Jeremiah 2 ~ Jeremiah 2

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1 A nd the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

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

2 G o and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the Lord: I remember the kindness and devotion of your youth, your love after your betrothal and marriage when you followed Me in the wilderness, in 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 I srael was holiness to the Lord, the firstfruits of His harvest; all who ate of it offended and became guilty; evil came upon them, says the Lord.

Holy Israel to Jehovah, The first-fruit of His increase, All consuming him are guilty, Evil cometh in unto them, an affirmation of Jehovah.

4 H ear the word of the Lord, 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 T hus says the Lord: What unrighteousness did your fathers find in Me, that they went far from Me and went after emptiness, falseness, and futility and themselves became fruitless and worthless?

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 N or 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 pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death and deep darkness, through a land that no man passes through and where no man dwells?

And have not said, Where 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 A nd I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and good things. But when you entered, you defiled My land and made My heritage 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 t he priests did not say, Where is the Lord? And those who handle the law knew Me not. The rulers and secular shepherds also transgressed against Me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal and followed after things that do not profit.

The priests have not said, `Where 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 T herefore I will still contend with you, says the Lord, and with your children’s children will I contend.

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

10 F or cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and see, send also to Kedar and carefully consider; and see whether there has been such a thing as 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 H as a nation changed its gods, even though they are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory for that which does not profit.

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

12 B e astonished and appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked and shrivel up with horror, says the Lord.

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

13 F or My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and they have hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns which 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 I s Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why has he become a captive and a prey?

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

15 T he young lions have roared over him and made their voices heard. And they have made his land a waste; his cities are burned ruins without 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 M oreover, the children of Memphis and Tahpanhes (Egypt) have broken and fed on the crown of your head —so do not rely on them as an ally now.

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

17 H ave you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God when He led you in the way?

Dost thou not do this to thyself? thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, At the time He is leading thee in the way?

18 A nd now what have you to gain by allying yourself with Egypt and going her way, to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what have you to gain in going the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the 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 Y our own wickedness shall chasten and correct you, and your backslidings and desertion of faith shall reprove you. Know therefore and recognize that this is an evil and bitter thing: you have forsaken the Lord your God; you are indifferent to Me and the fear of Me is not in you, says the Lord of hosts.

Instruct thee doth thy wickedness, And thy backslidings reprove thee, Know and see that an evil and a bitter thing thy forsaking Jehovah thy God, And My fear not being on thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah of Hosts.

20 F or long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds and long ago you shattered the yoke and snapped the bonds; you said, I will not serve and obey You! For upon every high hill and under every green tree you prostrated yourself, playing the harlot.

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 Y et I had planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned into degenerate shoots of wild vine alien to Me?

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 F or though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, yet your iniquity and guilt are still spotted, dirty, and stained before Me, says the Lord.

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 H ow can you say, I am not defiled; I have not gone after the Baals ? Look at your way in the valley; know what you have done. You are a restive young female camel running hither and thither,

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 O r a wild donkey used to the desert, in her heat sniffing the wind. In her mating season who can restrain her? No males seeking her need weary themselves; in her month 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 K eep your feet from being unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, It is hopeless! For I have loved strangers and foreigners, and after them I will 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 A s the thief is brought to shame when he is caught, so shall the house of Israel be brought to shame—they, their kings, their princes, 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 t hey say to a tree, You are my father, and to a stone, You gave me birth. For they have turned their backs to Me and not their faces; but in the time of their trouble, they say, Arise and save us!

Saying to wood, `My father 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 B ut where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise if they can save you in the time of your trouble! For the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah.

And where 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 W hy do you complain and remonstrate against My wrath? You all have rebelled and revolted against Me, says the Lord.

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

30 I n vain have I stricken your children (your people); they received no discipline (no correction). Your own sword devoured your prophets like a destroying lion.

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! Behold, consider, and regard the word of the Lord: Have I been a wilderness to Israel ? A land of deep darkness ? Why do My people say, We have broken loose; we will come no more to You?

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 C an a maid forget and neglect her ornaments, or 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 H ow you deck yourself and direct your way to procure love! Because of it even wicked women have learned ways from you.

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

34 A lso on your skirts is found the lifeblood of the persons of the innocent poor; you did not find them housebreaking, nor have I found it out by secret search. But it is because of all these things—

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 Y et you keep saying, I am innocent; surely His anger has turned away from Me. Behold, I will bring you to judgment and will plead against 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 W hy do you gad or wander about so much to change your way? You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame 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 F rom also you will come away with your hands upon your head, for the Lord has rejected those in whom you confide, and you will 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!