Jeremiah 2
2
God’s Case Against Israel
1Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2“Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“I remember you,
The kindness of your #Ezek. 16:8; Hos. 2:15youth,
The love of your betrothal,
#Deut. 2:7; Jer. 2:6When you went after Me in the wilderness,
In a land not sown.
3#(Ex. 19:5, 6; Deut. 7:6; 14:2)Israel was holiness to the Lord,
#James 1:18; Rev. 14:4The firstfruits of His increase.
#Jer. 12:14All that devour him will offend;
Disaster will #Gen. 12:3; Is. 41:11; Jer. 30:15, 16; 50:7come upon them,” says the Lord.’ ”
4Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. 5Thus says the Lord:
#Is. 5:4; Mic. 6:3“What injustice have your fathers found in Me,
That they have gone far from Me,
#2 Kin. 17:15; Jer. 8:19; (Jon. 2:8); Rom. 1:21Have followed idols,
And have become idolaters?
6Neither did they say, ‘Where is the Lord,
Who #Ex. 20:2; Is. 63:11brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through #Deut. 8:15; 32:10the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and pits,
Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no one dwelt?’
7I brought you into #Num. 13:27a bountiful country,
To eat its fruit and its goodness.
But when you entered, you #Num. 35:33; Is. 24:5; Hos. 4:3defiled My land
And made My heritage an abomination.
8The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the #Rom. 2:20law did not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed against Me;
#Jer. 23:13The prophets prophesied by Baal,
And walked after things that do not profit.
9“Therefore #Jer. 2:35; Ezek. 20:35, 36; Mic. 6:2I will yet bring charges against you,” says the Lord,
“And against your children’s children I will bring charges.
10For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see,
Send to Kedar and consider diligently,
And see if there has been such a #Jer. 18:13thing.
11#Mic. 4:5Has a nation changed its gods,
Which are #Ps. 115:4; Is. 37:19not gods?
#Ps. 106:20; Rom. 1:23But My people have changed their Glory
For what does not profit.
12Be astonished, O heavens, at this,
And be horribly afraid;
Be very desolate,” says the Lord.
13“For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the #Ps. 36:9; Jer. 17:13; (John 4:14)fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.
14“Is Israel #(Ex. 4:22)a servant?
Is he a homeborn slave?
Why is he plundered?
15#Is. 1:7; Jer. 50:17The young lions roared at him, and growled;
They made his land waste;
His cities are burned, without inhabitant.
16Also the people of Noph and #2 Kin. 23:29–37; Jer. 43:7–9Tahpanhes
Have broken the crown of your head.
17#Jer. 4:18Have you not brought this on yourself,
In that you have forsaken the Lord your God
When #Deut. 32:10He led you in the way?
18And now why take #Is. 30:1–3the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of #Josh. 13:3Sihor?
Or why take the road to #Hos. 5:13Assyria,
To drink the waters of the River?
19Your own wickedness will #Is. 3:9; Jer. 4:18; Hos. 5:5correct you,
And your backslidings will rebuke you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing
That you have forsaken the Lord your God,
And the fear of Me is not in you,”
Says the Lord God of hosts.
20“For of old I have #Lev. 26:13broken your yoke and burst your bonds;
And #Ex. 19:8; Josh. 24:18; Judg. 10:16; 1 Sam. 12:10 you said, ‘I will not transgress,’
When #Deut. 12:2; Is. 57:5, 7; Jer. 3:6on every high hill and under every green tree
You lay down, #Ex. 34:15playing the harlot.
21Yet I had #Ex. 15:17; Ps. 44:2; 80:8; Is. 5:2planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality.
How then have you turned before Me
Into #Deut. 32:32; Is. 5:4the degenerate plant of an alien vine?
22For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap,
Yet your iniquity is #Job 14:16, 17; Jer. 17:1, 2; Hos. 13:12marked before Me,” says the Lord God.
23“How#Prov. 30:12 can you say, ‘I am not polluted,
I have not gone after the Baals’?
See your way in the valley;
Know what you have done:
You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways,
24A wild donkey used to the wilderness,
That sniffs at the wind in her desire;
In her time of mating, who can turn her away?
All those who seek her will not weary themselves;
In her month they will find her.
25Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst.
But you said, #Is. 57:10; Jer. 18:12‘There is no hope.
No! For I have loved #Jer. 3:13aliens, and after them I will go.’
26“As the thief is ashamed when he is found out,
So is the house of Israel ashamed;
They and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their #Is. 28:7; Jer. 5:31prophets,
27Saying to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a #Jer. 3:9stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’
For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face.
But in the time of their #Judg. 10:10; Is. 26:16; Hos. 5:15trouble
They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’
28But #Deut. 32:37; Judg. 10:14where are your gods that you have made for yourselves?
Let them arise,
If they #Is. 45:20can save you in the time of your trouble;
For #2 Kin. 17:30, 31; Jer. 11:13according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.
29“Why will you plead with Me?
You all have transgressed against Me,” says the Lord.
30“In vain I have #Is. 9:13chastened your children;
They #Is. 1:5; Jer. 5:3; 7:28received no correction.
Your sword has #Neh. 9:26; Jer. 26:20–24; Acts 7:52; 1 Thess. 2:15devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31“O generation, see the word of the Lord!
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a land of darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘We are lords;
#Deut. 32:15; Jer. 2:20, 25We will come no more to You’?
32Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people #Ps. 106:21; Is. 17:10; Jer. 3:21; 13:25; Hos. 8:14have forgotten Me days without number.
33“Why do you beautify your way to seek love?
Therefore you have also taught
The wicked women your ways.
34Also on your skirts is found
#2 Kin. 21:16; 24:4; Ps. 106:38; Jer. 7:6; 19:4The blood of the lives of the poor innocents.
I have not found it by secret search,
But plainly on all these things.
35#Jer. 2:23, 29; Mal. 2:17; 3:8Yet you say, ‘Because I am innocent,
Surely His anger shall turn from me.’
Behold, #Jer. 2:9I will plead My case against you,
#(Prov. 28:13; 1 John 1:8, 10)Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36#Jer. 31:22; Hos. 5:13; 12:1Why do you gad about so much to change your way?
Also #Is. 30:3you shall be ashamed of Egypt #2 Chr. 28:16as you were ashamed of Assyria.
37Indeed you will go forth from him
With your hands on #2 Sam. 13:19; Jer. 14:3, 4your head;
For the Lord has rejected your trusted allies,
And you will #Jer. 37:7–10not prosper by them.
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Jeremiah 2: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 2
2
Judah’s Apostasy
1Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2“Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord,
“I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth,
The love of your betrothals,
Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
3Israel was holy to the Lord,
The first of His harvest.
All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares the Lord.’ ”
4Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5Thus says the Lord,
“What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me
And walked after emptiness and became empty?
6They did not 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 deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no man dwelt?’
7I brought you into the fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and defiled My land,
And My inheritance you made an abomination.
8The priests 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 did not profit.
9“Therefore I will yet contend with you,” declares the Lord,
“And with your sons’ sons I will contend.
10For cross to the coastlands of Kittim and see,
And send to Kedar and observe closely
And see if there has been such a thing as this!
11Has a nation changed gods
When they were not gods?
But My people have changed their glory
For that which does not profit.
12Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.
13“For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.
14“Is Israel a slave? Or is he a homeborn servant?
Why has he become a prey?
15The young lions have roared at him,
They have roared loudly.
And they have made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
16Also the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have shaved the crown of your head.
17Have you not done this to yourself
By your forsaking the Lord your God
When He led you in the way?
18But now what are you doing on the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of the Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the Euphrates?
19Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your apostasies will reprove you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter
For you to forsake the Lord your God,
And the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord God of hosts.
20“For long ago I broke your yoke
And tore off your bonds;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every high hill
And under every green tree
You have lain down as a harlot.
21Yet I planted you a choice vine,
A completely faithful seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
22Although you wash yourself with lye
And use much soap,
The stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares the Lord God.
23“How 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 swift young camel entangling her ways,
24A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her heat who can turn her away?
All who seek her will not become weary;
In her month they will find her.
25Keep your feet from being unshod
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘It is hopeless!
No! For I have loved strangers,
And after them I will walk.’
26“As the thief is shamed when he is discovered,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their princes
And their priests and their prophets,
27Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
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.’
28But where are your gods
Which you made for yourself?
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, O Judah.
29“Why do you contend with Me?
You have all transgressed against Me,” declares the Lord.
30“In vain I have struck your sons;
They accepted no chastening.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31O generation, heed the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
32Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have forgotten Me
Days without number.
33How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
34Also on your skirts is found
The lifeblood of the innocent poor;
You did not find them breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
35Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will enter into judgment with you
Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36Why do you go around so much
Changing your way?
Also, you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by Assyria.
37From this place also you will go out
With your hands on your head;
For the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper with them.”
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