Jeremiah 2
1 The Lord's message came to me, saying,
And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
2 Go and announce to the people of Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: I remember when you were young how devoted to me you were. I remember how you loved me when you were my bride. I remember how you followed me in the desert, in a land where nothing is grown.
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.
3 Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest. Anyone who ate this harvest was guilty of sin, and they experienced the disastrous results, declares the Lord.
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.
4 Listen to the Lord's message, descendants of Jacob, all you Israelites.
Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.
5 This is what the Lord says: What did your forefathers think was wrong with me that they went so far away from me? They went off to worship useless idols, and as a result became useless themselves!
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?
6 They didn't ask themselves, “Where is the Lord who led us from Egypt, who led us through the wasteland, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and darkness, a land that no one travels through and where no one lives?”
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?
7 I led you into a productive land to eat all the good things that grow there. But you came and made my land unclean, making it offensive to me.
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.
8 Your priests did not ask, “Where is the Lord?” Your teachers of the law no longer believed in me, and your leaders rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied by calling on Baal and followed worthless idols.
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.
9 So I'm going to confront you again, declares the Lord, and I will bring charges against your children's children.
Therefore I will yet contend with you, says Jehovah, and I will contend with your son's sons.
10 Travel over to the islands of Cyprus and take a look; go to the land of Kedar and examine carefully to see if anything like this has ever happened before.
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.
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods? —even though they're not gods at all! Yet my people have traded their glorious God for worthless idols.
Has a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.
12 You heavens, you should be appalled, shocked and horrified! declares the Lord.
Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be ye very desolate, says Jehovah.
13 For my people have done two evil things. They have abandoned me, the source of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that can't hold water.
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.
14 Are Israelites slaves? Were they born into slavery? So why have they become victims?
Is Israel a servant? Is he a homebred one? Why has he become a prey?
15 The young lions roared at you; they growled loudly. They have devastated your country; your towns lie in ruins. No one lives there.
The young lions have roared upon him, and yelled, and they have made his land waste. His cities are burned up, without inhabitant.
16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved your heads.
The sons also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of thy head.
17 Didn't you bring this on yourself by abandoning the Lord your God when he was leading you in the right way?
Have thou not procured this to thyself, in that thou have forsaken Jehovah thy God when he led thee by the way?
18 Now what will you benefit as you travel back to Egypt to drink the waters of Shihor River? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
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?
19 Your own wickedness will discipline you; your own disobedience will teach you a lesson. Think about it and you'll recognize what a bitter evil it is for you to abandon the Lord your God and not to respect me, declares the Lord God Almighty.
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.
20 You broke off your yoke and ripped off your chains long ago. “I won't worship you!” you declared. On the contrary, you lay down like a prostitute on every high hill and under every green tree.
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.
21 I was the one who planted you like the finest vine, grown from the very best seed. How could you degenerate into a useless wild vine?
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?
22 Even bleach and plenty of soap can't get rid of your guilty stains. I still see them, declares the Lord God.
For though thou wash thee with lye, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, says the lord Jehovah.
23 How dare you say, “I'm not unclean! I haven't gone to worship the Baals!” Look at what you've been doing down in the valley. Admit what you've done! You're a young female camel, racing around everywhere.
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,
24 You're a female donkey living in the desert, sniffing the wind for a mate because she's in heat. No one can control her at mating time. All those who're looking for her won't have trouble finding her when she's in heat.
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.
25 You don't have to run around barefoot or have your throat go dry. But you reply, “No, it's impossible! I'm in love with foreign gods—I must go to them.”
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.
26 In the same way that a thief feels guilty when they're caught, so the people of Israel have been shamed. All of them—their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets.
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,
27 They say to an idol made of wood, “You are my father,” and one made of stone, “You gave birth to me.” They turn their backs on me, and hide their faces from me. But when they're in trouble they come begging to me, saying, “Please come and save us!”
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.
28 So where are these “gods” of yours that you made for yourselves? Let them come and help you when you're in trouble! Let them save you if they can, because you Israelites have as many gods as you have towns.
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.
29 Why are you complaining to me? It's all of you who have all rebelled against me! declares the Lord.
Why will ye contend with me? Ye have all transgressed against me, says Jehovah.
30 It was pointless of me to punish your children because they refused to accept any discipline. You used your own swords to kill your prophets, destroying them like a ferocious lion.
In vain I have smitten your sons. They received no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying lion.
31 You people of today, think about what the Lord is saying: Israel, have I treated you like an empty desert, or a land of thick darkness? Why are my people saying, “We can go where we like! We don't have to come and worship you any more”?
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?
32 Does a girl forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding dress? Yet my people have forgotten me for too many years to count.
Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
33 How cleverly you look for your lovers! Even prostitutes could learn something from you!
How thou trim thy way to seek love! Therefore even the wicked women thou have taught thy ways.
34 On top of that, your clothes are stained with the blood of the poor and the innocent. It's not like you killed them breaking into your homes. Despite all this,
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.
35 you go on saying, “I'm innocent! Surely he can't still be upset with me!” Watch out! I'm going to punish you because you go on saying, “I haven't sinned.”
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.
36 You're just so fickle—you keep on changing your mind! You will end up just as disappointed by your alliance with Egypt as you were with Assyria.
Why do thou gad about so much to change thy way? Thou shall be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou were ashamed of Assyria.
37 In fact you will go into exile with your hands on your head as prisoners, because the Lord will have nothing to do with those you trust; they will be no help to you.
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.
