Jeremiah 6 - Easy To Read Version Easy To Read Version
Jeremiah 6

¹ Run for your lives, people of Benjamin!\par Run away from the city of Jerusalem!\par Blow the war trumpet in the city of Tekoa!\par Put up the warning flag\par in the city of Beth Hakkerem!\par Do these things because disaster is coming from the north. {\cf2\super [37]} \par Terrible destruction is coming to you.\par

² Daughter of Zion, {\cf2\super [38]} you are like\par a beautiful meadow. {\cf2\super [39]} \par

³ Shepherds come to Jerusalem,\par and they bring their flocks.\par They set up their tents all around her.\par Each shepherd takes care of his own flock.\par

⁴ “Get ready to fight against Jerusalem.\par Get up! We will attack the city at noon.\par But it is already getting late.\par The evening shadows are growing long.\par

⁵ So get up! We will attack the city at night!\par Let’s destroy the strong walls\par that are around Jerusalem.”\par

⁶ This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:\par “Cut down the trees around Jerusalem.\par And build a siege mound {\cf2\super [40]} against it.\par This city should be punished.\par Inside this city is nothing but oppression.\par

⁷ A well keeps its water fresh.\par In the same way,\par Jerusalem keeps its wickedness fresh.\par I hear about the looting and violence\par in this city all the time.\par I see the pain and sickness in Jerusalem\par all the time.\par

⁸ Listen to this warning, Jerusalem.\par If you don’t listen\par then I will turn my back on you.\par I will make your land an empty desert.\par No person will be able to live there.”\par

⁹ This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:\par “Gather {\cf2\super [41]} the people of Israel\par that were left on their land.\par Gather them the way you would gather\par the last grapes on a grapevine.\par Check each vine, like a worker checks\par each vine when he picks the grapes.”\par

¹⁰ Who can I speak to?\par Who can I warn?\par Who will listen to me?\par The people of Israel have closed their ears,\par so they can’t hear my warnings.\par The people don’t like the Lord’s teachings.\par They don’t want to hear his message.\par

¹¹ But I (Jeremiah) am full of the Lord’s anger!\par I am tired of holding it in!\par “Pour out the Lord’s anger on the children\par that play in the street.\par Pour out the Lord’s anger on the young men\par that gather together.\par A man and his wife will both be captured.\par All the old people will be captured.\par

¹² Their houses will be given to other people.\par Their fields and their wives\par will be given to other people.\par I will raise my hand and punish\par the people of Judah.”\par This message was from the Lord.\par

¹³ “All the people of Israel want\par more and more money.\par All the people, from the least important\par to the most important people,\par are like that.\par All the people,\par from prophets to priests\par tell lies.\par

¹⁴ My people have been hurt very badly.\par The prophets and priests\par should bandage those wounds.\par But they treat those wounds\par like they are only a small scratch.\par They say,\par ‘It is all right, everything is fine!’\par But it is not all right!\par

¹⁵ The priests and prophets should\par be ashamed\par of the bad things they do.\par But they are not ashamed at all.\par They don’t know enough\par to be embarrassed of their sins.\par So they will be punished with everyone else.\par They will be thrown to the ground\par when I punish the people.”\par The Lord said those things.\par

¹⁶ The Lord says these things:\par “Stand at the crossroads and look.\par Ask where the old road is.\par Ask where the good road is,\par and walk on that road.\par If you do, you will find rest for yourselves.\par But you people have said,\par ‘We will not walk on the good road!’\par

¹⁷ I chose watchmen to watch over you.\par I told them,\par ‘Listen for the sound of the war trumpet.’\par But they said,\par ‘We will not listen!’\par

¹⁸ So, listen, all you nations!\par Pay attention, you people in those countries! {\cf2\super [42]} \par

¹⁹ Hear this, people of the earth.\par I am going to bring disaster\par to the people of Judah.\par Why? Because of all the bad things\par that those people planned.\par And because they ignored my messages.\par Those people refused to obey my law.”\par

²⁰ \{The Lord says,\}\par “Why do you bring me incense {\cf2\super [43]} \par from the country of Sheba? {\cf2\super [44]} \par Why do you bring me sweet-smelling cane from a far away country?\par Your burnt offerings don’t make\par me happy.\par Your sacrifices don’t please me.”\par

²¹ So, this is what the Lord says:\par “I will give the people of Judah problems.\par They will be like stones\par that make people fall.\par Fathers and sons will stumble over them.\par Friends and neighbors will die.”\par

²² This is what the Lord says:\par “An army is coming from the north. {\cf2\super [45]} \par A great nation is coming from\par faraway places on earth.\par

²³ The soldiers carry bows and spears.\par They are cruel.\par They have no mercy.\par They are so powerful.\par They sound like the roaring ocean\par as they ride their horses.\par That army is coming ready for battle.\par That army is coming to attack you,\par Daughter of Zion.” {\cf2\super [46]} \par

²⁴ We have heard the news about that army.\par We are helpless from fear.\par We feel trapped by our troubles.\par We are like a woman that is having a baby.\par

²⁵ Don’t go out into the fields.\par Don’t go on the roads.\par Why? Because the enemy has swords\par and there is danger everywhere.\par

²⁶ My people, put on sackcloth {\cf2\super [47]} ,\par and roll in the ashes. {\cf2\super [48]} \par Cry loud for the dead people.\par Cry like you lost an only son.\par Do these things because the destroyer\par will come against us very quickly.\par

²⁷ “Jeremiah, I (the Lord) made you\par like a worker that tests metals.\par You will test my people\par and watch how they live.\par

²⁸ My people have turned against me,\par and they are very stubborn.\par They say bad things about people.\par They are like bronze and iron,\par that are covered with rust and tarnish.\par

²⁹ \{They are like a worker\par that tried to make silver pure.\}\par The bellows {\cf2\super [49]} blew strongly\par \{and the fire became hotter\}.\par But only lead came from the fire! {\cf2\super [50]} \par The worker wasted his time\par trying to make that silver pure.\par In the same way, the evil was not removed\par \{from my people\}.\par

³⁰ My people will be called, ‘Rejected Silver.’\par They will be given that name\par because the Lord did not accept them.”\par