Jeremiah 11 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

This is the message that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh:

"Listen to the terms of this agreement, and then tell them to the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.

Tell them, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: Anyone who doesn't keep the terms of this agreement is cursed.

These are the terms I gave your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of that iron furnace. I said, "Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people and I will be your God" —

so that I could fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors — to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, just as it is today.'" And I answered, "Yes, Yahweh. Let it be so."

Then Yahweh said to me, "Announce all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the terms of this agreement and carry them out.

Because I solemnly warned your ancestors from the day I brought them out of Egypt until today, warning them over and over: Obey me.

But they didn't listen. They didn't pay attention. Instead, every single one of them followed the stubbornness of their own corrupt hearts. So I brought on them every consequence written in this agreement — the one I commanded them to follow, but they refused.'"

Then Yahweh said to me, "There's a conspiracy among the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.

They've gone back to the failures of their ancestors who refused to listen to my words. They've chased after other gods and worshiped them. Both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors."

So this is what Yahweh says: "Watch — I'm about to bring a disaster on them that they won't be able to escape. And when they cry out to me, I won't listen.

Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go crying to the gods they've been burning incense to — but those gods absolutely will not rescue them when their time of trouble comes.

Because Judah, you have as many gods as you have cities. And the people of Jerusalem — you've set up as many shameful altars as there are streets, altars for burning incense to Baal."

"As for you, Jeremiah — don't pray for these people. Don't lift up any cry or prayer on their behalf, because I won't listen when they call out to me in their time of trouble.

"What right does the one I love have in my house when she's carried out so many schemes? Can sacred meat turn your disaster aside? When you do evil, that's when you celebrate."

Yahweh once called you a thriving olive tree, beautiful, with gorgeous fruit. But with the roar of a violent storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be shattered.

Yahweh of Armies — the one who planted you — has declared disaster against you. It's because of the evil done by the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah. They brought this on themselves by making me furious, burning incense to Baal.

Yahweh showed me what was happening, and I saw it — that's when he opened my eyes to what they were doing.

I had been like a trusting lamb led to slaughter. I had no idea they were plotting against me: "Let's destroy the tree while it's still full of life. Let's cut him off from the land of the living so that even his name is forgotten."

But Yahweh of Armies judges with justice. He examines the deepest thoughts and feelings. Let me see your payback against them, because I've handed my case over to you.

"So this is what Yahweh says about the men of Anathoth who want you dead — the ones who say, 'Stop speaking in the name of Yahweh, or we'll kill you with our own hands' —

this is what Yahweh of Armies says: "Watch — I'm about to deal with them. Their young men will die by the sword. Their sons and daughters will die from famine.

No one will be left. I will bring disaster on the men of Anathoth when the year of their reckoning comes."