When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have cleansed the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised plans against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be like this waistband, which is good for nothing.
Then they said, Come, and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my companions watched for my downfall, saying, Perhaps he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
How shall I give you up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver you, Israel? how shall I make you like Admah? how shall I treat you like Zeboim? my heart is overturned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, so that you shall be no priest to me: seeing that you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them as gold is tested: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.