Jeremiah 2

1 And the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying;

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem saying—Thus saith Yahweh, I remember in thy behalf, the lovingkindness of thy youthful days, The love of thy bridal estate, —Thy coming out after me, Through the desert, Through a land, 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 Holiness, was Israel unto Yahweh, The first-fruit of his increase, —All that devoured it, were held guilty, Calamity used to come upon them, —Declareth Yahweh.

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 Yahweh O house of Jacob, And all the 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, saith Yahweh, —What did your fathers find in me by way of perversity, that they removed far from me, —and went 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 Neither said they, Where is Yahweh, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, —Who led us Through the desert, Through a land of wastes and clefts, Through a land of parched places and of death-shade, Through a land, Along which no man had passed, And in which no son of earth 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 Then brought I you into a country of garden land, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof, —and yet when ye entered, then defiled ye my land, and mine inheritance, ye made 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 Yahweh? And, they who handled the law, did not acknowledge me, And the shepherds transgressed against me, —And the prophets, prophesied by Baal, And so after things that could not 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 yet further will I plead with you Declareth Yahweh, Yea with your children’s children, will I plead.

Therefore, yet I plead with you, An affirmation of Jehovah, And with your sons' sons I plead.

10 For—pass through the coastlands of the West and see, And unto Kedar, send ye and consider diligently, —And see—whether there hath been the like of this!

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, changed gods, although they were No-gods? Yet my people have changed my glory for that which could 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 amazed, O ye heavens, at this, —And shudder, be dried up utterly, Urgeth Yahweh.

Be astonished, ye heavens, at this, Yea, be frightened, be greatly wasted, An affirmation of Jehovah.

13 For two wicked things, have my people committed, —Me, have they forsaken a fountain of living water, 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 Was Israel a servant? Born in the house, was he? Wherefore hath he become a prey?

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

15 Against him, have been roaring wild lions, They have uttered their voice, —and have made his land a desolation, His cities, have been burned, so as to have no 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 sons of Noph and Tahpanhes have been crushing the crown of the head.

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

17 Is not this what thou wast certain to do for thyself, —in that thou didst forsake Yahweh thy God, when he was leading thee by the 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 Now, therefore what hast thou to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? Or what hast thou to do with the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River ["Euphrates"]?

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 Let thy wickedness correct thee And thine apostasies, rebuke thee, Know therefore and see That it is a wicked thing and a bitter, that thou shouldest have forsaken Yahweh thy God, And that the dread of me should not have pertained to thee, Declareth My Lord, Yahweh 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 For, in age-past time, I brake thy yoke, I tare off thy fetters, And thou saidst, I will not transgress, —Nevertheless, on every high hill, and under every green tree, wast thou lying down as an unchaste woman.

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, planted thee a precious vine, a wholly true seed, —How then didst thou change thyself towards me, into the degenerate plantings of the alien 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 thee with nitre, And take thee much soap, Yet is thine iniquity inscribed before me Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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 have not defiled myself, After the Baalim, have I not gone? See thy way, in the valley, Own what thou hast done, —A nimble young she-camel, crossing her own 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 A wild ass, taught of the desert, In the desire of her soul, she snuffeth the wind, In her occasion, who can turn her back? None who seek her, will weary themselves, In her month, they shall 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 Withhold thy foot from being unshod, And thy throat from thirst! But thou saidst Hopeless! No! for I love foreigners 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 shame of a thief when he is found, So, hath been put to shame, the house of Israel, —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 Saying, to a tree, My father, art thou! And to a stone, Thou, didst give us birth, For they have turned unto me the back and not the face, —But in the time of their calamity, they will 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 Where then are thy gods which thou hast made for thyself? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy calamity, —For according to the number of thy cities, have become 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, should ye plead against me, All of you, have transgressed against me Declareth Yahweh.

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

30 In vain, have I smitten your children, Correction, have they not accepted, —Your sword hath devoured your prophets, as a lion that destroyeth.

In vain I have smitten your sons, Instruction they have not accepted, Devoured hath your sword your prophets, As a destroying lion.

31 O generation see, ye, the word of Yahweh, A desert, became I unto Israel? Or a land of thick darkness? Wherefore, have my people said, We have roved about, We will not come in 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 ornaments, —A bride, her girdle? 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 How thou dost make winsome thy way, to seek love! Therefore, even unto wicked women, hast thou taught thy ways.

What — dost thou make pleasing thy ways to seek love? Therefore even the wicked thou hast taught thy ways.

34 Even in thy skirts, is there found, The blood of the lives of the helpless innocents, —Not in the act of breaking in, didst thou find them, yet [the blood is] on all these.

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 Although thou saidst, Because I am innocent, surely hath his anger turned back from me, —Behold me! entering into 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 How vigorously, thou goest about changing thy way! Even of Egypt, shalt thou be ashamed, just as thou wast ashamed 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 Even from this one, shalt thou go forth, with thy hands upon thy head, —For Yahweh hath rejected those in whom thou confidest, 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!