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[1]Thewords that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
[2]Standin the gate of the Lord's house and cry this word there, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord.
[3]Thussaith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your works, and I will let you dwell in this place.
[4]Trustnot in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord: this is the temple of the Lord.
[5]Forif you amend and redress your ways and your works: if you execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,
[6]Andoppress not the stranger, the fatherless and the widow and shed no innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your destruction,
[7]Thenwill I let you dwell in this place in the land that I gave unto your fathers, forever and ever.
[8]Behold,you trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
[9]Willyou steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not?
[10]Andcome and stand before me in this house, whereupon my name is called, and say, We are delivered, though we have done all these abominations?
[11]Isthis house become a den of thieves, whereupon my name is called before your eyes? Behold, even I see it, saith the Lord.
[12]Butgo ye now unto my place which was in Shilo, where I set my name at the beginning, and behold, what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
[13]Thereforenow because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, (and I rose up early and spake unto you: but when I spake, ye would not hear me, neither when I called, would ye answer).
[14]Thereforewill I do unto this house, whereupon my name is called, wherein also ye trust, even unto the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done unto Shilo.
[15]AndI will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren , even the whole seed of Ephraim.
[16]Thereforethou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift up cry or prayer for them neither entreat me, for I will not hear thee.
[17]Seestthou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
[18]Thechildren gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women kneed the dough to make cakes to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me unto anger.
[19]Dothey provoke me to anger, saith the Lord, and not themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
[20]Thereforethus saith the Lord God, Behold, mine anger and my wrath shall be poured upon this place, upon man and upon beast, and upon the tree of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground, and it shall burn and not be quenched.
[21]Thussaith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat the flesh.
[22]ForI spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.
[23]Butthis thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways which I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
[24]Butthey would not obey, nor incline their ear, but went after the counsels and the stubbornness of their wicked heart, and went backward and not forward.
[25]Sincethe day that your fathers came up out of the land of Egypt, unto this day, I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early every day, and sending them.
[26]Yetwould they not hear me nor incline their ear, but hardened their neck and did worse than their fathers.
[27]Thereforeshalt thou speak all these words unto them, but they will not hear thee: thou shalt also cry unto them, but they will not answer thee.
[28]Butthou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that heareth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth discipline: truth is perished, and is clean gone out of their mouth.
[29]Cutoff thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a complaint on the high places: for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
[30]Forthe children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house, whereupon my name is called, to pollute it.
[31]Andthey have built the high place of Topheth, which is in the valley of Ben-Hinnom to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I commanded them not, neither came it in mine heart.
[32]Thereforebehold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Topheth, nor the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Topheth till there be no place.
[33]Andthe carcasses of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth, and none shall fray them away.
[34]ThenI will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.
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