when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and the blood of Jerusalem shall have been rinsed away from its midst by a spirit of judgment, and by a spirit of burning.
They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear My Word. And they went after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I cut with their fathers.
And I was like a docile lamb being brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had plotted schemes against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; and let us cut him off from the land of the living so that his name may be remembered no more.
This evil people who refuse to hear My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and walk after other gods,to serve them and to bow down to them, shall even be like this girdle which is not useful for anything.
Then they said, Come and let us plot schemes against Jeremiah. For the Law shall not perish from the priest, and not counsel from the wise, and not word from the prophet. Come and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not attend to any of his words.
For I heard the slanders of many, Terror is all around! Expose! Yea, let us expose him! Every man of my peace watched for my fall, saying, Perhaps he will be lured away, and we shall prevail against him; and we shall take revenge on him.
How shall I give you up, Ephraim? Shall I deliver you, Israel? How shall I make you like Admah? Shall I set you as Zeboim? My heart has turned within Me; My compassions are kindled together.
My people are cut off for lack of knowledge; because you rejected the knowledge, I also rejected you from being priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I will forget your sons, even I.
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined. And I will test them as gold is tested. They shall call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, It is My people, and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.