Jeremiah 8

Jeremiah 8:1

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.

The calamity, that I will bring upon the Jews and Jerusalem, shall not rest in the living, but shall reach to the very dead; for the very bones of their kings, and princes, and priests, and prophets, shall be torn up out of their graves.

Jeremiah 8:4

Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?

Thus saith the Lord; The fall of Jerusalem is great and fearful; but yet, if they had grace to repent, not desperate: if they would return to me, should not I turn in mercy unto them?

Jeremiah 8:8

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.

How do ye priests and scribes, say, We are wise and learned, and the law of the Lord is with us; when, in the mean time, ye live contrary to it? Certainly, if this be to know and make a right use of the law, the law should seem to be to small purpose, either in the making or writing of it.

Jeremiah 8:9

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?

Those, that have made this profession of wisdom, have shamed themselves, by their unanswerable practice: lo, they have cast off all care of doing that, which the word of God enjoins them; and how then can they challenge any true wisdom to themselves?

Jeremiah 8:14

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 waters of gall to drink. Why do we sit still, ye say, while the enemy shall come and cut our throats? Let us enter into our strong cities, and stand upon our defence; and rest there, till these Babylonians be departed: alas, ye shall rest there indeed, but for ever; for the Lord our God hath there intended to give us up to the slaughter: he hath there appointed us that bitter portion, which we must drink up.

Jeremiah 8:17

For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.

Behold, I will send the Chaldees among you, cruel and implacable enemies; which will by no means be won to relent, but shall oppress you, even unto death.

Jeremiah 8:18

When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.

Fain would I put off this deep sorrow, that I have conceived, for the imminent destruction of my countrymen, and cheer up my heart with some kind of comfort; but I cannot.

Jeremiah 8:19

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?

For, behold, methinks I hear already the shrieks and cries of the Jews, because of the Babylonians, that are come in upon them, from Chaldea; and yet they are still ready to presume upon their title and interest in God; and say, Is not the Lord worshipped by us, in Zion? Do not we profess him? Doth not he profess himself the King and God of Jerusalem? Alas; to what purpose is this idle formality? They profess me indeed, saith God, but they provoke me, the while, to anger, with their idolatries.

Jeremiah 8:20

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

The harvest is past, and the summer is ended; which might have given us hopes and opportunities of succours, yet we hear of none from Egypt, or any other our associates; so as we are now out of all hopes of deliverance.

Jeremiah 8:21

For the hurt of the daughter of my people, am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.

Alas, how am I afflicted with this miserable condition of my people! How do I mourn for them! How am I astonished to think of the mischief that is towards them!