Jeremiah 2

1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

“Go, and you have called in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said YHWH: I have remembered for you The kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals, Your going after Me in a wilderness, in a land not sown.

3 Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who devoured her found themselves guilty; disaster came upon them,’” declares the LORD.

Israel [is] holy to YHWH, The first-fruit of His increase, All consuming him are guilty, Calamity comes to them,” A declaration of YHWH.

4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel.

Hear a word of YHWH, O house of Jacob, And all you families of the house of Israel—

5 This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me, and followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves?

Thus said YHWH: “What perversity have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after vanity, and become vain,

6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’

And have not said, Where [is] YHWH, Who brings us up out of the land of Egypt, Who leads us in a wilderness, In a land of deserts and pits, In a dry land, and of death-shade, In a land that none has passed through, Nor has man dwelt there?

7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but you came and defiled My land, and made My inheritance detestable.

Indeed, I bring you into a land of fruitful fields, To eat its fruit and its goodness, And you come in and defile My land, And have made My inheritance an abomination.

8 The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.

The priests have not said, Where [is] YHWH? And those handling the Law have not known Me. And the shepherds transgressed against Me, And the prophets have prophesied by Ba‘al, And have gone after those who do not profit.

9 Therefore, I will contend with you again, declares the LORD, and I will bring a case against your children’s children.

Therefore, I yet plead with you,” A declaration of YHWH, “And I plead with your sons’ sons.

10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and take a look; send to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this:

For pass to the islands of Chittim and see, And send to Kedar and consider well, And see if there has been [anything] like this:

11 Has a nation ever changed its gods, though they are no gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.

Has a nation changed gods? (And they [are] no gods!) And My people has changed its glory For that which does not profit.

12 Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,”

Be astonished, you heavens, at this, Indeed, be frightened, be greatly desolated,” A declaration of YHWH.

13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns— broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

“For My people have done two evils, They have forsaken Me, a fountain of living waters, To hew out for themselves wells—broken wells, That do not contain the waters.

14 Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? Why then has he become prey?

[Is] Israel a servant? Is he a child of the house? Why has he been for a prey?

15 The young lions have roared at him; they have growled with a loud voice. They have laid waste his land; his cities lie in ruins, without inhabitant.

Young lions roar against him, They have given forth their voice, And make his land become a desolation, His cities have been burned without inhabitant.

16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head.

Also sons of Noph and Tahapanes Consume you—the crown of the head!

17 Have you not brought this on yourself by forsaking the LORD your God when He led you in the way?

Do you not do this to yourself? [By] your forsaking your God YHWH, At the time He is leading you in the way?

18 Now what will you gain on your way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?

And now, why do you [go] in the way of Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? And why do you [go] in the way of Asshur, To drink the waters of the River?

19 Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Consider and realize how evil and bitter it is for you to forsake the LORD your God and to have no fear of Me,”

Your wickedness instructs you, And your backslidings reprove you, Know and see that an evil and a bitter thing [is] your forsaking your God YHWH, And My fear not being on you,” A declaration of Lord YHWH of Hosts.

20 “For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute.

“For from of old you have broken your yoke, Drawn away your bands, and say, I do not serve, For on every high height, and under every green tree, You are wandering—a harlot.

21 I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How could you turn yourself before Me into a rotten, wild vine?

And I planted you [as] a choice vine, wholly of true seed, And how have you been turned Into the degenerate shoots of a strange vine to Me?

22 Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,”

But though you wash with natron, And multiply soap to yourself, Your iniquity is marked before Me,” A declaration of Lord YHWH.

23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’? Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. You are a swift young she-camel galloping here and there,

“How can you say, I have not been defiled, I have not gone after the Ba‘alim? See your way in a valley, know what you have done, A swift dromedary winding her ways,

24 a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her.

A wild donkey accustomed to a wilderness, She has swallowed up wind in the desire of her soul, Her meeting—who turns her back? None seeking her weary themselves, In her month they find her.

25 You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’

Withhold your foot from being unshod, And your throat from thirst, And you say, It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and I go after them.

26 As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets

As the shame of a thief when he is found, So has the house of Israel been put to shame, They, their kings, their heads, And their priests, and their prophets,

27 say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me and not their faces, yet in the time of trouble they beg, ‘Rise up and save us!’

Saying to wood, You [are] my father! And to a stone, You have brought me forth, For they turned to me the back and not the face, And in the time of their distress, They say, Arise, and save us.

28 But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.

And where [are] your gods, that you have made to yourself? Let them arise, if they may save you, In the time of your distress, For—the number of your cities have been your gods, O Judah,

29 Why do you bring a case against Me? You have all rebelled against Me,”

Why do you strive with Me? All of you have transgressed against Me,” A declaration of YHWH.

30 “I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.”

“I have struck your sons in vain, They have not accepted instruction, Your sword has devoured your prophets, As a destroying lion.

31 You people of this generation, consider the word of the LORD: “Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to You no more’?

O generation, see the word of YHWH: Have I been a wilderness to Israel? A land of thick darkness? Why have My people said, We wandered freely, We do not come to You again.

32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me for days without number.

Does a virgin forget her ornaments? A bride her bands? And My people have forgotten Me [for] days without number.

33 How skillfully you pursue love! Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways.

Why do you make your ways pleasing to seek love? Therefore you have even taught the wicked your ways.

34 Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor, though you did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things

Also the blood of innocent needy souls Has been found on your skirts, I have not found them by digging, But on all these.

35 you say, ‘I am innocent. Surely His anger will turn from me.’ Behold, I will judge you, because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

And you say, Because I have been innocent, Surely His anger has turned back from me? Behold, I have been judged with you, Because of your saying, I have not sinned.

36 How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria.

What? You are very vile to repeat your way, You are even ashamed of Egypt, As you have been ashamed of Asshur,

37 Moreover, you will leave that place with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not prosper by their help.”

Also you go out from this, And your hands on your head, For YHWH has kicked at your confidences, And you do not give prosperity to them!”