< Jeremias 2 >

1 HERRENs Ord kom til mig således:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Gå hen og råb Jerusalem i Ørene: Så siger HERREN: Jeg mindes din Kærlighed som ung, din Elskov som Brud, at du fulgte mig i Ørkenen, et Land, hvor der ikke sås;
Go and call out before the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus hath said the Lord, I remember unto thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thy espousals, thy going after me in the wilderness, through a land that is not sown.
3 Israel var helliget HERREN, hans Førstegrøde, alle, som åd det, måtte bøde, Ulykke ramte dem, lyder det fra HERREN.
A holy thing is Israel unto the Lord, the first of his fruits: all that devour him shall incur guilt; evil shall come over them, saith the Lord.
4 Hør HERRENs Ord, Jakobs Hus og alle Slægter i Israels Hus:
Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all ye families of the house of Israel.
5 Så siger HERREN: Hvad ondt fandt eders Fædre hos mig, siden de gik bort fra mig og holdt sig til Tomhed, til de selv blev tomme?
Thus hath said the Lord, What fault did your fathers find in me, that they went away far from me, and walked after vanity, and became vain?
6 De spurgte ikke: "Hvor er HERREN, som førte os op fra Ægypten og ledte os i Ørkenen, Ødemarkens og Kløfternes Land, Tørkens og Mulmets Land, Landet, hvor ingen færdes eller bor?"
That they said not, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of wildness, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land through which no one had passed, and where no man had dwelt?
7 Jeg bragte eder til Frugthavens Land, at I kunde nyde dets Frugt og Goder; men da I kom derind, gjorde I mit Land urent og min Arvelod vederstyggelig.
And I brought you into the land of fruitful fields, to eat its fruit and its goodly products; but ye came and ye made unclean my land, and my heritage ye rendered an abomination.
8 Præsterne spurgte ikke: "Hvor er HERREN?" De, der syslede med Loven, kendte mig ikke, Hyrderne faldt fra mig, og Profeterne profeterede ved Ba'al og holdt sig til Guder, som intet evner.
The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not; and the shepherds transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied in the name of Ba'al, and after things that cannot profit did they walk.
9 Derfor må jeg fremdeles gå i Rette med eder, lyder det fra HERREN, og med eders Sønners Sønner må jeg gå i Rette.
Therefore will I contend yet farther with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I contend.
10 Drag engang over til Kittæernes Strande og se efter, send Bud til Kedar og spørg jer nøje for; se efter, om sligt er hændet før!
For pass over to the isles of the Chittites, and see; and unto Kedar send, and consider well and see if any thing like this hath happened.
11 Har et Hedningefolk nogen Sinde skiftet Guder? Og så er de endda ikke Guder. Men mit Folk har skiftet sin Ære bort for det, der intet gavner.
Hath a nation exchanged its gods, which are yet no gods? and [still] my people hath exchanged its glory for that which can not profit.
12 Gys derover, I Himle, Skræk og Rædsel gribe eder, lyder det fra HERREN;
Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and let your hair stand at an end, be ye greatly terrified, saith the Lord.
13 thi to onde Ting har mit Folk gjort: Mig, en Kilde med levende Vand, har de forladt for at hugge sig Cisterner, sprukne Cisterner, der ikke kan holde Vand.
For two evils have my people committed: me have they forsaken, the source of living waters, to hew out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that cannot hold water.
14 Er Israel da en Træl, en hjemmefødt Træl? Hvorfor er han blevet til Bytte?
Is Israel a servant? or one born [to servitude] in the house? why hath he been given up to plunder?
15 Løver brøler imod ham med rungende Røst; hans Land har de gjort til en Ørk, hans Byer er brændt, så ingen bor der.
[That] over him young lions roared, let their voice resound, and changed his land into a waste, that his cities are burnt, left without an inhabitant?
16 Selv Nofs og Takpankes's Sønner afgnaver din Isse.
Even the children of Noph and Thachpanches have crushed the crown of thy head.
17 Mon ikke det times dig, fordi du svigted mig? lyder det fra HERREN din Gud.
Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, through thy forsaking the Lord thy God, while he was leading thee on the [right] way?
18 Hvorfor skal du nu til Ægypten og drikke af Sjihor? Hvorfor skal du nu til Assur og drikke af Floden?
And now what hast thou to do on the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Shichor? and what hast thou to do on the way of Asshur, to drink the waters of the river?
19 Lad din Ulykke gøre dig klog og lær af dit Frafald, kend og se, hvor ondt og bittert det er, at du svigted HERREN din Gud; Frygt for mig findes ikke hos dig, så lyder det fra Herren, Hærskarers HERRE.
Thy own wickedness shall chastise thee, and thy backslidings shall correct thee; and thou shalt know and see that evil and bitter was thy forsaking the Lord thy God, while the dread of me was not upon thee, saith the Lord Eternal of hosts.
20 Thi længst har du brudt dit Åg og sprængt dine Bånd. Du siger: "Ej vil jeg tjene!" Nej, Skøgeleje har du på hver en Høj, under alle de grønne Træer.
Because from yore did I break thy yoke, did I burst asunder thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress: nevertheless upon every high hill and under every green tree thou makest thy bed, as harlot.
21 Som en Ædelranke plantede jeg dig, en fuldgod Stikling; hvor kunde du da blive Vildskud, en uægte Ranke?
Yet I had planted thee as a branch of a noble vine, wholly of the proper seed; but how art thou changed unto me into a degenerate plant of an ignoble vine?
22 Om du end tor dig med Lud og ødsler med Sæbe, jeg ser dog din Brødes Snavs, så lyder det fra HERREN.
For though thou wash thyself with natron, and take for thyself much soap: yet would the stain of thy iniquity remain before me, saith the Lord Eternal.
23 Hvor kan du sige: "Ej er jeg uren, til Ba'alerne holdt jeg mig ikke!" Se på din Færd i Dalen, kend, hvad du gjorde, en let Kamelhoppe, løbende hid og did,
How canst thou say, I am not become unclean, after the Be'alim have I not gone? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: [like] a swift dromedary bound fast to her ways;
24 et Vildæsel, kendt med Steppen! Den snapper i Brynde efter Luft, hvo tæmmer dens Brunst? At søge den trætter ingen, den findes i sin Måned.
[Like] a wild ass used to the wilderness, that at her pleasure snuffeth up the wind; her lust—who can turn this away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month will they find her.
25 Spar dog din Fod for Slid, din Strube for Tørst! Dog siger du: "Nej, lad mig være! Jeg elsker de fremmede, dem vil jeg holde mig til."
“Prevent thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from being thirsty;” but thou saidst, It is useless; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.
26 Som Tyven får Skam, når han gribes, så Israels Hus, de, deres Konger og Fyrster, Præster og Profeter,
As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so have the house of Israel been made ashamed, they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,
27 som siger til Træ: "Min Fader!" til Sten: "Du har født mig." Thi Ryggen og ikke Ansigtet vender de til mig, men siger i Ulykkestid: "Stå op og frels os!"
Who say to the wood, Thou art my father; and to the stone, Thou hast brought us forth; for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face; but in the time of their misfortune will they say, Arise, and save us.
28 Hvor er de da, dine Guder, dem, du har gjort dig? Lad dem stå op! Kan de frelse dig i Ulykkestiden? Thi som dine Byers Tal er dine Guders, Juda.
But where are then thy gods that thou hast made for thyself? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy misfortune; for equal to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah.
29 Hvorfor tvistes I med mig? I har alle forbrudt jer imod mig, lyder det fra HERREN.
Wherefore will ye contend with me? all of you have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.
30 Forgæves slog jeg eders Børn, de tog ikke ved Lære, som hærgende Løve fortærede Sværdet Profeterne.
To no purpose have I smitten your children; correction they accepted not: your sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.
31 Du onde Slægt, så mærk jer dog HERRENs Ord! Har jeg været en Ørk for Israel, et bælgmørkt Land? Hvorfor mon mit Folk da siger: "Vi går, hvor vi vil, og kommer ej mer til dig."
O [present] generation, regard ye the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of deep darkness? wherefore say my people, We wander about; we cannot come any more unto thee?
32 Glemmer en Jomfru sit Smykke, en Brud sit Bælte? Og mig har mit Folk dog glemt i talløse Dage.
Can a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride her decorations? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
33 Hvor snildt du dog går til Værks for at søge dig Elskov! Du vænned dig derfor også til ondt i din Færd.
Why ornamentest thou thy way to seek for love? truly even the worst hast thou used thyself as thy ways.
34 Endog findes Blod på dine Hænder af fattige, skyldfri Sjæle, Blod, jeg ej fandt hos en Tyv, men på alle disse.
Also on thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent needy ones: not while breaking in [thy house] didst thou find them; but for all these things.
35 Og du siger: "Jeg er frikendt, hans Vrede har vendt sig fra mig." Se, med dig går jeg i Rette, da du siger: "Jeg har ikke syndet."
Yet thou sayest, Yea, I am innocent, surely his anger is already turned away from me. Behold, I will hold judgment with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.
36 Hvor let det dog falder for dig at skifte din Vej! Du skal også få Skam af Ægypten, som du fik det af Assur;
Why makest thou thyself so very low to change thy way? also because of Egypt shalt thou be made ashamed, as thou wast put to shame because of Assyria.
37 også derfra skal du gå med Hænder på Hoved, thi HERREN har forkastet dine Støtter, de båder dig intet.
Also from this one shalt thou go forth, with thy hands [clasped] over thy head; for the Lord hath rejected those on whom thou trustest and thou shalt not prosper with them.

< Jeremias 2 >