Jeremiah 2
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Moreover the word of the LORD came to 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.
Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the LORD; I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals, when you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
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 holiness to the LORD, and the first fruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come on them, says the LORD.
4 Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all ye families of the house of Israel.
Hear you the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, 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 says the LORD, 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 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?
Neither said they, 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 pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelled?
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 plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when you entered, you defiled my land, and made my 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 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 Therefore will I contend yet farther with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I contend.
Why I will yet plead with you, says the LORD, and with your children’s children will I plead.
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 pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send to Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.
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.
Has a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.
12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and let your hair stand at an end, be ye greatly terrified, saith the Lord.
Be astonished, O you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be you very desolate, says 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 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 Is Israel a servant? or one born [to servitude] in the house? why hath he been given up to plunder?
Is Israel a servant? is he a home born slave? why 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 young lions roared on him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.
16 Even the children of Noph and Thachpanches have crushed the crown of thy head.
Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of your 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?
Have you not procured this to yourself, in that you have forsaken the LORD your God, when he led you 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 now what have you to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what have you to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?
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.
Your own wickedness shall correct you, and your backslidings shall reprove you: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that you have forsaken the LORD your God, and that my fear is not in you, says the Lord GOD of hosts.
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 old time I have broken your yoke, and burst your bands; and you said, I will not transgress; when on every high hill and under every green tree you wander, playing the harlot.
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 you a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then are you turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine to me?
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.
For though you wash you with nitre, and take you much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before me, says 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;
How can you say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see your way in the valley, know what you have done: you are a swift dromedary traversing her ways;
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.
A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffs 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 “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.
Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst: but you said, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.
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 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 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 stock, You are my father; and to a stone, You 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 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 your gods that you have made you? let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble: for according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah.
29 Wherefore will ye contend with me? all of you have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.
Why will you plead with me? you all have transgressed against me, says 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.
In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.
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, see you the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel? a land of darkness? why say my people, We are lords; we will come no more to you?
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 ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
33 Why ornamentest thou thy way to seek for love? truly even the worst hast thou used thyself as thy ways.
Why trim you your way to seek love? therefore have you also taught the wicked ones your ways.
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 your skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but on all these.
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 you say, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with you, because you say, I have 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 gad you about so much to change your way? you also shall be ashamed of Egypt, as you were ashamed of Assyria.
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.
Yes, you shall go forth from him, and your hands on your head: for the LORD has rejected your confidences, and you shall not prosper in them.
