Jeremiah 2
2
1The Lord's message came to me, saying, 2Go and announce to the people of Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says:#2:2. As is usual in this translation, when a prophet is speaking for God no quote marks are used. This avoids too many quote within quote marks, and also it is sometimes problematic to differentiate between God's words and those of the prophet himself. In addition there are many times when the phrase “This what the Lord says” is repeated frequently which should normally start a set of quote marks, ending up with a large number of “nested” quotations. A similar situation exists with the phrase “declares the Lord,” which also should be outside quote marks, but would add considerably to their number. For this reason quote marks are kept to a minimum and generally used only when speakers other than Jeremiah or the Lord need to be represented.
I remember when you were young how devoted to me you were. I remember how you loved me when you were my bride. I remember how you followed me in the desert, in a land where nothing is grown.
3Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest. Anyone who ate this harvest was guilty of sin, and they experienced the disastrous results, declares the Lord.
4Listen to the Lord's message, descendants of Jacob, all you Israelites. 5This is what the Lord says: What did your forefathers think was wrong with me that they went so far away from me? They went off to worship useless idols, and as a result became useless themselves! 6They didn't ask themselves, “Where is the Lord who led us from Egypt, who led us through the wasteland, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and darkness, a land that no one travels through and where no one lives?”
7I led you into a productive land to eat all the good things that grow there. But you came and made my land unclean, making it offensive to me. 8Your priests did not ask, “Where is the Lord?” Your teachers of the law no longer believed in me, and your leaders rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied by calling on Baal and followed worthless idols.
9So I'm going to confront you again, declares the Lord, and I will bring charges against your children's children.
10Travel over to the islands of Cyprus#2:10. Hebrew: “Kittim.” The meaning is to go to the farthest west. and take a look; go to the land of Kedar#2:10. Kedar was far to the east. and examine carefully to see if anything like this has ever happened before. 11Has a nation ever changed its gods? —even though they're not gods at all! Yet my people have traded their glorious God for worthless idols.
12You heavens, you should be appalled, shocked and horrified! declares the Lord. 13For my people have done two evil things. They have abandoned me, the source of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that can't hold water.
14Are Israelites slaves? Were they born into slavery? So why have they become victims? 15The young lions roared at you; they growled loudly. They have devastated your country; your towns lie in ruins. No one lives there. 16The men of Memphis#2:16. “Memphis”: Septuagint reading. Hebrew, “Toph.” Memphis and Tahpanhes were towns in Egypt. The shaving of heads was a humiliation inflicted on a captured people. and Tahpanhes have shaved your heads.
17Didn't you bring this on yourself by abandoning the Lord your God when he was leading you in the right way? 18Now what will you benefit as you travel back to Egypt to drink the waters of Shihor River?#2:18. The Shihor River was a branch of the Nile River. What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
19Your own wickedness will discipline you; your own disobedience will teach you a lesson. Think about it and you'll recognize what a bitter evil it is for you to abandon the Lord your God and not to respect me, declares the Lord God Almighty.
20You broke off your yoke and ripped off your chains long ago. “I won't worship you!” you declared. On the contrary, you lay down like a prostitute on every high hill and under every green tree.
21I was the one who planted you like the finest vine, grown from the very best seed. How could you degenerate into a useless wild vine?
22Even bleach and plenty of soap can't get rid of your guilty stains. I still see them, declares the Lord God. 23How dare you say, “I'm not unclean! I haven't gone to worship the Baals!” Look at what you've been doing down in the valley. Admit what you've done! You're a young female camel, racing around everywhere. 24You're a female donkey living in the desert, sniffing the wind for a mate because she's in heat. No one can control her at mating time. All those who're looking for her won't have trouble finding her when she's in heat.
25You don't have to run around barefoot or have your throat go dry. But you reply, “No, it's impossible! I'm in love with foreign gods—I must go to them.”
26In the same way that a thief feels guilty when caught, so the people of Israel have been shamed. All of them—their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets. 27They say to an idol made of wood, “You are my father,” and one made of stone, “You gave birth to me.” They turn their backs on me, and hide their faces from me. But when they're in trouble they come begging to me, saying, “Please come and save us!” 28So where are these “gods” of yours that you made for yourselves? Let them come and help you when you're in trouble! Let them save you if they can, because you Israelites have as many gods as you have towns.
29Why are you complaining to me? It's all of you who have rebelled against me! declares the Lord. 30It was pointless of me to punish your children because they refused to accept any discipline. You used your own swords to kill your prophets, destroying them like a ferocious lion.
31You people of today, think about what the Lord is saying: Israel, have I treated you like an empty desert, or a land of thick darkness? Why are my people saying, “We can go where we like! We don't have to come and worship you any more”?
32Does a girl forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding dress?#2:32. “Dress”: probably a “sash.” Yet my people have forgotten me for too many years to count. 33How cleverly you look for your lovers! Even prostitutes could learn something from you!
34On top of that, your clothes are stained with the blood of the poor and the innocent. It's not like you killed them breaking into your homes.
Despite all this, 35you go on saying, “I'm innocent! Surely he can't still be upset with me!”
Watch out! I'm going to punish you because you go on saying, “I haven't sinned.” 36You're just so fickle—you keep on changing your mind! You will end up just as disappointed by your alliance with Egypt as you were with Assyria. 37In fact you will go into exile with your hands on your head as prisoners, because the Lord will have nothing to do with those you trust; they will be no help to you.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Jeremiah 2
2
Judah Rebuked for Her Sins
1Again the word of Adonai came to me, saying:
2“Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, thus says Adonai: I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, and the way you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.
3Israel was kadosh to Adonai, the firstfruits of the harvest. All who devoured him were held guilty. Catastrophe overtook them.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
4Hear the word of Adonai, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel.
5Thus says Adonai: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me? They walked after worthless things, becoming worthless themselves?
6They did not ask ‘Where is Adonai, who brought us up from the land of Egypt and led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, through a land of drought and distress, through a land where no one travels, where no one lives?’
7Yet I brought you into a fertile land, to eat of its fruit and goodness. When you came, you defiled My land. You made My heritage an abomination.
8The kohanim did not ask, ‘Where is Adonai?’ The Torah experts did not know Me. The shepherds rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and went after unprofitable things.
9Therefore I will plead with you again!” It is a declaration of Adonai. “I will contend with your children’s children.
10Cross to the coasts of Kittim and see! Send to Kedar, and observe carefully. See if there has been anything like this.
11Has a nation changed its gods— even though they are not gods? Yet My people have exchanged their glory for worthless things.
12Be appalled at this, O heavens! Be utterly horrified and dumbfounded.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
13“My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me —the spring of living water— and they dug their own cisterns— cracked cisterns that hold no water.
14Is Israel a servant—a slave by birth? Then why has he become plunder?
15Young lions have roared at him they have roared loudly. They made his land a waste— his cities are in ruins and uninhabited.
16Even the sons of Noph and Tahpanhes have grazed on the crown of your head.
17Have you not brought this on yourself, when He led you in the way?
18But now, what is on the road to Egypt? Drinking the waters of the Nile? Or what is on the road to Assyria? Drinking the waters of the Euphrates?
19Your own wickedness will rebuke you and your backslidings will chide you. Know then and see how bad and bitter it is for you to forsake Adonai your God. Nor is fear of Me in you.” It is a declaration of the Lord Adonai-Tzva’ot.
20“Indeed, long ago I broke your yoke and tore off your bonds. You said, ‘I will not serve!’ Instead, on every high hill and under every green tree you sprawled out as a prostitute.
21Yet I had planted you as a choice vine from completely faithful seed. How then did you become to Me a wandering wild vine?
22Even though you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your iniquity is before Me.” It is a declaration of the Lord Adonai.
23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled— I have not gone after the Baalim? Look at your behavior in the Valley! Recognize what you have done. You are a swift young camel galloping aimlessly,
24a wild donkey used to the wilderness— sniffing the wind in her passion— in her heat, who can restrain her? All males that pursue her will not tire themselves. At mating time they will find her.
25Do not run while your feet are bare and your throat is thirsty. But you said ‘There is no hope! No! For I have loved foreign gods and I will go after them.’
26As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel is shamed— they, their kings, their princes, their kohanim and their prophets.
27They say to wood, ‘You are my father’ and to a stone, ‘You birthed me.’ They have turned their back to Me and not their face. Yet when they are in trouble they say, ‘Rise up and save us!’
28Where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them come—if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you have as many gods as y0u have cities, O Judah.
29Why do you strive with Me? You have all rebelled against Me.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
30“In vain I struck your children. They took no correction. Your sword devoured your prophets like a ravaging lion.”
31You, generation, heed Adonai’s word! “Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of thick darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam. We won’t come to You any more’?
32Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me, days without number.
33How clever are your ways of seeking love. Therefore you even taught wicked women your ways.
34Moreover on your skirts is found the blood of the innocent poor —you did not find them breaking in. Yet in spite of all these things,
35you say, ‘I am innocent— surely His anger is turned away from me?’ See, I will pass judgment on you, since you say: ‘I haven’t sinned!’
36Why do you make light of changing your way? You will be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37You will also go out from there with your hands on your head. For Adonai has rejected those in whom you trust— you will not prosper by them.”
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