15 Then I said to the people of Judah:[a] “Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant! For the Lord has spoken. 16 Show the Lord your God the respect that is due him.[b] Do it before he brings the darkness of disaster.[c] Do it before you stumble[d] into distress

13 The Lord said to me, “Go and buy some linen shorts[a] and put them on.[b] Do not put them in water.”[c] 2 So I bought the shorts in keeping with the Lord’s instructions[d] and put them on.[e] 3 Then the Lord’s message came to me again, 4 “Take the shorts that you bought and are wearing[f] and go at once[g] to Perath.[h] Bury the shorts there[i] in a crack in the rocks.”

5 The Lord answered,[a] “If you have raced on foot against men and they have worn you out, how will you be able to compete with horses? And if you feel secure only[b] in safe and open country,[c] how will you manage in the thick undergrowth along the Jordan River?[d]

12 Lord, you have always been fair whenever I have complained to you.[a] However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice.[b] Why are wicked people successful?[c] Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?

11 The Lord said to Jeremiah:[a] 2 “Hear[b] the terms of the covenant[c] I made with Israel[d] and pass them on[e] to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem.[f] 3 Tell them that the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Anyone who does not keep the terms of the covenant will be under a curse.[g

11 You people of Israel should tell those nations this: ‘These gods did not make heaven and earth. They will disappear[a] from the earth and from under the heavens.’[b] 12 The Lord is the one who[c] by his power made the earth. He is the one who by his wisdom established the world. And by his understanding he spread out the skies. 13 When his voice thunders,[d] the heavenly ocean roars. He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons.[e] He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain. He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.[f]

10 You people of Israel,[a] listen to what the Lord has to say to you. 2 The Lord says: “Do not start following pagan religious practices.[b] Do not be in awe of signs that occur[c] in the sky even though the nations hold them in awe. 3 For the religion[d] of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools.[e] 4 He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold. He uses hammer and nails to fasten it[f] together so that it will not fall over.

12 I said,[a] “Who is wise enough to understand why this has happened?[b] Who has a word from the Lord that can explain it?[c] Why does the land lie in ruins? Why is it as scorched as a desert through which no one travels?” 13 The Lord answered, “This has happened because these people have rejected my laws that I gave them. They have not obeyed me or followed those laws.[d] 14 Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts. They have paid allegiance to[e] the gods called Baal,[f] as their fathers[g] taught them to do.