Jeremiah 5

A complaint of the sad and faerful condition of Jerusalem and Juda ; As that there were no godly men more to be found among small or great,vers. 1 .4,5.That all grosse sins were rise among them,as, false and hypocritical swearing, 2. obstinacy and hardnesse of heart , 3,21,22,23,24. Idolatry, 7,19. Adultrey and whoredom ,7,8. Contempt of Gods word , and of his Prophets ,11,12,13,. Riches gotten by wicked and theevish devices ,26,27. Justice in judgement ,28. Prevailing of the false Prophets , and wicked Priests ,31 .For all which sins God threateneth to punish them by the Chaldeans ,9,14,15,&c. Yet without destroying them utterly ,10.

1. Go about thorow the divisions of Jerusalem, and behold now, and enquire and seek in the streets thereof; if ye can finde any man , if there be one that doth judgement , that seeketh truth;[or faithfulness, faith .The Lord intimateth , that all places were full of hypocrisie] then will I be gracious unto her .[Or pardon it, That is , I ill spare the whole City of Jerusalem for the godly mans sake .compare Genes.18.24&c.]

2. And though they say ; (as true as ) the LORD liveth ;[when they do sometimes swear by my Nme for a cloak and covering of their Idolatrous swearing , whereof below verse 7.] yet [Or surely ,so, Oth. Therefore] they swear falsly[To wit. Because they seek not judgemment , nor faithfulness ,or truth.

3. O LORD do thine eyes (look)after the truth? [That is, it is doubtless true , that thou regardest faith and truth , without which thou hatest all outward shew ,as meer hypocrisie]thou hast smitten them, but they have felt no pain;[That is thou hast plagued them in diverrs manners, and at sundry times consuming a great part of them , as fplloweth, but have not been bettered by it, but have remained as obstinate and hardened as they were before. Compare Isai.1.5 and 9.13. above chap.2.30] thou hast consumed them (but) they have refused to receive correction :[see above chapter 2.30] they have made their faces harder than a rock, so that they are exceedingly impudent . Compare above chap.3.3.] they have refused to return.

4. But I said : [To wit, with myself: that is , I thought] surely, these are poor :[a company of poor ,ignorant people] they deal foolishly , because they know not the way of the LORD , the judgement of their God .

5. I will go [Hebr. I will go me, according to the Hebr phrase] to the great ones, and speak with them; for they know the way of the LORD , the judgement of their God: but they had altogether broken the yoke, (and) burst the bonds. [Compare Psal.2 on verse 3]

6. Therefore a loin out of the forest hath slam them ,[That is, shall shy them. Spoken in a Prophetical manner of the future invasion of the Babylonians] a Wolf of the deserts [or ,of the entrings] shall waste them, a Leopard watcheth against their Cities, whosoever goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces : see of the Hebrew word . Psal.50 on verse 22.] for their transgressions are multiplyed, their backslidings are grown exceeding many

7. How should I pardon thee [O Jerusalem] for this? Thy children forsake me , and swear by them that are no Gods ; when I have satisfied them,then they commit adultery and assembly by heaps in the harlots house .

8. (Like) well fed stone Horses, they are up betimes, they neigh[Through lustfulnes like wanton Horses . Compare below chap.13.27.] everyone after his neighbours wife. Compare Ezech.22.11.]

9. Should I not visit [To wit, by punishment . See Genes.21. On vers.1.] for these things, saith the LORD? Or should not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this ? Compare below vers.29 and chap.9.9]

10. Climb up her walls [To wit ,Jerusalems walls. It is spoken to the enemies] and destroy her , (but make not a full end)[compare above chapt. 4 on verse 27.] take away her tops ,[Or , stickings out, pinnacles , battlements . Oth. Plant, branches , foundations] for they are not the LORDS.[They, to wit, the people,or, the walls and battlements pertain not to the LORD, who will now no more own Jerusalem with all her fair forts and strong holds of his , because of the wickednesse of the inhabitants thereof.]

11. For the house of Israel and the house of Juda , have delt very unfaithfully [Hebr.dealing treacherously delt treacherously] against me , [compare above chap.3.20.] saith the LORD.

12. They deny the LORD, and say ,It is not he:[It is not the LORD, by whose command the Prophets do threaten us all manner of evil]neither shall evil come upon us, [compare Isi 25.15.] neither shall we see [That is, we shall not finde nor feel]See Job 7. on vers. 7.] sword nor famine.

13. Yea those Prophets[The true Prophets. These are yet the words of the people] shall be winde,[Their Prophecies shall not be accomplished , nothing shall come of it, it's but winde. Compare Mich 2 .11 and Job 6. on vers. 26.] for the Word is not with them : [they have not the Word of the LORD. He doth not speak such things by them. Compare 2 Chron. 36.16.]thus shall it come unto them [That which theythreaten us, shall ligh pon theselves]

14. Therefore thus saith the LORD the God of Hosts, [See 1 Kings 18 on vers.15] because ye speak this word : Behold I will make[Hebr, give] my words in thy mouth ,[Here God speaketh to Jeremia Compare above chap.1.9,10, where God also ascribeth his own work to the Prophets , because he would comfirm the word of his servant. See there on vers.10.]fire,and this people, wood, and is shall consume them.

15. Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far,[From Babylon .see Isai .5.20 and Deuteronomy 28:49 above chap.1.15 and below chap.6.22] O house of Israel , saith the LORD;it is a strong [Or,rough,hard]nation, it is a very ancient nation ,[Hebr, a nation of antiquity, eternity,or,age ;That is ,a mighty nation of old,ever from Nimrods time .see genes.10.8,etc and above chap.2 on vers.20, a nation,whose language thou shalt not know , neither hear[That is , understand . See Genes.11. On vers. 7 .] what they shall speak.

16. Their [T wit, this nations, whereof in the former verse] quiver is an open sepulchre.[That is, they shall kill, and bring to the grave, multitudes of you with thei arrwes]they [To wit , the Babylonians] are all champions.

17. And they [To wit,that strange nation] shall eat up thine harvest, amd thy bread ,[Compare Levit,26.16, Deut.28.31,33.] (Which)thy sons and thy daughters shaould eat ; that is, consume them .Compare below chap.8.16] they shall eat up thy sheep, and thy oxen, [Thy small and great cattel] they shall eat up thy vine, and thy figtree:[That is ,the fruit of thy vines and fig-trees] the [to wit, the Babylonian soilders] shall impoverish thy fenced Cities , wherein thou trustedst with the sword .

18. Nevertheless, in those dayes, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you .[See above chap.4 on vers.27.]

19. And it shall come to passe, when the shall say,;Wherefore hath the LORD our God done all thes things unto us ? [compare below chap.16.10.] that thou shalt say unto them ;[To wit, in my Name, with my words,as appeareth by that which followeth] Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange Gods in your Land , so shall ye sere foreigners, in a Land,that is not yours.

20. So declare this in the house of Jacob, and let it be heard in Juda saying:

21. Hear now this , ye foolish, and hert-laees people :[That is, which have no understanding : no eyes nor ears of the soul, to consider and obey the Word of God . Compare below chap.6.10.]which have eyes ,but see not ,which have ears, but hear not.

22. Will ye not fear me , saith the LORD? Will ye not tremble before before my face?I that have placed the sand, for a bound unto the sea ,by an everlasting statute , that shall not passe over it : though the wavesthereof tosse themselves, yet shall the not prevail , though they roar, yet shall they not passe over it [Compare Job.38.10,11. Psal.33.7 and 104.9.]

23. But this people have a revolting and rebellious heart : the are revolted and gone away.

24. Neither say they in their heart : Let us now fear the LORD uor God , that giveth rain, both the former rain, and the latter rain.[see Deut.11on vers .14] in it's season:[See Psa;.1 on vers.3.] who reserveth unto us the weeks, the appointed times of the harvest.[Some understand hereby every seventyyear, wherebthey had to let the land rest , and to lie untilled , in which yeers God had promise them singular blessing. See Levit.25.4,etc and vers.20 etc Oth. The set, or, appointed weeks of the harvest.See Levit.26.2,10 Oth. The oaths of the appointed times.

25. Your iniquities turn away those things ,[To wit, the blessing mentioned in the former verse] and your sins hinder that good from you .

26. For among my people are found wicked ones : every one of them layeth wait ,[Hebr. Layeth wait; that is, every obne of them] as the fowler do order themselves.[That lie down,bow,bend and frame themselves , to catch bords with all the craft and policy that maybe .Oth as the for among my people are found wicked ones : every one of them layeth wait ,[He layeth wait, that is, every one of them]as the fowler do order themselves ,[that lie down,bow,bend,and frame themselves , to catch bords with all the caft and policy that may be .Oth. As the fowlers do set (snares)] they set a destructive snare[Hebr.destruction ,or, something that destroyeth ; that is, that destroyeth men] they catch men.

27. As a cage is full of birds ,so are their houses full of deceit.: therefore they are grown great and rich.[That is, full of wealth, which they have gotten by deceit.]

28. They are fat ,[Compare Deut.32.15.]they are smooth ,yea, they surpas the deeds of the wicked,[That is, they are bworse in their practices, then the most wicked of all are wont to be .Compare above c.2.33. Oth .they transgresse (by)wicked facts .Hebr. They surpass,or,exceed the words,things, matters,or, dealings of the,or, of a wicked man:or, thus, they go thorow,by wicked devices:That is, commit all manner of wickednesse bodly.]they judge not the cause,(even) the cause of the fatherlesse,[Compare Isai.1.23, Zach.7.10.]yet they are prosperous;[That is,they prosper,grow rich,fat,and well liking,as was said in the former words]neither do they judge the right of the needy.

29. Should I not visit for those things, saith the LORD? Should not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this ? See above vers.8 and below chap.9.9.]

30. A terrible and horrible thing is done in the Land.[Compare below chap.18.13. And 23.14. Hos.6.10.]

31. The Prophets[To wit, the false Prophets] prophesie falsly, [Hebr. In, or, with falshood,or, lying.Compare below chapter 14 .18 and 23.25,26. Ezech.13.6.] and the Priests bear rule by their hands,3,14,15.,[That is, by the help and service of the false Prophets.The one helpeth and strenghteneth the other .Or, they ear rule on their fides.Oth. Take in their hands ,to wit, gifts.] and my people are willing (to have)it so:[Hebr. Love it so] but what will ye do in the end thereof ?[Hebr. In the hindmost,last, or uttermost thereof ;or, of her; to wit, of Jerusalem,or,of the Land; that is, how will ye fare with it at last, when I shall visit ti, to wit, eirther Jerusalem,or the Land?Compare Deut.32.20. Oth. What would ye do at last? What grosse abominations would ye not commit at last?]