Liber Ieremiae, 5

1. Circuite vias Ierusalem et aspicite et considerate et quaerite in plateis eius, an inveniatis virum, an sit qui faciat iudicium et quaerentem fidem, et propitius ero ei.

1. Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth; that I may pardon her.

2. Quod si etiam “Vivit Dominus!” dixerint, certe falso iurabunt.

2. Though they say, "As the LORD lives," yet they swear falsely.

3. Domine, nonne oculi tui respiciunt fidem? Percussisti eos, et non doluerunt, attrivisti eos, et renuerunt accipere disciplinam: induraverunt facies suas supra petram, noluerunt reverti.

3. O LORD, do not thy eyes look for truth? Thou hast smitten them, but they felt no anguish; thou hast consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.

4. Ego autem dixi: “Ecce pauperes illi stulte agunt, quia ignorant viam Domini, iudicium Dei sui.

4. Then I said, "These are only the poor, they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the LORD, the law of their God.

5. Ibo igitur ad optimates et loquar eis; ipsi enim noverunt viam Domini, iudicium Dei sui”. Ecce hi simul confregerunt iugum, ruperunt vincula.

5. I will go to the great, and will speak to them; for they know the way of the LORD, the law of their God." But they all alike had broken the yoke, they had burst the bonds.

6. Idcirco percussit eos leo de silva, lupus deserti vastabit eos, pardus vigilans super civitates eorum: omnis, qui egressus fuerit ex eis, lacerabitur, quia multiplicatae sunt praevaricationes eorum, confortatae sunt aversiones eorum.

6. Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, a wolf from the desert shall destroy them. A leopard is watching against their cities, every one who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are great.

7. “Super quo propitius tibi esse potero? Filii tui dereliquerunt me et iuraverunt in his, qui non sunt dii; saturavi eos, et moechati sunt et in domum meretricis gregatim confluebant.

7. "How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of harlots.

8. Equi impinguati et admissarii facti sunt: unusquisque ad uxorem proximi sui hinniebat.

8. They were well-fed lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor's wife.

9. Numquid super his non visitabo, dicit Dominus, et in gente tali non ulciscetur anima mea?

9. Shall I not punish them for these things? says the LORD; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?

10. Ascendite muros eius et dissipate, consummationem autem nolite facere; auferte propagines eius, quia non sunt Domini.

10. "Go up through her vine-rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the LORD's.

11. Praevaricatione enim praevaricata est in me domus Israel et domus Iudae”, ait Dominus.

11. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly faithless to me, says the LORD.

12. Negaverunt Dominum et dixerunt: “Non est ipse; neque veniet super nos malum, et gladium et famem non videbimus.

12. They have spoken falsely of the LORD, and have said, `He will do nothing; no evil will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine.

13. Prophetae erunt in ventum, et responsum non est in eis. Haec ergo evenient illis”.

13. The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them!'"

14. Propterea haec dicit Dominus, Deus exercituum: “Quia locuti estis verbum istud, ecce ego do verba mea in ore tuo in ignem et populum istum in ligna, et vorabit eos.

14. Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts: "Because they have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall devour them.

15. Ecce ego adducam super vos gentem de longinquo, domus Israel, ait Dominus, gentem robustam, gentem antiquam, gentem, cuius ignorabis linguam nec intelleges quid loquatur.

15. Behold, I am bringing upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, says the LORD. It is an enduring nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say.

16. Pharetra eius quasi sepulcrum patens universi fortes.

16. Their quiver is like an open tomb, they are all mighty men.

17. Et comedet segetes tuas et panem tuum, devorabit filios tuos et filias tuas, comedet gregem tuum et armenta tua, comedet vineam tuam et ficum tuam; et conteret urbes munitas tuas, in quibus tu habes fiduciam, gladio.

17. They shall eat up your harvest and your food; they shall eat up your sons and your daughters; they shall eat up your flocks and your herds; they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; your fortified cities in which you trust they shall destroy with the sword."

18. Verumtamen et in diebus illis, ait Dominus, non faciam in vobis consummationem”.

18. "But even in those days, says the LORD, I will not make a full end of you.

19. Quod si dixeritis: “Quare fecit nobis Dominus Deus noster haec omnia?”, dices ad eos: “Sicut dereliquistis me et servistis diis alienis in terra vestra, sic servietis alienis in terra non vestra”.

19. And when your people say, `Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' you shall say to them, `As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'"

20. Annuntiate hoc domui Iacob et auditum facite in Iuda dicentes:

20. Declare this in the house of Jacob, proclaim it in Judah:

21. “Audi, popule stulte, qui non habes cor, qui habentes oculos non vident, et aures et non audiunt.

21. "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

22. Numquid me non timebitis, ait Dominus, et a facie mea non trepidabitis? Qui posui arenam terminum mari, praeceptum sempiternum, quod non praeteribit; et commovebuntur et non poterunt, et intumescent fluctus eius, et non transibunt illud”.

22. Do you not fear me? says the LORD; Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the bound for the sea, a perpetual barrier which it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail, though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

23. Populo autem huic factum est cor contumax et rebelle; recesserunt et abierunt

23. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.

24. et non dixerunt in corde suo: “Metuamus Dominum Deum nostrum, qui dat nobis pluviam temporaneam et serotinam in tempore suo, hebdomadas statutas messis custodientem nobis”.

24. They do not say in their hearts, `Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'

25. Iniquitates vestrae declinaverunt haec, et peccata vestra prohibuerunt bonum a vobis,

25. Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you.

26. quia inventi sunt in populo meo impii, insidiantes quasi incurvati aucupes, laqueos ponentes ad capiendos viros.

26. For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men.

27. Sicut decipula plena avibus, sic domus eorum plenae dolo; ideo magnificati sunt et ditati,

27. Like a basket full of birds, their houses are full of treachery; therefore they have become great and rich,

28. incrassati sunt et impinguati: et transgressi sunt terminos mali. Causam non iudicaverunt, causam pupilli, ut ipsi prospere agant, et iudicium pauperum non iudicaverunt.

28. they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of wickedness; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.

29. Numquid super his non visitabo, dicit Dominus, aut super gentem huiuscemodi non ulciscetur anima mea?

29. Shall I not punish them for these things? says the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?"

30. Stupor et mirabilia facta sunt in terra:

30. An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:

31. prophetae prophetabant mendacium, et sacerdotes applaudebant manibus suis, et populus meus dilexit talia. Quid igitur facietis in novissimo eius?

31. the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?