Jeremiah 2

1 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

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

2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem. Say, 'Yahweh says this: I have called to mind on your behalf the covenant faithfulness in your youthfulness, your love at the time when we were engaged, when you went after me in the wilderness, the land that was 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 Israel was set apart to Yahweh, the firstfruits of his harvest! All who ate from the firstfruits were held guilty; disaster came upon them—this is Yahweh's declaration.'”

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 the word of Yahweh, house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel.

Hear a word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, And all ye families of the house of Israel.

5 Yahweh says this, “What did your fathers find wrong with me, that they went far from following me? That they went after useless idols and became useless themselves?

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 They did not say, 'Where is Yahweh, who brought us up from the land of Egypt? Where is Yahweh, who led us to the wilderness, into the land of the Arabah and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, a land through which no one passes and where no one lives?'

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 But I brought you to the land of Carmel, to eat its fruit and other good things! Yet when you came, you defiled my land, you made my inheritance 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 priest did not say, 'Where is Yahweh?' and the experts in the law did not care about me! The shepherds transgressed against me. The prophets prophesied for Baal and walked after unprofitable things.

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 So I will still accuse you—this is Yahweh's declaration—and I will accuse your sons' sons.

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

10 For cross over to the coasts of Kittim and look. Send messengers out to Kedar and find out and see if there has ever before been anything like 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 Has a nation exchanged gods, even though they were not gods? But my people have exchanged their glory for what cannot help them.

Hath a nation changed gods? (And they [are] no gods!) And My people hath changed its honour For that which doth not profit.

12 Shudder, heavens, because of this! Be shocked and horrified—this is Yahweh's declaration.

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

13 For my people have committed two evils against me: They have abandoned the springs of living waters, and they have dug out cisterns for themselves, 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 slave? Was he born in his master's home? So why has he become plunder?

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

15 Young lions roared against him. They made a lot of noise and made his land a horror. His cities are destroyed without any inhabitants.

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 Also, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes will shave your skull.

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

17 Did you not do this to yourselves when you abandoned Yahweh your God, while he was leading you along 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 So now, why take the road to Egypt and drink the waters of Shihor? Why take the road to Assyria and drink the waters of the Euphrates 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 Your wickedness rebukes you, and your faithlessness punishes you. So think about it and understand that it is wicked and bitter when you forsake Yahweh your God, and have no fear of me—this is the declaration of 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 I broke your yoke that you had in ancient days; I tore your fetters off you. Still you said, 'I will not serve!' since you bowed down on every high hill and beneath every leafy tree, you adulterer.

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 I planted you as a choice vine, completely from pure seed. How then have you have changed yourself into a corrupt, worthless 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 even if you clean yourself in the river or wash with strong soap, your iniquity is a stain before me—this is the declaration of the 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 can you say, 'I am not defiled! I have not walked after the Baals'? Look at what you did in the valleys! Consider what you have done—you are a swift female camel running here and there,

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 donkey accustomed to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust? None of the males need wear themselves out pursuing her; at mating time they will 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 You must restrain your feet from becoming bare and your throat from being thirsty! But you have said, 'It is hopeless! No, I love strangers and go after them!'

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 Like the shame of a thief when he is found, so the house of Israel will be ashamed— they, their kings, their princes, and their priests and 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 These are the ones who say to the tree, 'You are my father,' and to the stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For their back faces me and not their faces. Nevertheless, they say in the time of troubles, '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 Yet where are the gods that you made for yourselves? Let them arise if they wish to save you in your time of troubles, for your idols equal your cities in number, 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 So why do you accuse me of doing wrong? All of you have sinned against me—this is Yahweh's declaration.

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

30 I have punished your people in vain. They would not accept discipline. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a destructive lion!

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

31 You who belong to this generation! Pay attention to my word, the word of Yahweh! Have I been a wilderness to Israel? Or a land of deep darkness? Why would my people say, 'Let us wander around, we will not go to you anymore'?

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 Will a virgin forget her jewelry, a bride her veils? Yet my people have forgotten me for days without number!

Doth a virgin forget her ornaments? A bride her bands? And My people have forgotten Me days without number.

33 How well you make your way to look for love. You have even taught your ways to wicked women.

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

34 The blood that was the life of innocent, poor people has been found on your clothes. These people were not discovered in acts of burglary.

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 you say, 'I am innocent; surely his anger has turned away from me.' But look! I will bring down judgment on you because you say, '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 do you treat so very lightly this change in your ways? You will also be disappointed by Egypt, just as you were by Assyria.

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

37 You will also go out from there dejected, with your hands on your head, for Yahweh has rejected the ones whom you trusted, so you will not be helped by 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!