But I was like a docile lamb being led to the slaughter. And I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be remembered no more.

Then they said, Come and let us devise schemes against Jeremiah. For the Law shall not perish from the priest, nor wisdom from the wise, nor the Word from the prophet. Come and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.

For I have heard the whisperings of many, terror is all around. Proclaim, they say, and we will report it. Everyone at peace with me is watching for me to stumble and fall, saying, Perhaps he will be lured away, and we shall prevail against him, and shall take our revenge on him.

Rescue my soul, O Jehovah, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.

Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of the broom tree!

My soul has dwelt long with him who hates peace.

This evil people, who refuse to hear My Words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart and walk after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, shall even be like this waistband, which is good for nothing.

Yet they say to the Mighty God, Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we entreat Him?

Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one pays attention,

Because they hated knowledge and chose not the fear of Jehovah.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I also will forget your sons.

And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

And even as they do not like to have God in their full true knowledge, God gives them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak to your shame.