Poor and Great, All of Jerusalem Depraved (5:1-9): This oracle is a dialogue between Yahweh and Jeremiah. Yahweh first challenges Jeremiah to go out into Jerusalem to discover a single righteous person (5:1–2). Jeremiah then argues that the good people are among the leaders, not the poor who are in the streets. He is quickly disillusioned (5:3–6), and finally, on this basis, God proclaims that his coming judgment is just (5:7–9).

5:1–2 The challenge goes out, presumably to Jeremiah in the light of the response in verses 3–6, to find a righteous person, that is one who deals honestly and seeks the truth. If such a person can be found, then God says he will forgive the whole city. Such a statement is reminiscent of Abraham’s bartering with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18…