When the Lord took Israel into the Promised Land He made a covenant with them, a covenant that Israel had agreed to. Deut 28:15 in particular begins a long list of the curses that would follow if Israel broke the covenant. By the way, a curse is not a spell, but is God's judgement on man's sin. The Lord had rescued Israel from slavery and the Law told them how they should live in the Promised Land. In the same way we have been rescued from slavery to sin and all that that entails, but that does not mean we can live any way we like. How we live does matter, and we are to follow the ways of the Lord.
Now it was several hundred years that the people had been in the land, repeatedly disobeying the Lord, so He cannot be accused of lacking patience!
The reference to returning to the sins of their ancestors may be associated with the return to idol worship after King Josiah. Josiah had instituted many good reforms, but as soon as he was gone the nation deserted God again. With the threatening danger Judah would call out to her false gods, and of course would receive no answer from them.
Judah had been rescued many times, but this time there would be no hope. Jeremiah is instructed not to pray for them. Any attempts at seeking God by the nation would come to nothing. There comes a time when judgement is inevitable and can be delayed no longer.
Instead of repenting the people reacted by plotting against Jeremiah. Kill the messenger then we won't have to hear the message! They did the same with Jesus. Today our society seeks to do exactly the same with anyone who questions the wisdom of same-sex marriage. What they do not realise is that it is the Lord they are fighting against, and they will lose.
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