Jeremiah 8

1 “At that time [before the end, in the future],” declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], “the bones [remains, skeletal framework] of the kings [rulers, monarchs] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah], the bones of the officials [princes, leaders], the bones of the priests [those who serve God], the bones of the prophets [those who speak for God], and the bones of the people [inhabitants, residents] of Jerusalem [the city of peace] will be removed [taken out, brought out] from their graves [tombs, sepulchres]. word study 2 They will be exposed [to the full view, openly] to the sun [the celestial body] and moon [the natural satellite, governing cycles], and to all [every single one, the entirety] the host of heaven [the celestial army, the stars and constellations] which they have loved [with affection, cherished], served [with devotion, worshiped], followed [walked after, obeyed], consulted [sought guidance from, inquired of], and worshiped [bowed down to, revered]. Their bones will not be gathered up [collected, brought together] or buried [interred, laid to rest], but will become like dung [worthless, vile] lying on the ground [the earth, the land]. word study 3 And wherever I have banished [driven away, expelled] them, the remnant [what is left, a surviving group] of this evil [bad, wicked] family will choose [select, prefer] death [the end of life, eternal separation] over life [existence, being alive],” declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]. word study 4 So you are to tell them this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: “Do men [people, individuals] fall [stumble, trip] and not get up [rise, stand] again? Does one turn away [depart, stray] and not return [come back, turn around]? word study 5 Why then [for what reason, on what account] have these people [this nation, the Amaw] turned away [slidden back, gone the wrong way]? Why does Jerusalem [the city of peace] always turn away [by a perpetual backsliding, in faithlessness]? They cling to deceit [treachery, dishonesty]; they refuse [say no, reject] to return [to turn back, to come back]. word study 6 I have listened [carefully, with attention] and heard; they do not speak what is right [just, or true]. No one repents [is sorry, turns away] of his wickedness [evil, wrongdoing], asking, ‘What have I done [committed, made]?’ Everyone has pursued [followed, turned to] his own course [way, path] like a horse [swiftly, with urgency] charging into battle [the heat of the fight, conflict]. word study 7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed [fixed, sacred] seasons [times of migration, festivals]. The turtledove, the swift [or swallow], and the thrush [or crane] keep [obey, watch over] their time [season, occasion] of migration [coming, departure], but My people do not know [are ignorant of, have not learned] the requirements [laws, judgments] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 8 How [in what way, to what extent] can you say, ‘We [emphatically, as a community] are wise [intelligent, skilled, having discernment], and the Law [instruction, teachings] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] is with us [in our midst, as our guide],’ when in fact the lying [deceptive, false] pen [stylus, writing instrument] of the scribes [secretaries, recorders] has produced [made, brought about] a deception [falsehood, betrayal]? word study 9 The wise [intelligent, skilled, or cunning] will be put to shame [ashamed, disgraced, or confounded]; they will be dismayed [completely broken, shattered, or overcome with fear] and trapped [captured, seized, or taken]. Since they have rejected [spurned, refused, or cast away] the word [message, instruction, or command] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], what wisdom [skill, prudence, or good judgment] do they really have [possess, or truly understand]? word study 10 Therefore I will give their wives [to strangers] to other men and their fields [as an inheritance, to those who shall possess them] to new owners. For from the least [small, insignificant] of them to the greatest [most important, powerful], all are greedy for gain [given to covetousness, seeking unjust profit]; from prophet [one who speaks for God] to priest [one who serves God], all practice deceit [deal falsely, act with deception]. word study 11 They dress [heal, mend] the wound [breaking, shattering] of the daughter [female child, woman] of My people [nation, community] with very little care [lightly, with contempt], saying [speaking, proclaiming], ‘Peace [completeness, wellness, friendship], peace,’ when there is [exists] no [none, nothing] peace [shalom, God’s rest] at all. word study 12 Are they ashamed [of their sinful actions, having no remorse] of the abomination [disgusting thing, idolatry] they have committed [done, made]? No, they have no shame [guilt, regret] at all; they do not even know how [are unable] to blush [show shame, be humiliated]. So they will fall [be defeated, stumble] among the fallen [those who have failed, been defeated]; when I punish [visit, judge] them, they will collapse [fall down, be cast down], says the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 13 I will take away [utterly consume, gather] their harvest, declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. There will be no grapes [a type of fruit] on the vine [a grapevine], nor figs [a common food source] on the tree, and even the leaf [foliage] will wither [lose strength, fade away]. Whatever I have given [bestowed, provided] them will be lost [pass away, cease] to them.” word study 14 Why are we [just sitting idle, remaining inactive] just sitting here? Gather together [assemble yourselves, come together], let us flee [escape, run away] to the fortified [strong, walled] cities and perish [die, be killed] there, for the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] our God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] has doomed [condemned, judged] us. He has given us [caused us to drink] poisoned [bitter, gall-like] water to drink, because we have sinned [missed the mark, rebelled] against the LORD [Yehovah, the sovereign God]. word study 15 We hoped [looked, awaited] for peace [shalom, completeness and wellness], but no good [pleasant, beneficial] has come, for a time [season, occasion] of healing [cure, restoration], but there was only [behold] terror [dismay, fear]. word study 16 The snorting [loud breathing, outcry] of enemy horses is heard from Dan [a city in the north of Israel]. At the sound of the neighing [strong expressions] of mighty [strong, powerful] steeds, the whole land [entire country, territory] quakes [shakes, trembles]. They come to devour [eat, consume] the land [earth, ground] and everything in it [all its fullness], the city [town, settlement] and all who dwell [live, reside] in it. word study 17 “For behold [look, pay attention], I will send [dispatch, let loose] snakes [serpents, poisonous creatures] among you, vipers [adder-like, venomous] that cannot be charmed [tamed, controlled by incantation], and they will bite [attack, wound] you,” declares [utters, speaks authoritatively] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 18 My sorrow [deep emotional pain, grief] is beyond healing [incurable, irreparable]; my heart [the seat of feelings, will, and intellect] is faint [weak, troubled, distressed] within me. word study 19 Listen to the cry [a desperate call for help] of the daughter [a female child or a woman, figuratively] of my people [a nation, a group of individuals] from a land [the earth, a country] far away [at a great distance, in a distant place]: “Is the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] no longer [not present, absent] in Zion [a mountain in Jerusalem]? Is her King [the ruler, the sovereign] no longer [not present, absent] there?” “Why [for what reason, how] have they provoked [angered, irritated] Me to anger [intense displeasure, wrath] with their carved images [idols, false gods], with their worthless [empty, vain] foreign [strange, heathen] idols [false objects of worship]?” word study 20 “The harvest [season of reaping, time of gathering] has passed [come to an end, transitioned], the summer [fruitful season, time of warmth] has ended [come to a close, been completed], but we [as a people, collectively] have not [in no way, not at all] been saved [rescued, delivered from trouble].” word study 21 For the brokenness [destruction, hurt, breach] of the daughter [female child, woman] of my people [nation, Israel, or tribe] I am crushed [broken, hurt, afflicted]. I mourn [am sorrowful, dressed in grief]; horror [dismay, astonishment, consternation] has gripped [taken hold, seized] me. word study 22 Is there no balm [healing ointment, medicinal resin] in Gilead [a mountainous region, rocky territory]? Is no physician [expert in medical arts, healer] there [in that place, present]? Why then has the health [wholeness, spiritual well-being] of the daughter [female child] of my people [nation, community] not been restored [recovered, made whole]? word study