Jeremiah 2

1 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And he said, Thus saith the Lord,

2 "Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "I remember you, the devotion of your youth, the love of your weddings; how you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

I remember the kindness of thy youth, and the love of thine espousals,

3 Israel was holiness to the LORD, the first fruits of his increase. All who devour him shall be held guilty. Evil shall come on them,"' says the LORD."

in following the Holy One of Israel, saith the Lord, Israel was the holy [people] to the Lord, [and] the first-fruits of his increase: all that devoured him shall offend; evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.

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

Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and every family of the house of Israel.

5 Thus says the LORD, "What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

Thus saith the Lord, What trespass have your fathers found in me, that they have revolted far from me, and gone after vanities, and become vain?

6 Neither did they say, 'Where is the LORD who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who 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 none passed through, and where no man lived?'

And they said not, Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who guided us in the wilderness, in an untried and trackless land, in a land which no man at all went through, and no man dwelt there?

7 I brought you into a plentiful land, to eat its fruit and its goodness; but when you entered, you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.

And I brought you to Carmel, that ye should eat the fruits thereof, and the good thereof; and ye went in, and defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

8 The cohanim did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' And those who handle the law did not know me. The rulers also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that held by the law knew me not: the shepherds also sinned against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after that which profited not.

9 "Therefore I will yet contend with you," says the LORD, "and I will contend with your children's children.

Therefore I will yet plead with you, and will plead with your children's children.

10 For pass over to the islands of Kittim, and see; and send to Kedar, and consider diligently; and see if there has been such a thing.

For go to the isles of the Chettians, and se; and send to Kedar, and observe accurately, and see if such things have been done;

11 Has a nation changed its gods, which really are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

if the nations will change their gods, though they are not gods: but my people have changed their glory, [for that] from which they shall not be profited.

12 "Be astonished, you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be very desolate," says the LORD.

The heaven is amazed at this, and is very exceedingly horror-struck, saith the Lord.

13 "For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

For my people has committed two [faults], and evil ones: they have forsaken me, the fountain of water of life, and hewn out for themselves broken cisterns, which will not be able to hold water.

14 Is Israel a servant? Is he a native-born slave? Why has he become a prey?

Is Israel a servant, or a home-born slave? why has he become a spoil?

15 The young lions have roared at him, and yelled. They have made his land waste. His cities are burned up, without inhabitant.

The lions roared upon him, and uttered their voice, which have made his land a wilderness: and his cities are broken down, that they should not be inhabited.

16 The people of Memphis and Tahpanhes have also shaved the crown of your head.

Also the children of Memphis and Taphnas have known thee, and mocked thee.

17 "Haven't you brought this on yourself, in that you have forsaken the LORD your God, when he led you by the way?

Has not thy forsaking me brought these things upon thee? saith the Lord thy God.

18 Now what have you to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? Or what have you to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?

And now what hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, to drink the water of Geon? and what hast thou to do with the way of the Assyrians, to drink the water of rivers?

19 "Your own wickedness shall correct you, and your backsliding 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 of hosts.

Thine apostasy shall correct thee, and thy wickedness shall reprove thee: know then, and see, that thy forsaking me [has been] bitter to thee, saith the Lord thy God; and I have taken no pleasure in thee, saith the Lord thy God.

20 "For of old time I have broken your yoke, and burst your bonds; and you said, 'I will not serve;' for on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed yourself, playing the prostitute.

For of old thou hast broken thy yoke, and plucked asunder thy bands; and thou has said, I will not serve thee, but will go upon every high hill, and under every shady tree, there will I indulge in my fornication.

21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine, wholly a right seed. How then have you turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine to me?

Yet I planted thee a fruitful vine, entirely of the right sort: how art thou a strange vine turned to bitterness!

22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before me," says the LORD.

Though thou shouldest wash thyself with nitre, and multiply to thyself soap, [still] thou art stained by thine iniquities before me, saith the Lord.

23 "How can you say, 'I am not defiled. I have not gone after the Baals'? See your way in the valley. Know what you have done. You are a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

How wilt thou say, I am not polluted, and have not gone after Baal? behold thy ways in the burial-ground, and know what thou hast done: her voice has howled in the evening:

24 a wild donkey used to the wilderness, that snuffs up the wind in her desire. When she is in heat, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves. In her month, they will find her.

she has extended her ways over the waters of the desert; she was hurried along by the lusts of her soul; she is given up [to them], who will turn her back? none that seek her shall be weary; at [the time of] her humiliation they shall find her.

25 "Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, 'It is in vain. No, for I have loved strangers, and I will go after them.'

Withdraw thy foot from a rough way, and thy throat from thirst: but she said I will strengthen myself: for she loved strangers, and went after them.

26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their officials, and their cohanim, and their prophets;

As is the shame of a thief when he is caught, so shall the children of Israel be ashamed; they, and their kings, and their princes, and their priests, and their prophets.

27 who tell wood, 'You are my father;' and a stone, 'You have brought me out:' 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.'

They said to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou has begotten me: and they have turned [their] backs to me, and not their faces: yet in the time of their afflictions they will say, Arise, and save us.

28 "But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? 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, Judah. And according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem they were sacrificing to Baal.

And where are thy gods, which thou madest for thyself? will they arise and save in the time of thine affliction? for according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem they sacrificed to Baal.

29 "Why will you contend with me? You all have transgressed against me," says the LORD.

Wherefore do ye speak unto me? ye all have been ungodly, and ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.

30 "I have struck your children in vain. They received no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

In vain have I smitten your children; ye have not received correction: a sword has devoured your prophets as a destroying lion; yet ye feared not.

31 Generation, consider the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel? Or a land of thick darkness? Why do my people say, 'We have broken loose. We will come to you no more?'

Hear ye the word of the Lord: thus saith the Lord, Have I been a wilderness or a dry land to Israel? wherefore has my people said, We will not be ruled over, and will not come to thee any more?

32 "Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me for days without number.

Will a bride forget her ornaments, or a virgin her girdle? but my people has forgotten me days without number.

33 How well you prepare your way to seek love. Therefore you have taught even the wicked women your ways.

What fair device wilt thou yet employ in thy ways, so as to seek love? [it shall] not [be] so; moreover thou has done wickedly in corrupting thy ways;

34 Also the blood of the souls of the innocent poor is found in your skirts. You did not find them breaking in; but it is because of all these things.

and in thine hands has been found the blood of innocent souls; I have not found them in holes, but on every oak.

35 "Yet you said, 'I am innocent. Surely his anger has turned away from me.' "Look, I will judge you, because you say, 'I have not sinned.'

Yet thou saidst, I am innocent: only let his wrath be turned away from me. Behold, I [will] plead with thee, whereas thou sayest, I have not sinned.

36 Why do you go about so much to change your way? You will be ashamed of Egypt also, as you were ashamed of Assyria.

For thou has been so exceedingly contemptuous as to repeat thy ways; but thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assur.

37 From there also you shall go forth, with your hands on your head; for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you shall not prosper with them.

For thou shalt go forth thence also with thine hands upon thine head; for the Lord has rejected thine hope, and thou shalt not prosper in it.