Jeremiah 2

1 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

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

2 “Go, and you have called in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said YHWH: I have remembered for you The kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals, Your going after Me in a wilderness, in a land not sown.

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.

3 Israel [is] holy to YHWH, The first-fruit of His increase, All consuming him are guilty, Calamity comes to them,” A declaration of YHWH.

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.

4 Hear a word of YHWH, O house of Jacob, And all you families of the house of Israel—

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

5 Thus said YHWH: “What perversity have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after vanity, and become vain,

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?

6 And have not said, Where [is] YHWH, Who brings us up out of the land of Egypt, Who leads us in a wilderness, In a land of deserts and pits, In a dry land, and of death-shade, In a land that none has passed through, Nor has man dwelt there?

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?

7 Indeed, I bring you into a land of fruitful fields, To eat its fruit and its goodness, And you come in and defile My land, And have made My inheritance an abomination.

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.

8 The priests have not said, Where [is] YHWH? And those handling the Law have not known Me. And the shepherds transgressed against Me, And the prophets have prophesied by Ba‘al, And have gone after those who do not profit.

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.

9 Therefore, I yet plead with you,” A declaration of YHWH, “And I plead with your sons’ sons.

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

10 For pass to the islands of Chittim and see, And send to Kedar and consider well, And see if there has been [anything] like this:

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.

11 Has a nation changed gods? (And they [are] no gods!) And My people has changed its glory For that which does not profit.

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.

12 Be astonished, you heavens, at this, Indeed, be frightened, be greatly desolated,” A declaration of YHWH.

Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and let your hair stand at an end, be ye greatly terrified, saith the Lord.

13 “For My people have done two evils, They have forsaken Me, a fountain of living waters, To hew out for themselves wells—broken wells, That do not contain the waters.

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.

14 [Is] Israel a servant? Is he a child of the house? Why has he been for a prey?

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

15 Young lions roar against him, They have given forth their voice, And make his land become a desolation, His cities have been burned without inhabitant.

[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?

16 Also sons of Noph and Tahapanes Consume you—the crown of the head!

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

17 Do you not do this to yourself? [By] your forsaking your God YHWH, At the time He is leading you in the way?

Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, through thy forsaking the Lord thy God, while he was leading thee on the [right] way?

18 And now, why do you [go] in the way of Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? And why do you [go] in the way of Asshur, To drink the waters of the River?

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?

19 Your wickedness instructs you, And your backslidings reprove you, Know and see that an evil and a bitter thing [is] your forsaking your God YHWH, And My fear not being on you,” A declaration of Lord YHWH of Hosts.

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.

20 “For from of old you have broken your yoke, Drawn away your bands, and say, I do not serve, For on every high height, and under every green tree, You are wandering—a harlot.

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.

21 And I planted you [as] a choice vine, wholly of true seed, And how have you been turned Into the degenerate shoots of a strange vine to Me?

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?

22 But though you wash with natron, And multiply soap to yourself, Your iniquity is marked before Me,” A declaration of Lord YHWH.

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.

23 “How can you say, I have not been defiled, I have not gone after the Ba‘alim? See your way in a valley, know what you have done, A swift dromedary winding her ways,

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;

24 A wild donkey accustomed to a wilderness, She has swallowed up wind in the desire of her soul, Her meeting—who turns her back? None seeking her weary themselves, In her month they find her.

[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.

25 Withhold your foot from being unshod, And your throat from thirst, And you say, It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and I go after them.

“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.

26 As the shame of a thief when he is found, So has the house of Israel been put to shame, They, their kings, their heads, And their priests, and their prophets,

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,

27 Saying to wood, You [are] my father! And to a stone, You have brought me forth, For they turned to me the back and not the face, And in the time of their distress, They say, Arise, and save us.

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.

28 And where [are] your gods, that you have made to yourself? Let them arise, if they may save you, In the time of your distress, For—the number of your cities have been your gods, O Judah,

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.

29 Why do you strive with Me? All of you have transgressed against Me,” A declaration of YHWH.

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

30 “I have struck your sons in vain, They have not accepted instruction, Your sword has devoured your prophets, As a destroying lion.

To no purpose have I smitten your children; correction they accepted not: your sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

31 O generation, see the word of YHWH: Have I been a wilderness to Israel? A land of thick darkness? Why have My people said, We wandered freely, We do not come to You again.

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?

32 Does a virgin forget her ornaments? A bride her bands? And My people have forgotten Me [for] days without number.

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

33 Why do you make your ways pleasing to seek love? Therefore you have even taught the wicked your ways.

Why ornamentest thou thy way to seek for love? truly even the worst hast thou used thyself as thy ways.

34 Also the blood of innocent needy souls Has been found on your skirts, I have not found them by digging, But on all these.

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.

35 And you say, Because I have been innocent, Surely His anger has turned back from me? Behold, I have been judged with you, Because of your saying, I have not sinned.

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.

36 What? You are very vile to repeat your way, You are even ashamed of Egypt, As you have been ashamed of Asshur,

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.

37 Also you go out from this, And your hands on your head, For YHWH has kicked at your confidences, And you do not give prosperity to them!”

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.