Jeremiah 2

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

And there is a word of Jehovah unto 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 thou hast called in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said Jehovah: I have remembered for thee The kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, Thy going after Me in a wilderness, in a land 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.

Holy [is] Israel to Jehovah, The first-fruit of His increase, All consuming him are guilty, Evil cometh in unto them, an affirmation of Jehovah.

4 Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all ye families of the house of Israel.

Hear a word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, And all ye 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 said Jehovah: What — have your fathers found in Me perversity, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after the vanity, and 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?

And have not said, Where [is] Jehovah, Who bringeth us up out of the land of Egypt, Who leadeth us in a wilderness, In a land of deserts and pits, In a dry land, and of death-shade, In a land — none hath passed through it, Nor dwelt hath man there?'

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.

Yea, I bring you in to a land of fruitful fields, To eat its fruit and its goodness, And ye come in and defile My land, And Mine inheritance have made 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 have not said, 'Where [is] Jehovah?' And those handling the law have not known Me. And the shepherds transgressed against Me, And the prophets have prophesied by Baal, And after those who profit not have gone.

9 Therefore will I contend yet farther with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I contend.

Therefore, yet I plead with you, An affirmation of Jehovah, And with your sons' sons 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 to the isles of Chittim, and see, And to Kedar send, and consider well, And see if there hath been like this:

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 a nation changed gods? (And they [are] no gods!) And My people hath changed its honour For that which doth 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, ye heavens, at this, Yea, be frightened, be greatly wasted, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 two evils hath My people done, Me they have forsaken, a fountain of living waters, To hew out for themselves wells — broken wells, That contain not the waters.

14 Is Israel a servant? or one born [to servitude] in the house? why hath he been given up to plunder?

A servant [is] Israel? Is he a child of the house? Wherefore hath he been for a prey?

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?

Against him roar do young lions, They have given forth their voice, And make his land become a desolation, His cities have been burnt without inhabitant.

16 Even the children of Noph and Thachpanches have crushed the crown of thy head.

Also sons of Noph and Tahapanes Consume thee — the crown of the 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?

Dost thou not do this to thyself? [By] thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, At the time He is leading thee in 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 — to thee in the way of Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? And what — to thee in the way of Asshur, 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.

Instruct thee doth thy wickedness, And thy backslidings reprove thee, Know and see that an evil and a bitter thing [Is] thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, And My fear not being on thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah 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 from of old thou hast broken thy yoke, Drawn away thy bands, and sayest, 'I do not serve,' For, on every high height, and under every green tree, Thou art wandering — a 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?

And I planted thee a choice vine, wholly a true seed, And how hast thou been turned to Me, To the degenerate shoots 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.

But though thou dost wash with nitre, And dost multiply to thyself soap, Marked is thine iniquity before Me, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

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 sayest thou, 'I have not been defiled, After the Baalim I have not gone?' See thy way in a valley, know what thou hast done, A swift dromedary winding 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 accustomed to a wilderness, In the desire of her soul she hath swallowed up wind, Her meeting — who doth turn her back? None seeking her do weary themselves, In her month they 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 thy foot from being unshod, And thy throat from thirst, And thou sayest, 'It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and after them 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 shame of a thief when he is found, So put to shame have been the house of Israel, They, their kings, their heads, 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 wood, 'My father [art] thou!' And to a stone, 'Thou hast brought me forth,' For they turned unto me the back and not the face, And in the time of their vexation, They say, 'Arise Thou, 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.

And where [are] thy gods, that thou hast made to thyself? Let them arise, if they may save thee, In the time of thy vexation, For — the number of thy cities have been thy gods, O Judah,

29 Wherefore will ye contend with me? all of you have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.

Why do ye strive with Me? All of you have transgressed against Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 I have smitten your sons, Instruction they have not accepted, Devoured hath your sword your prophets, As 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 ye the word of Jehovah: A wilderness have I been to Israel? A land of thick darkness? Wherefore have My people said, 'We mourned, We come not in again unto Thee.'

32 Can a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride her decorations? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

Doth a virgin forget her ornaments? A bride her bands? And 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.

What — dost thou make pleasing thy ways to seek love? Therefore even the wicked thou hast taught thy 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 thy skirts hath been found the blood of innocent needy souls, Not by digging have I found them, but upon 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.

And thou sayest, 'Because I have been innocent, Surely turned back hath His anger from me?' Lo, I have been judged with thee, Because of thy saying, '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.

What? thou art very vile to repeat thy way, Even of Egypt thou art ashamed, As thou hast been ashamed 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.

Also from this thou goest out, And thy hands on thy head, For Jehovah hath kicked at thy confidences, And thou dost not give prosperity to them!