Jeremiah 2
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Y FUÉ á mí palabra de Jehová, diciendo:
2 “Go, and cry out to the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says the Lord: I have remembered you, taking pity on your youth and on the charity of your betrothal, when you followed me into the desert, into a land which is not sown.
Anda, y clama á los oídos de Jerusalem, diciendo: Así dice Jehová: Heme acordado de ti, de la misericordia de tu mocedad, del amor de tu desposorio, cuando andabas en pos de mí en el desierto, en tierra no sembrada.
3 Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of his fruits. All those who devour him commit an offense. Evils will overwhelm them, says the Lord.”
Santidad [era] Israel á Jehová, primicias de sus nuevos frutos. Todos los que le devoran pecarán; mal vendrá sobre ellos, dice Jehová.
4 Listen to the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel.
Oid la palabra de Jehová, casa de Jacob, y todas las familias de la casa de Israel.
5 Thus says the Lord: “What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they would draw far away from me, and would walk after emptiness, and would become empty?
Así dijo Jehová: ¿Qué maldad hallaron en mí vuestros padres, que se alejaron de mí, y se fueron tras la vanidad, y tornáronse vanos?
6 And they have not said: ‘Where is the Lord, who caused us to ascend from the land of Egypt; who led us through the desert, through an uninhabited and impassable land, through a land of drought and of the image of death, through a land in which no one walked and in which no man lived?’
Y no dijeron: ¿Dónde está Jehová, que nos hizo subir de tierra de Egipto, que nos hizo andar por el desierto, por una tierra desierta y despoblada, por tierra seca y de sombra de muerte, por una tierra por la cual no pasó varón, ni allí habitó hombre?
7 And I led you into the land of Carmel, so that you would eat from its fruit and from its excellence. And having entered it, you defiled my land, and you turned my inheritance into an abomination.
Y os metí en tierra de Carmelo, para que comieseis su fruto y su bien: mas entrasteis, y contaminasteis mi tierra, é hicisteis mi heredad abominable.
8 The priests have not said: ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who held the law did not know me. And the pastors betrayed me. And the prophets prophesied in Baal and followed idols.
Los sacerdotes no dijeron: ¿Dónde está Jehová? y los que tenían la ley no me conocieron; y los pastores se rebelaron contra mí, y los profetas profetizaron en Baal, y anduvieron tras lo que no aprovecha.
9 Because of this, I will still contend in judgment against you, says the Lord, and I will dispute with your sons.
Por tanto entraré aún en juicio con vosotros, dijo Jehová, y con los hijos de vuestros hijos pleitearé.
10 Cross over to the isles of Kittim, and gaze. And send to Kedar, and consider diligently. And see if anything like this has ever been done.
Porque pasad á las islas de Chîttim y mirad; y enviad á Cedar, y considerad cuidadosamente, y ved si se ha hecho cosa semejante á ésta:
11 See if a nation has ever changed their gods, though certainly those are not gods. Yet truly, my people have exchanged their glory for an idol.
Si [alguna] gente ha mudado [sus] dioses, bien que ellos no son dioses. Pero mi pueblo ha trocado su gloria por lo que no aprovecha.
12 Be astonished at this, O heavens, and be utterly desolate, O gates of heaven, says the Lord.
Espantaos, cielos, sobre esto, y horrorizaos; desolaos en gran manera, dijo Jehová.
13 For my people have done two evils. They have forsaken me, the Fountain of living water, and they have dug for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that are unable to hold water.
Porque dos males ha hecho mi pueblo: dejáronme á mí, fuente de agua viva, por cavar para sí cisternas, cisternas rotas que no detienen aguas.
14 Is Israel a servant, or one born into slavery? Then why has he become a prey?
¿Es Israel siervo? ¿es esclavo? ¿por qué ha sido [dado] en presa?
15 The lions have roared over him, and they have uttered their voice. They have set his land in solitude; his cities have been burned up, and there is no one who lives in them.
Los cachorros de los leones bramaron sobre él, dieron su voz; y pusieron su tierra en soledad; quemadas están sus ciudades, sin morador.
16 Likewise, the sons of Memphis and of Tahpanhes have defiled you, even to the top of the head.
Aun los hijos de Noph y de Taphnes te quebrantaron la mollera.
17 Has this not been done to you because you abandoned the Lord your God, in that time when he was leading you by the way?
¿No te acarreó esto tu dejar á Jehová tu Dios, cuando te hacía andar por camino?
18 And now what do you want from the way of Egypt, but to drink their turbid water? And what do you want from the way of the Assyrians, but to drink the water of their river?
Ahora pues, ¿qué tienes tú en el camino de Egipto, para que bebas agua del Nilo? ¿y qué tienes tú en el camino de Asiria, para que bebas agua del río?
19 Your own malice will reprove you, and your own apostasy will rebuke you! But know and perceive this: it is an evil and bitter thing for you to forsake the Lord your God, and to be without my fear within you, says the Lord, the God of hosts.
Tu maldad te castigará, y tu apartamiento te condenará: sabe pues y ve cuán malo y amargo es tu dejar á Jehová tu Dios, y faltar mi temor en ti, dice el Señor Jehová de los ejércitos.
20 From ancient times, you have broken my yoke; you have torn apart my bonds, and you have said, ‘I will not serve.’ For on every high hill, and under every leafy tree, you have been debased, O harlot.
Porque desde muy atrás he quebrado tu yugo, y roto tus ataduras; y dijiste: No serviré. Con todo eso, sobre todo collado alto y debajo de todo árbol umbroso, corrías tú, oh ramera.
21 Yet I planted you as an elect vineyard, with only true seed. Then how have you been turned away from me, toward that which is depraved, O strange vineyard?
Y yo te planté de buen vidueño, simiente verdadera toda ella: ¿cómo pues te me has tornado sarmientos de vid extraña?
22 Even if you wash yourself with soap, and increase your use of herbal soaps, you are still stained by your iniquity in my sight, says the Lord God.
Aunque te laves con lejía, y amontones jabón sobre ti, tu pecado está sellado delante de mí, dijo el Señor Jehová.
23 How can you say: ‘I have not been polluted. I have not walked after Baal?’ Consider your ways in the steep valley. Acknowledge what you have done, so that you may be like a swift runner, following his course.
¿Cómo dices: No soy inmunda, nunca anduve tras los Baales? Mira tu proceder en el valle, conoce lo que has hecho, dromedaria ligera que frecuentas sus carreras;
24 A wild donkey accustomed to solitude, out of the desire in his soul, caught the scent of his lover. Now nothing will turn him away from her. All those who seek her will not cease. But they will find her in her menstruation.
Asna montés acostumbrada al desierto, que respira como quiere; ¿de su ocasión quién la detendrá? Todos los que la buscaren no se cansarán; hallaránla en su mes.
25 You should keep your foot from being naked, and your throat from being thirsty. But you have said: ‘I have lost hope. I will not do it. For certainly, I have loved strangers, and I will walk after them.’
Defiende tus pies de andar descalzos, y tu garganta de la sed. Mas dijiste: Hase perdido la esperanza; en ninguna manera: porque extraños he amado, y tras ellos tengo de ir.
26 In the same way that a thief is confounded when he has been apprehended, so the house of Israel has been confounded, they and their kings, their leaders and priests and prophets.
Como se avergüenza el ladrón cuando es tomado, así se avergonzarán la casa de Israel, ellos, sus reyes, sus príncipes, sus sacerdotes, y sus profetas;
27 For they say to a piece of wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You have conceived me.’ They have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their affliction, they will say: ‘Rise up and deliver us.’
Que dicen al leño: Mi padre eres tú; y á la piedra: Tú me has engendrado: pues me volvieron la cerviz, y no el rostro; y en el tiempo de su trabajo dicen: Levántate, y líbranos.
28 Where are your gods that you made for yourselves? Let them rise up and deliver you in the time of your affliction. For certainly, your gods were like the number of your cities, O Judah.
¿Y dónde están tus dioses que hiciste para ti? Levántense, á ver si te podrán librar en el tiempo de tu aflicción: porque según el número de tus ciudades, oh Judá, fueron tus dioses.
29 Why do you want to contend against me in judgment? You have all forsaken me, says the Lord.
¿Por qué porfías conmigo? Todos vosotros prevaricasteis contra mí, dice Jehová.
30 I have struck your children to no effect; they have not accepted discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets. Your generation is like a raging lion.
Por demás he azotado vuestros hijos; no han recibido corrección. Cuchillo devoró vuestros profetas como león destrozador.
31 Consider the word of the Lord. Have I become like a wilderness to Israel, or like a land late to bear fruit? Then why have my people said, ‘We are withdrawing; we will no longer approach you’?
¡Oh generación! ved vosotros la palabra de Jehová. ¿He sido yo á Israel soledad, ó tierra de tinieblas? ¿Por qué ha dicho mi pueblo: Señores somos; nunca más vendremos á ti?
32 Can a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride the covering across her breast? Yet truly, my people have forgotten me, for innumerable days.
¿Olvídase la virgen de su atavío, ó la desposada de sus sartales? mas mi pueblo se ha olvidado de mí por días que no tienen número.
33 Why are you striving to claim that your way is good, as if to seek my love, when all the while you are also displaying your malice by your own way,
¿Por qué abonas tu camino para hallar amor, pues aun á las malvadas enseñaste tus caminos?
34 and in your armpits there is found the blood of poor and innocent souls? I have found them, not in ditches, but everywhere that I mentioned previously.
Aun en tus faldas se halló la sangre de las almas de los pobres, de los inocentes: no la hallé en excavación, sino en todas estas cosas.
35 And you have said: ‘I am innocent and without sin. And because of this, let your fury be turned away from me.’ Behold, I will contend with you in judgment, because you have said: ‘I have not sinned.’
Y dices: Porque soy inocente, de cierto su ira se apartó de mí. He aquí yo entraré en juicio contigo, porque dijiste: No he pecado.
36 How exceedingly vile you have become, repeating your ways again and again! And so, you will be ashamed of Egypt, just as you were ashamed of Assur.
¿Para qué discurres tanto, mudando tus caminos? También serás avergonzada de Egipto, como fuiste avergonzada de Asiria.
37 For you will also depart from that place, and your hand will be upon your head. For the Lord has crushed your confidence, and you will have nothing prosperous by it.”
También saldrás de él con tus manos sobre tu cabeza: porque Jehová deshechó tus confianzas, y en ellas no tendrás buen suceso.
