Jeremiah 2
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Moreover, the woorde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
2 Go and call out before the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus hath said the Lord, I remember unto thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thy espousals, thy going after me in the wilderness, through a land that is not sown.
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.
3 A holy thing is Israel unto the Lord, the first of his fruits: all that devour him shall incur guilt; evil shall come over them, saith the Lord.
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.
4 Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all ye families of the house of Israel.
Heare ye the word of the Lord, O house of Iaakob, and all the families of the house of Israel.
5 Thus hath said the Lord, What fault did your fathers find in me, that they went away far from me, and walked after vanity, and became vain?
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?
6 That they said not, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of wildness, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land through which no one had passed, and where no man had dwelt?
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?
7 And I brought you into the land of fruitful fields, to eat its fruit and its goodly products; but ye came and ye made unclean my land, and my heritage ye rendered an abomination.
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.
8 The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not; and the shepherds transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied in the name of Ba'al, and after things that cannot profit did they walk.
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.
9 Therefore will I contend yet farther with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I contend.
Wherefore I wil yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and I will pleade with your childrens children.
10 For pass over to the isles of the Chittites, and see; and unto Kedar send, and consider well and see if any thing like this hath happened.
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.
11 Hath a nation exchanged its gods, which are yet no gods? and [still] my people hath exchanged its glory for that which can not profit.
Hath any nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but my people haue chaged their glorie, for that which doeth not profite.
12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and let your hair stand at an end, be ye greatly terrified, saith the Lord.
O yee heauens, be astonied at this: bee afraid and vtterly confounded, sayeth the Lord.
13 For two evils have my people committed: me have they forsaken, the source of living waters, to hew out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that cannot hold water.
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.
14 Is Israel a servant? or one born [to servitude] in the house? why hath he been given up to plunder?
Is Israel a seruaunt, or is hee borne in the house? why then is he spoiled?
15 [That] over him young lions roared, let their voice resound, and changed his land into a waste, that his cities are burnt, left without an inhabitant?
The lions roared vpon him and yelled, and they haue made his land waste: his cities are burnt without an inhabitant.
16 Even the children of Noph and Thachpanches have crushed the crown of thy head.
Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes haue broken thine head.
17 Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, through thy forsaking the Lord thy God, while he was leading thee on the [right] way?
Hast not thou procured this vnto thy selfe, because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?
18 And now what hast thou to do on the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Shichor? and what hast thou to do on the way of Asshur, to drink the waters of the river?
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?
19 Thy own wickedness shall chastise thee, and thy backslidings shall correct thee; and thou shalt know and see that evil and bitter was thy forsaking the Lord thy God, while the dread of me was not upon thee, saith the Lord Eternal of hosts.
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.
20 Because from yore did I break thy yoke, did I burst asunder thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress: nevertheless upon every high hill and under every green tree thou makest thy bed, as harlot.
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.
21 Yet I had planted thee as a branch of a noble vine, wholly of the proper seed; but how art thou changed unto me into a degenerate plant of an ignoble vine?
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?
22 For though thou wash thyself with natron, and take for thyself much soap: yet would the stain of thy iniquity remain before me, saith the Lord Eternal.
Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much sope, yet thine iniquitie is marked before me, sayeth the Lord God.
23 How canst thou say, I am not become unclean, after the Be'alim have I not gone? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: [like] a swift dromedary bound fast to her ways;
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.
24 [Like] a wild ass used to the wilderness, that at her pleasure snuffeth up the wind; her lust—who can turn this away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month will they find her.
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.
25 “Prevent thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from being thirsty;” but thou saidst, It is useless; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.
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.
26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so have the house of Israel been made ashamed, they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,
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,
27 Who say to the wood, Thou art my father; and to the stone, Thou hast brought us forth; for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face; but in the time of their misfortune will they say, Arise, and save us.
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.
28 But where are then thy gods that thou hast made for thyself? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy misfortune; for equal to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah.
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.
29 Wherefore will ye contend with me? all of you have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.
Wherefore wil ye pleade with me? ye all haue rebelled against me, sayeth the Lord.
30 To no purpose have I smitten your children; correction they accepted not: your sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.
I haue smitten your children in vaine, they receiued no correction: your owne sworde hath deuoured your Prophets like a destroying lyon.
31 O [present] generation, regard ye the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of deep darkness? wherefore say my people, We wander about; we cannot come any more unto thee?
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?
32 Can a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride her decorations? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
Can a maid forget her ornament, or a bride her attire? yet my people haue forgotten me, daies without number.
33 Why ornamentest thou thy way to seek for love? truly even the worst hast thou used thyself as thy ways.
Why doest thou prepare thy way, to seeke amitie? euen therefore will I teach thee, that thy waies are wickednesse.
34 Also on thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent needy ones: not while breaking in [thy house] didst thou find them; but for all these things.
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.
35 Yet thou sayest, Yea, I am innocent, surely his anger is already turned away from me. Behold, I will hold judgment with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.
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.
36 Why makest thou thyself so very low to change thy way? also because of Egypt shalt thou be made ashamed, as thou wast put to shame because of Assyria.
Why runnest thou about so much to change thy waies? for thou shalt be confounded of Egypt, as thou art confounded of Asshur.
37 Also from this one shalt thou go forth, with thy hands [clasped] over thy head; for the Lord hath rejected those on whom thou trustest and thou shalt not prosper with them.
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.
