Jeremiah 8

All 22 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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1. 1At that time," says the LORD, "they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem from their graves.
2. 2They'll scatter those bones under the open sky—exposed to the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven that these people loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. No one will gather those bones up or rebury them. They'll lie on the ground like dung.
3. 3And the survivors of this wicked nation — scattered to every place where I've driven them — will wish they were dead rather than alive," says the LORD of Armies.
4. 4"Tell them this as well: The LORD says, 'When people fall down, don't they get back up? When someone wanders off the path, don't they turn around and come back?
5. 5So why do the people of Jerusalem keep sliding further and further away and never stop? They cling to their lies and refuse to come back to me.
6. 6I've listened carefully, but not one of them speaks honestly. No one repents of their wickedness and asks, "What have I done?" Instead, everyone charges ahead on their own path like a horse rushing headlong into battle.
7. 7Even the stork in the sky knows its appointed times, and the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane observe the time of their coming. But my people do not know the judgment of the LORD.
8. 8How can you say, "We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us"? Look, he has certainly made it in vain; the pen of the scribes is in vain.
9. 9Your so-called wise men will be put to shame. They'll be horrified and trapped. Look — they rejected the word of the LORD, so what kind of wisdom could they possibly have?
10. 10Because of this, I will hand their wives over to other men and their fields to new owners. From the lowest to the highest, everyone is greedy for dishonest gain. From prophet to priest, every one of them is a fraud.
11. 11They treat the wounds of my people as if they were nothing serious, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.
12. 12Were they ashamed of the disgusting things they did? Not in the least — they didn't even know how to blush. So they will fall along with everyone else who falls. When I come to judge them, they will be brought down," says the LORD.
13. 13"I will completely destroy them," says the LORD. "There will be no grapes left on the vine, no figs on the fig tree, and even the leaves will wither. Everything I gave them will be taken away.'"
14. 14Why are we just sitting here? Let's gather and go into the fortified cities and be silent there, for the LORD our God has made us silent and given us bitter water to drink because we have sinned against the LORD.
15. 15We hoped for peace, but nothing good came. We waited for a time of healing, but instead — terror!
16. 16The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan. The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones. They have come and devoured the land and everything in it—the city and all who live there.
17. 17"Watch — I am sending venomous snakes among you, deadly vipers that no one can charm, and they will bite you," says the LORD.
18. 18My grief is beyond comfort. My heart is sick inside me.
19. 19Listen to the cry of the daughter of my people because of those who dwell in a far country: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her king not in her?" Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images and with strange worthless things?
20. 20The harvest is over, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.
21. 21For the hurt of the daughter of my people, I am hurt; I am in mourning; astonishment has taken hold of me.
22. 22Is there no healing balm in Gilead? Is there no doctor there? Then why hasn't my people's wound been healed?