Yirmeyahu (Jer) 2
2
1The word of Adonai came to me: 2“Go and shout in the ears of Yerushalayim that this is what Adonai says:
‘I remember your devotion when you were young;
how, as a bride, you loved me;
how you followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
3“‘Isra’el is set aside for Adonai,
the firstfruits of his harvest;
all who devour him will incur guilt;
evil will befall them,” says Adonai.
4Hear the word of Adonai, house of Ya‘akov
and all families in the house of Isra’el;
5here is what Adonai says:
“What did your ancestors find wrong with me
to make them go so far away from me,
to make them go after nothings
and become themselves nothings?
6They didn’t ask, ‘Where is Adonai,
who brought us out of the land of Egypt,
who led us through the desert,
through a land of wastes and ravines,
through a land of drought and death-dark shadows,
through a land where no one travels
and where no one ever lived?’
7I brought you into a fertile land
to enjoy its fruit and all its good things;
but when you entered, you defiled my land
and made my heritage loathsome.
8The cohanim didn’t ask, ‘Where is Adonai?’
Those who deal with the Torah did not know me,
the people’s shepherds rebelled against me;
the prophets prophesied by Ba‘al
and went after things of no value.
9“So again I state my case against you,” says Adonai,
“and state it against your grandchildren too.
10Cross to the coasts of the Kitti’im and look;
send to Kedar and observe closely;
see if anything like this has happened before:
11has a nation ever exchanged its gods
(and theirs are not gods at all!)?
Yet my people have exchanged their Glory
for something without value.
12Be aghast at this, you heavens!
Shudder in absolute horror!” says Adonai.
13“For my people have committed two evils:
they have abandoned me,
the fountain of living water,
and dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns,
that can hold no water!
14“Is Isra’el a slave, born into serfdom?
If not, why has he become plunder?
15The young lions are roaring at him —
how loudly they are roaring!
They desolate his country,
demolishing and depopulating his cities.
16The people of Nof and Tachpanches
feed on the crown of your head.
17“Haven’t you brought this on yourself
by abandoning Adonai your God
when he led you along the way?
18If you go to Egypt, what’s in it for you?
Drinking water from the Nile?
If you go to Ashur, what’s in it for you?
Drinking water from the [Euphrates] River?
19Your own wickedness will correct you,
your own backslidings will convict you;
you will know and see how bad and bitter
it was to abandon Adonai your God,
and how fear of me is not in you,”
says Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot.
20“For long ago I broke your yoke;
when I snapped your chains, you said, ‘I won’t sin.’
Yet on every high hill, under every green tree,
you sprawled and prostituted yourself.
21But I planted you as a choice vine
of seed fully tested and true.
How did you degenerate
into a wild vine for me?
22Even if you scrub yourself
with soda and plenty of soap,
the stain of your guilt is still there before me,”
says Adonai Elohim.
23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not pursued the ba‘alim’?
Look at your conduct in the valley,
understand what you have done.
You are a restive young female camel,
running here and there,
24wild, accustomed to the desert,
sniffing the wind in her lust —
who can control her when she’s in heat?
Males seeking her need not weary themselves,
for at mating season they will find her.
25“Stop before your shoes wear out,
and your throat is dry from thirst!
But you say, ‘No, it’s hopeless!
I love these strangers, and I’m going after them.’
26Just as a thief is ashamed when caught,
so is the house of Isra’el ashamed —
they, their kings, their leaders,
their cohanim and their prophets,
27who say to a log, ‘You are my father,’
and to a stone, ‘You gave us birth.’
For they have turned their backs to me
instead of their faces.
But when trouble comes, they will plead,
‘Rouse yourself and save us!’
28Where are your gods that you made for yourselves?
Let them rouse themselves,
if they can save you when trouble comes.
Y’hudah, you have as many gods
as you have cities!
29Why argue with me? You have all
rebelled against me!” says Adonai.
30“In vain have I struck down your people.
They would not receive correction.
Your own sword has devoured your prophets
like a marauding lion.
31You of this generation,
look at the word of Adonai:
Have I been a desert to Isra’el?
or a land of oppressive darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We’re free to roam,
we will no longer come to you’?
32Does a girl forget her jewellery,
or a bride her wedding sash?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days beyond numbering.
33You are so clever in your search for love
that the worst of women can learn from you!
34Right there on your clothing
is the blood of the innocent poor,
although you never caught them breaking and entering.
Yet concerning all these things,
35you say, ‘I am innocent;
surely he’s no longer angry at me.’
Here, I am passing sentence on you,
because you say, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
36You cheapen yourself
when you change course so often —
you will be disappointed by Egypt too,
just as you were disappointed by Ashur.
37Yes, you will leave him too,
with your hands on your heads [in shame].
For Adonai rejects those in whom you trust;
from them you will gain nothing.”
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleJeremiah 2
2
God Pleads With Israel to Repent
1Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2#Dt 2:7; Eze 16:8Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying,
Thus says the Lord:
I remember you, the kindness of your youth,
the love of your espousals,
when you followed Me in the wilderness,
in a land that was not sown.
3#Jas 1:18; Ex 19:5–6 Israel is holy to the Lord,
and the first fruits of His harvest.
All who eat of it will become guilty;
disaster will come upon them,
says the Lord.
4Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob
and all the families of the house of Israel.
5#2Ki 17:15; Jer 2:31Thus says the Lord:
What iniquity have your fathers found inMe,
that they have gone far from Me,
and have walked after vanity
and have become vain?
6#Dt 32:10; Hos 13:4 They 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 the shadow of death,
through a land that no man passed through and where no man lived?”
7#Dt 8:7–9; Jer 16:18 And I brought you into a plentiful country
to eat its fruit and its goodness.
But when you entered, you defiled My land
and made My heritage an abomination.
8#Hab 2:18; Jer 5:31 The priests did not say,
“Where is the Lord?”
And those who handle the law did not know Me;
the shepherds also transgressed against Me,
and the prophets prophesied by Baal
and walked after things that do not profit.
9#Eze 20:35–36; Jer 2:35 Therefore I will yet contend with you,
says the Lord,
and with your sons’ sons I will contend.
10#Ps 120:5 For pass over the coastlands of Cyprus and see,
and send to Kedar and consider diligently,
and see if there is such a thing.
11#Ps 106:20; Isa 37:19 Has a nation changed their gods,
though they are not gods?
But My people have changed their glory
for that which does not profit.
12#Isa 1:2 Be astonished at this, O heavens,
and be horribly afraid, be very desolate,
says the Lord.
13#Ps 36:9; Jer 17:13 For My people have committed two evils.
They have forsaken Me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out for themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
14#Ex 4:22 Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave?
Why has he been plundered?
15#Jer 4:7; 50:17 The young lions roared at him
and roared loudly,
and they made his land a waste;
his cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
16#Jer 46:14; Dt 33:20 Also the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have shaved the crown of your head.
17#Jer 4:18 Have you not brought this on yourself,
in that you have forsaken the Lord your God
when He led you in the way?
18#Jos 13:3; Isa 31:1 And now what are you doing in the way of Egypt,
to drink the waters of the Nile?
Or what are you doing in the way of Assyria,
to drink the waters of the River?
19#Isa 3:9; Hos 5:5 Your own wickedness will correct you,
and your backslidings will reprove you.
Know therefore and see
that it is an evil thing and bitter for you
to have forsaken the Lord your God,
and the fear of Me is not in you,
says the Lord God of Hosts.
20#Dt 12:2; Lev 26:13; Isa 1:21 For long ago I have broken your yoke
and burst your bonds;
and you said, “I will not serve.”
For upon every high hill
and under every green tree
you wander, playing the harlot.
21#Ex 15:17; Ps 80:8 Yet I had planted you a noble vine,
a wholly faithful seed.
How then have you turned
into the degenerate plant of a strange vine to Me?
22#Job 14:17; Jer 17:1 For though you wash yourself with lye,
and take much soap,
yet your iniquity is marked before Me,
says the Lord God.
23#Jer 7:31; Pr 30:12 How 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 young camel
entangling her ways,
24#Jer 14:6 a wild donkey used to the wilderness
that sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her heat, who can turn her away?
All those who seek her will not weary themselves;
in her month they shall find her.
25#Dt 32:16; Jer 3:13 Withhold your foot from being unshod
and your throat from thirst.
But you said, “There is no hope. No!
For I have loved strangers,
and after them I will go.”
26#Jer 32:32 As the thief is ashamed when he is found,
so is the house of Israel ashamed.
They, their kings, their officials,
and their priests, and their prophets
27#Isa 26:16 say to a tree, “You are my father.”
And to a stone, “You gave 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.”
28#Dt 32:37; Isa 45:20 But where are your gods that you have 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#Jer 5:1; 6:13 Why will you plead with Me?
You all have transgressed against Me,
says the Lord.
30#Ne 9:26; 1Th 2:15 In vain I have smitten your children;
they received no correction.
Your own sword has devoured your prophets
like a destroying lion.
31#Dt 32:15O generation, consider the word of the Lord:
Have I been a wilderness to Israel?
A land of darkness?
Why do My people say, “We are free to roam.
We will come no more to You”?
32#Ps 106:21; Isa 17:10 Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have forgotten Me
for days without number.
33You prepare your way very well to seek love.
Therefore you have also taught the wicked women your ways.
34#2Ki 21:16; 24:4 Also in your skirts is found
the blood of the souls of the innocent poor.
I have not found it by breaking in,
but in spite of all these things.
35#Pr 28:13 Yet you say, “Because I am innocent,
surely His anger shall turn away fromme.”
Now I will plead with you,
because you say, “I have not sinned.”
36#Jer 31:22; Hos 5:13 Why do you go about so much
to change your way?
You also shall be ashamed of Egypt,
as you were ashamed of Assyria.
37#2Sa 13:19; Jer 37:7–10 Indeed, you shall go forth from him
with your hands upon your head;
for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
and you shall not prosper in them.
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