8. But your ancestors did not listen to me. They were stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted. The agreement says curses will come upon them if they don’t obey it. So I made all those curses come upon them! I commanded them to obey the agreement, but they did not.’”
9. Then the Lord said to me, “I know the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem have made secret plans.
10. They are doing the same sins their ancestors did! Their ancestors refused to listen to my message. They followed and worshiped other gods. The families of Israel and Judah have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors.
11. So this is what the Lord says: ‘I will soon bring a disaster on the people of Judah. They will not be able to escape! And they will cry to me for help. But I will not listen to them!
12. The people living in the towns of Judah and the city of Jerusalem will pray to their idols for help. They will burn incense to their idols. But those idols will not be able to help when that terrible time comes!
13. The people of Judah have as many idols as there are towns in Judah. They have built many altars for worshiping that shameful god Baal. There are as many altars as there are streets in Jerusalem!’
14. “As for you, Jeremiah, don’t pray for these people. Don’t cry out for them or ask anything for them. I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble.
15. “What is my lover, Judah, doing in my Temple?She makes many evil plans.Does she think animal sacrifices will stop her punishment?When you do your evil, then you are happy.”
16. The Lord called you “a leafy olive tree,with beautiful fruit to look at.”But with a strong stormthe Lord will set that tree on fire.And its branches will be burned up.
17. The Lord of heaven’s armies planted you. And he has announced that disaster will come to you. This is because the families of Israel and Judah have done evil things. They have made him angry by offering sacrifices to Baal.
18. The Lord showed me that men were making plans against me. The Lord showed me what they were doing. So I knew they were against me.
19. Before this, I was like a gentle lamb waiting to be butchered. I did not know they had made plans against me. They said:“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit!Let’s kill him!Then people will forget him!”