Jeremiah 2
1 Moreover, the woorde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 Goe, and crie in the eares of Ierusalem, saying, Thus sayeth the Lord, I remember thee, with the kindenes of thy youth and the loue of thy marriage, when thou wentest after me in the wildernes in a lande that was not sowen.
“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.
3 Israel was as a thing halowed vnto the Lord, and his first fruits: all they that eat it, shall offend: euil shall come vpon them, saith the Lord.
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.”
4 Heare ye the word of the Lord, O house of Iaakob, and all the families of the house of Israel.
Listen to the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel.
5 Thus sayeth the Lord, What iniquitie haue your fathers founde in mee, that they are gone farre from mee, and haue walked after vanitie, and are become vaine?
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?
6 For they saide not, Where is the Lord that brought vs vp out of the lande of Egypt? that led vs through the wildernesse, through a desert, and waste land, through a drie land, and by the shadow of death, by a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?
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?’
7 And I brought you into a plentifull countrey, to eat the fruit thereof, and the commodities of the same: but when yee entred, yee defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.
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.
8 The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that should minister the Lawe, knewe me not: the pastours also offended against me, and the Prophets prophesied in Baal, and went after things that did not profite.
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.
9 Wherefore I wil yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and I will pleade with your childrens children.
Because of this, I will still contend in judgment against you, says the Lord, and I will dispute with your sons.
10 For goe ye to the yles of Chittim, and beholde, and sende vnto Kedar. and take diligent heede, and see whether there be such things.
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.
11 Hath any nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but my people haue chaged their glorie, for that which doeth not profite.
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.
12 O yee heauens, be astonied at this: bee afraid and vtterly confounded, sayeth the Lord.
Be astonished at this, O heavens, and be utterly desolate, O gates of heaven, says the Lord.
13 For my people haue committed two euils: they haue forsaken mee the fountaine of liuing waters, to digge them pittes, euen broken pittes, that can holde no water.
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.
14 Is Israel a seruaunt, or is hee borne in the house? why then is he spoiled?
Is Israel a servant, or one born into slavery? Then why has he become a prey?
15 The lions roared vpon him and yelled, and they haue made his land waste: his cities are burnt without an inhabitant.
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.
16 Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes haue broken thine head.
Likewise, the sons of Memphis and of Tahpanhes have defiled you, even to the top of the head.
17 Hast not thou procured this vnto thy selfe, because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?
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?
18 And what hast thou now to do in the way of Egypt? to drinke the water of Nilus? or what makest thou in the way of Asshur? to drinke the water of the Riuer?
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?
19 Thine owne wickednes shall correct thee, and thy turnings backe shall reprooue thee: know therefore and beholde, that it is an euil thing, and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my feare is not in thee, sayeth the Lord God of hostes.
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.
20 For of olde time I haue broken thy yoke, and burst thy bondes, and thou saidest, I will no more transgresse, but like an harlot thou runnest about vpon al hie hilles, and vnder all greene trees.
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.
21 Yet I had planted thee, a noble vine, whose plants were all natural: howe then art thou turned vnto me into the plants of a strange vine?
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?
22 Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much sope, yet thine iniquitie is marked before me, sayeth the Lord God.
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.
23 Howe canst thou say, I am not polluted, neither haue I followed Baalim? beholde thy waies in the valley, and know, what thou hast done: thou art like a swift dromedarie, that runneth by his waies.
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.
24 And as a wilde asse, vsed to the wildernesse, that snuffeth vp the winde by occasion at her pleasure: who can turne her backe? all they that seeke her, will not wearie themselues, but wil finde her in her moneth.
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.
25 Keepe thou thy feete from barenes, and thy throte from thirst: but thou saidest desperately, No, for I haue loued strangers, and them will I follow.
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.’
26 As the theefe is ashamed, when he is foud, so is the house of Israel ashamed, they, their kings, their princes and their Priests, and their Prophets,
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.
27 Saying to a tree, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou hast begotten me: for they haue turned their back vnto me, and not their face: but in ye time of their troble they wil say, Arise, and help vs.
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.’
28 But where are thy gods, that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can helpe thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the nomber of thy cities, are thy gods, O Iudah.
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.
29 Wherefore wil ye pleade with me? ye all haue rebelled against me, sayeth the Lord.
Why do you want to contend against me in judgment? You have all forsaken me, says the Lord.
30 I haue smitten your children in vaine, they receiued no correction: your owne sworde hath deuoured your Prophets like a destroying lyon.
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.
31 O generation, take heede to the worde of the Lord: haue I bene as a wildernesse vnto Israel? or a lande of darkenesse? Wherefore sayeth my people then, We are lordes, we will come no more vnto thee?
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’?
32 Can a maid forget her ornament, or a bride her attire? yet my people haue forgotten me, daies without number.
Can a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride the covering across her breast? Yet truly, my people have forgotten me, for innumerable days.
33 Why doest thou prepare thy way, to seeke amitie? euen therefore will I teach thee, that thy waies are wickednesse.
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,
34 Also in thy wings is founde the bloud of the soules of ye poore innocents: I haue not found it in holes, but vpon all these places.
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.
35 Yet thou saiest, Because I am giltles, surely his wrath shall turne from mee: beholde, I will enter with thee into iudgement, because thou saiest, I haue not sinned.
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.’
36 Why runnest thou about so much to change thy waies? for thou shalt be confounded of Egypt, as thou art confounded of Asshur.
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.
37 For thou shalt goe foorth from thence, and thine hands vpon thine head, because the Lord hath reiected thy confidence, and thou shalt not prosper thereby.
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.”
