Jeremiah 2
1 The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
And the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying;
2 “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘The LORD says, “I remember for you the kindness of your youth, your love as a bride, how you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
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:
3 Israel was holiness to the LORD, the first fruits of his increase. All who devour him will be held guilty. Evil will come on them,”’ says the LORD.”
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.
4 Hear the LORD’s word, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel!
Hear ye the word of Yahweh O house of Jacob, And all the families of the house of Israel.
5 The LORD says, “What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after worthless vanity, and have become worthless?
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?
6 They didn’t 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 no one passed through, and where no man lived?’
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?
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.
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
8 The priests didn’t say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ and those who handle the law didn’t know me. The rulers also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal and followed things that do not profit.
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.
9 “Therefore I will yet contend with you,” says the LORD, “and I will contend with your children’s children.
Therefore yet further will I plead with you Declareth Yahweh, Yea with your children’s children, will I plead.
10 For pass over to the islands of Kittim, and see. Send to Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there has been such a thing.
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!
11 Has a nation changed its gods, which really are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doesn’t profit.
Hath a nation, changed gods, although they were No-gods? Yet my people have changed my glory for that which could not profit!
12 “Be astonished, you heavens, at this and be horribly afraid. Be very desolate,” says the LORD.
Be amazed, O ye heavens, at this, —And shudder, be dried up utterly, Urgeth Yahweh.
13 “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut out cisterns for themselves: broken cisterns that can’t hold water.
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.
14 Is Israel a slave? Is he born into slavery? Why has he become a captive?
Was Israel a servant? Born in the house, was he? Wherefore hath he become a prey?
15 The young lions have roared at him and raised their voices. They have made his land waste. His cities are burned up, without inhabitant.
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.
16 The children also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of your head.
Even the sons of Noph and Tahpanhes have been crushing the crown of the head.
17 “Haven’t you brought this on yourself, in that you have forsaken the LORD your God, when he led you by the way?
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?
18 Now what do you gain by going to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? Or why do you go on the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?
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"]?
19 “Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backsliding will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing, that you have forsaken GOD your God, and that my fear is not in you,” says the Lord, the LORD of Hosts.
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.
20 “For long ago I broke off your yoke, and burst your bonds. You said, ‘I will not serve;’ for on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed yourself, playing the prostitute.
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.
21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a pure and faithful seed. How then have you turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine to me?
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?
22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before me,” says the Lord GOD.
For though thou wash thee with nitre, And take thee much soap, Yet is thine iniquity inscribed before me Declareth My Lord Yahweh.
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 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;
24 a wild donkey used to the wilderness, that sniffs the wind in her craving. 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.
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!
25 “Keep your feet from being bare, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is in vain. No, for I have loved strangers, and I will go after them.’
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.
26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so the house of Israel is ashamed— they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets,
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:
27 who tell wood, ‘You are my father,’ and a stone, ‘You have given birth to me,’ 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!’
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!
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 you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah.
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.
29 “Why will you contend with me? You all have transgressed against me,” says the LORD.
Wherefore, should ye plead against me, All of you, have transgressed against me Declareth Yahweh.
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, Correction, have they not accepted, —Your sword hath devoured your prophets, as a lion that destroyeth.
31 Generation, consider the LORD’s word. 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’?
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?
32 “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me for days without number.
Can, a virgin, forget, her ornaments, —A bride, her girdle? Yet, my people, have forgotten me, days without number.
33 How well you prepare your way to seek love! Therefore you have even taught the wicked women your ways.
How thou dost make winsome thy way, to seek love! Therefore, even unto wicked women, hast thou taught thy ways.
34 Also the blood of the souls of the innocent poor is found in your skirts. You didn’t find them breaking in, but it is because of all these things.
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.
35 “Yet you said, ‘I am innocent. Surely his anger has turned away from me.’ “Behold, I will judge you, because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
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!
36 Why do you go about so much to change your ways? You will be ashamed of Egypt also, as you were ashamed of Assyria.
How vigorously, thou goest about changing thy way! Even of Egypt, shalt thou be ashamed, just as thou wast ashamed of Assyria:
37 You will also leave that place with your hands on your head; for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you won’t prosper with them.
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.
