The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 “^aHear the words of this ^bcovenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3 and say to them, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: “^aCursed is the one who does not obey the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your forefathers on the ^aday that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the ^biron furnace, saying, ‘^cListen to My voice, and ¹do according to all that I command you; so you shall be ^dMy people, and I will be your God,’ 5 in order to confirm the ^aoath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I replied, “^bAmen, LORD.”

6 And the LORD said to me, “^aProclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘^bHear the words of this covenant and ^cdo them. 7 For I solemnly ^awarned your fathers on the ^bday I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, ^cwarning them persistently, saying, “^dListen to My voice.” 8 Yet they ^adid not obey or incline their ear, but walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart, each one of them; therefore I brought on them all the ^bwords of this covenant which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”

9 Then the LORD said to me, “A ^aconspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have ^aturned back to the wrongdoings of their ¹ancestors who ^brefused to hear My words, and they ^chave followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have ^dbroken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” 11 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am ^abringing disaster on them which they will ^bnot be able to escape; though they will ^ccry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will ^ago and cry out to the gods to whom they ¹burn incense, but they certainly will not save them in the time of their disaster. 13 For your gods are ^1aas many as your cities, Judah; and ²as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the ^bshameful thing, altars for ^3cburning incense to Baal.

14 “So as for you, ^ado not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will ^bnot listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.

17 The LORD of armies, who ^aplanted you, has ^bpronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have ¹done to provoke Me by ^2coffering sacrifices to Baal.

21 Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the people of ^aAnathoth, who are ^bseeking your life, saying: “^cDo not prophesy in the name of the LORD, so that you do not ^ddie by our hand”; 22 therefore, this is what the LORD of armies says: “Behold, I am going to ^apunish them! The ^byoung men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine; 23 and a remnant ^awill not be left to them, because I will ^bbring disaster on the people of Anathoth—^cthe year of their punishment.”