Judah [the southern kingdom] and in the streets [outside, in public] of Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital]? word study 18 The sons [children, descendants] gather wood [trees, wooden planks], the fathers [male parents, ancestors] light the fire [burning, flame], and the women [females, wives] knead the dough [unleavened bread mixture] to make cakes [special bread, sacrifices] for the Queen of Heaven [a female deity, goddess Astarte]; they pour out [offer, dedicate] drink offerings [libations, sacrifices] to other gods [idols, false deities] to provoke Me [anger, wrath, offend] to anger [wrath, indignation]. word study 19 But am I [the One they are really hurting] the One they are provoking [to anger, stirring up wrath]? declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. Is it not [in reality] themselves [specifically] they spite [provoke, move to wrath], to their own [personal, deep] shame [embarrassment, guilt, confusion of their own faces]? word study 20 Therefore [thus, in this manner] this is what the Lord [Adonay, God of authority] GOD [Yehovah] says: Behold [look, see], My anger [intense wrath, fury] and My fury [rage, indignation] will be poured out [liberally bestowed, fully expressed] on this place [location, region], on man [humanity, the first human Adam] and beast [animal, living creature], on the trees [wood, strong and firm objects] of the field [land, cultivated area] and the produce [fruit, result] of the land [earth, ground], and it will burn [be brutish, consume] and not [by no means] be extinguished [quenched, put out]. word study 21 This is what the LORD [Yehovah] of Hosts [the Commander of the armies of angels], the God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob], says: Add your burnt offerings [sacrifices completely consumed by fire] to your other sacrifices [offerings to God] and eat the meat [flesh, the body of the animal] yourselves! word study 22 For [because of this reason] when I brought [led, guided] your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] out of the land [earth, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], I did not merely [only, solely] command [give orders, instruct] them about [regarding, concerning] burnt offerings [sacrifices completely consumed by fire] and sacrifices [offerings to God, acts of worship], word study 23 but this is what I commanded them: Obey [hear and heed] Me, and I will be your God [Elohim, the supreme Lord], and you will be My people [a chosen nation, set apart]. You must walk [follow, live according to] in all the ways [paths, manner of life] I have commanded [given orders, instructed] you, so that it may go well [be good, prosper] with you. word study 24 Yet they did not [refused to] listen or [pay attention to] incline their ear [the ability to hear], but they followed [walked in] the stubborn [hard-hearted] inclinations [counsels] of their own [inner] evil [wicked] hearts [the seat of feelings, will, and intellect]. They went [moved] backward [in reverse, away from God] and not [instead of] forward [toward God, in obedience]. word study 25 From the day [since the time] your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] came out [departed, went forth] of the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] until [as far as, till] this day [the present time], I have sent [dispatched, commissioned] you all [every one of] My servants [messengers, prophets] the prophets [spokesmen for God, divinely inspired messengers] again and again [repeatedly, daily rising early and sending them]. word study 26 Yet they would not [refused to] listen to Me [inclining their hearts] or [pay attention and] incline their ear [to hear and obey], but they stiffened [hardened, made stubborn] their necks [in rebellion, with a stubborn attitude] and did more evil [worse, increased their sinful actions] than their fathers [ancestors, forefathers]. word study 27 When you tell [speak, communicate] them all [everything, every matter] these things [words, events], they will not [refuse to, fail to] listen [hear, obey] to you [toward you, in your direction]. When you call [cry out, invoke] to them [toward them, in their direction], they will not [decline to, neglect to] answer [respond, give a reply]. word study 28 Therefore you must say to them, ‘This is the nation [that has rebelled against God] that would not listen [obey, heed] to the voice [sound, utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] their God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] and would not receive [accept, take to heart] correction [discipline, instruction]. Truth [faithfulness, steadfastness] has perished [been destroyed, lost]; it has disappeared [been cut off, removed] from their lips [mouth, speech]. word study 29 Cut off your hair [like a Nazirite vow, consecration] and throw it away [cast, reject]. Raise up a lamentation [dirge, song of sorrow] on the barren [bare, smooth] heights, for the LORD [Yehovah, God] has rejected [spurned, forsaken] and forsaken [left, abandoned] the generation [period of time, people] of His wrath [fury, anger, outburst of passion].’ word study 30 For the people [children, descendants] of Judah have done evil [what is morally bad, wicked] in My sight [in My presence, before Me], declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. They have set up their abominations [disgusting idols, filthy things] in the house [temple, dwelling place] that bears My Name [My identity, character], and so have defiled [made foul, contaminated] it. word study 31 They have built [constructed, established] the high places [cultic platforms, altars] of Topheth [a site of idolatrous sacrifice] in the Valley [lowland, gorge] of Hinnom [a place of lamentation] so they could burn [sacrifice, immolate] their sons and daughters [children, offspring] in the fire [burning, flame]—something I never [at no time, not ever] commanded [ordered, decreed], nor did it even [not even once, never] enter [come into, ascend to] My mind [heart, intellect, will]. word study 32 So behold [look, take notice], the days [a period of time, an era] are coming, declares the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], when this place will no longer be called Topheth [a place of sacrifice, a valley of idolatry] and the Valley of Hinnom [a valley of lamentation], but the Valley of Slaughter [a place of killing, a valley of death]. For they will bury [inter, lay to rest] the dead in Topheth [a site of idolatrous sacrifice] until there is no more room [no place, no space]. word study 33 The corpses [carcasses, dead bodies] of this people will become food [meat, something to eat] for the birds [fowls, winged creatures] of the air [heaven, the sky] and the beasts [animals, wild beasts] of the earth [land, ground], and there will be no one [none, nothing] to scare [fray, frighten] them away [drive them away, shoo them]. word study 34 I will remove [cause to cease, put an end to] from the cities [towns, settlements] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] and the streets [outside, outdoors, public areas] of Jerusalem [the city of peace] the sounds [voice, noise] of joy [rejoicing, gladness] and gladness [happiness, celebration] and the voices [sounds, utterances] of the bride [daughter-in-law, newly married woman] and bridegroom [son-in-law, newly married man], for [because, since] the land [earth, territory, region] will become [be, exist as] a wasteland [desolate, laid waste, destroyed].” word study