“Yahweh said to me.
‘Conspiracy exists
Among the people of Judah,
Among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
They have turned back
To the iniquities of their ancestors.
They have refused to hear my words.
They have gone after other gods
To serve them.
The house of Israel,
The house of Judah,
Both have broken the covenant
That I made with their ancestors.’
Thus says Yahweh.
‘Therefore,
Assuredly I am going to bring
Disaster upon them.
They cannot escape.
Though they cry out to me,
I will not listen to them.’”
Once again, Yahweh speaks in the first person singular directly to Jeremiah. He said that there was a conspiracy among the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. This terminology persists throughout Jeremiah with an emphasis on the city of Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah. They are acting like their iniquitous ancestors, because they refuse to listen to the words of Yahweh. Instead they are going after other idol gods to serve them. But this applies both to the northern house of Israel and the southern house of Judah. They have both broken the covenant that was made with their ancestors. Therefore Yahweh was going to bring disaster upon them that they would not be able to escape. Even if they cried out to him, he was not going to listen to them. The result is set in stone.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 