Jeremiah 2
1 The Lord's message came to me, saying,
Moreover the word of YHWH 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 saith YHWH; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest 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 unto YHWH, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith YHWH.
4 Listen to the Lord's message, descendants of Jacob, all you Israelites.
Hear ye the word of YHWH, 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 saith YHWH, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are 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?”
Neither said they, Where is YHWH that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that 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 no man 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 country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine 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 said not, Where is YHWH? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors 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.
Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith YHWH, and with your children's children will I plead.
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 the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be 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.
Hath a nation changed their elohim, which are yet no elohim? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth 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, saith YHWH.
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 homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?
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 roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.
16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved your heads.
Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes 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?
Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken YHWH thy Elohim, 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 hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of 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 bitter, that thou hast forsaken YHWH thy Elohim, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Master YHWH 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 of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, 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 art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto 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 nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Master YHWH.
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 canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art 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 ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that 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 saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I 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 ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, 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!”
Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto 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 elohim that thou hast 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 elohim, O Judah.
29 Why are you complaining to me? It's all of you who have all rebelled against me! declares the Lord.
Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith YHWH.
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 have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath 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 YHWH. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We roam; we will come no more unto 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 maid 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!
Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones 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 poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.
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 sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, 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 gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast 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.
Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for YHWH hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.
