Jeremiah 2

1 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

And he said, Thus says the Lord,

2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Jehovah, I remember for thee the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, how thou went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

I remember the kindness of your youth, and the love of your espousals,

3 Israel was holiness to Jehovah, the first-fruits of his increase. All who devour him shall be held guilty. Evil shall come upon them, says Jehovah.

in following the Holy One of Israel, says the Lord, Israel was the holy [people] to the Lord, [and] the first fruits of his increase: all that devoured him shall offend; evils shall come upon them, says the Lord.

4 Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.

Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and every family of the house of Israel.

5 Thus says Jehovah: What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and have become vain?

Thus says the Lord, What trespass have your fathers found in me, that they have revolted far from me, and gone after vanities, and become vain?

6 Nor did they say, Where is Jehovah who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that none passed through, and where no man dwelt?

And they said not, Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who guided us in the wilderness, in an untried and trackless land, in a land which no man at all went through, and no man lived there?

7 And I brought you into a plentiful land, to eat the fruit of it and the goodness of it. But when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.

And I brought you to Carmel, that you should eat the fruits thereof, and the good thereof; and you went in, and defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

8 The priests did not say, Where is Jehovah? And those who handle the law did not know me. The rulers also transgressed against me. And the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that held by the law knew me not: the shepherds also sinned against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after that which profited not.

9 Therefore I will yet contend with you, says Jehovah, and I will contend with your son's sons.

Therefore I will yet plead with you, and will plead with your children's children.

10 For pass over to the isles of Kittim, and see, and send to Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there has been such a thing.

For go to the isles of the Chettians, and se; and send to Kedar, and observe accurately, and see if such things have been done;

11 Has a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

if the nations will change their gods, though they are not gods: but my people have changed their glory, [for that] from which they shall not be profited.

12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be ye very desolate, says Jehovah.

The heaven is amazed at this, and is very exceedingly horror-struck, says the Lord.

13 For my people have committed two evils: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

For my people has committed two [faults], and evil ones: they have forsaken me, the fountain of water of life, and hewn out for themselves broken cisterns, which will not be able to hold water.

14 Is Israel a servant? Is he a homebred one? Why has he become a prey?

Is Israel a servant, or a home-born slave? why has he become a spoil?

15 The young lions have roared upon him, and yelled, and they have made his land waste. His cities are burned up, without inhabitant.

The lions roared upon him, and uttered their voice, which have made his land a wilderness: and his cities are broken down, that they should not be inhabited.

16 The sons also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of thy head.

Also the children of Memphis and Taphnas have known you, and mocked you.

17 Have thou not procured this to thyself, in that thou have forsaken Jehovah thy God when he led thee by the way?

Has not your forsaking me brought these things upon you? says the Lord your God.

18 And now what have thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? Or what have thou to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?

And now what have you to do with the way of Egypt, to drink the water of Geon? and what have you to do with the way of the Assyrians, to drink the water of rivers?

19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee. Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and a bitter, that thou have forsaken Jehovah thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, says the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

Your apostasy shall correct you, and your wickedness shall reprove you: know then, and see, that your forsaking me [has been] bitter to you, says the Lord your God; and I have taken no pleasure in you, says the Lord your God.

20 For from old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bonds. And thou said, I will not serve, for upon every high hill and under every green tree thou bowed thyself, playing the harlot.

For of old you have broken your yoke, and plucked asunder your bands; and you has said, I will not serve you, but will go upon every high hill, and under every shady tree, there will I indulge in my fornication.

21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed. How then have thou turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine to me?

Yet I planted you a fruitful vine, entirely of the right sort: how are you a strange vine turned to bitterness!

22 For though thou wash thee with lye, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, says the lord Jehovah.

Though you should wash yourself with nitre, and multiply to yourself soap, [still] you are stained by your iniquities before me, says the Lord.

23 How can thou say, I am not defiled; I have not gone after the Baalim? See thy way in the valley. Know what thou have done, a swift dromedary traversing her ways,

How will you say, I am not polluted, and have not gone after Baal? behold your ways in the burial-ground, and know what you have done: her voice has howled in the evening:

24 a wild donkey used to the wilderness, that sniffs up the wind in her desire. In her time of estrus who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves. In her month they shall find her.

she has extended her ways over the waters of the desert; she was hurried along by the lusts of her soul; she is given up [to them], who will turn her back? none that seek her shall be weary; at [the time of] her humiliation they shall find her.

25 Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst. But thou said, It is in vain. No, for I have loved strangers, and after them I will go.

Withdraw your foot from a rough way, and your throat from thirst: but she said I will strengthen myself: for she loved strangers, and went after them.

26 As the thief is shamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel shamed, they, their kings, their rulers, and their priests, and their prophets,

As is the shame of a thief when he is caught, so shall the children of Israel be ashamed; they, and their kings, and their princes, and their priests, and their prophets.

27 who say to a block of wood, Thou are my father, and to a stone, Thou have brought me forth. For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

They said to a stock, You are my father; and to a stone, You has begotten me: and they have turned [their] backs to me, and not their faces: yet in the time of their afflictions they will say, Arise, and save us.

28 But where are thy gods that thou have made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble. For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

And where are your gods, which you made for yourself? will they arise and save in the time of your affliction? for according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Juda; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem they sacrificed to Baal.

29 Why will ye contend with me? Ye have all transgressed against me, says Jehovah.

Therefore do you speak to me? you all have been ungodly, and you all have transgressed against me, says the Lord.

30 In vain I have smitten your sons. They received no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying lion.

In vain have I struck your children; you have not received correction: a sword has devoured your prophets as a destroying lion; yet you feared not.

31 O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why do my people say, We have broken loose. We will come no more to thee?

Hear you the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord, Have I been a wilderness or a dry land to Israel? therefore has my people said, We will not be ruled over, and will not come to you any more?

32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

Will a bride forget her ornaments, or a virgin her girdle? but my people has forgotten me days without number.

33 How thou trim thy way to seek love! Therefore even the wicked women thou have taught thy ways.

What fair device will you yet employ in your ways, so as to seek love? [it shall] not [be] so; moreover you has done wickedly in corrupting your ways;

34 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor. Thou did not find them breaking in. But it is because of all these things.

and in your hands has been found the blood of innocent souls; I have not found them in holes, but on every oak.

35 Yet thou said, I am innocent. Surely his anger is turned away from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee because thou say, I have not sinned.

Yet you said, I am innocent: only let his wrath be turned away from me. Behold, I [will] plead with you, whereas you say, I have not sinned.

36 Why do thou gad about so much to change thy way? Thou shall be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou were ashamed of Assyria.

For you has been so exceedingly contemptuous as to repeat your ways; but you shall be ashamed of Egypt, as you were ashamed of Assur.

37 Thou shall also go forth from there with thy hands upon thy head. For Jehovah has rejected those in whom thou trust. And thou shall not prosper with them.

For you shall go forth thence also with your hands upon your head; for the Lord has rejected your hope, and you shall not prosper in it.