Jeremiah 14

1 O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down: the mountains would melt away at thy presence. 2 They would melt as at the burning of fire, the waters would burn with fire, that thy name might be made known to thy enemies: that the nations might tremble at thy presence. 3 When thou shalt do wonderful things, we shall not bear them: thou didst come down, and at thy presence the mountains melted away. 4 From the beginning of the world they have not heard, nor perceived with the ears: the eye hath not seen, O God, besides thee, what things thou hast prepared for them that wait for thee. 5 Thou hast met him that rejoiceth, and doth justice: in thy ways they shall remember thee: behold thou art angry, and we have sinned: in them we have been always, and we shall be saved. 6 And we are all become as one unclean, and all our justices as the rag of a menstruous woman: and we have all fallen as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7 There is none that calleth upon thy name: that riseth up, and taketh hold of thee: thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast crushed us in the hand of our iniquity. 8 And now, O Lord, thou art our father, and we are clay: and thou art our maker, and we all are the works of thy hands. 9 Be not very angry, O Lord, and remember no longer our iniquity: behold, see we are all thy people. 10 The city of thy sanctuary is become a desert, Sion is made a desert, Jerusalem is desolate. 11 The house of our holiness, and of our glory, where our fathers praised thee, is burnt with fire, and all our lovely things are turned into ruins. 12 Wilt thou refrain thyself, O Lord, upon these things, wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us vehemently? 14 They have sought me that before asked not for me, they have found me that sought me not. I said: Behold me, behold me, to a nation that did not call upon my name. 15 I have spread forth my hands all the day to an unbelieving people, who walk in a way that is not good after their own thoughts. 16 A people that continually provoke me to anger before my face, that immolate in gardens, and sacrifice upon bricks. 17 That dwell in sepulchres, and sleep in the temple of idols: that eat swine’s flesh, and profane broth is in their vessels. 18 That say: Depart from me, come not near me, because thou art unclean: these shall be smoke in my anger, a fire burning all the day. 19 Behold it is written before me: I will not be silent, but I will render and repay into their bosom. 20 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, who have sacrificed upon the mountains, and have reproached me upon the hills; and I will measure back their first work in their bosom. 21 Thus saith the Lord: As if a grain be found in a cluster, and it be said: Destroy it not, because it is a blessing: so will I do for the sake of my servants, that I may not destroy the whole. 22 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Juda a possessor of my mountains: and my elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.