Jeremiah 2
2
God Pleads with Israel to Repent
1The word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord:
I remember the devotion of your youth,
your love as a bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
in a land not sown.
3Israel was holy to the Lord,
the first fruits of his harvest.
All who ate of it were held guilty;
disaster came 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:
What wrong did your ancestors find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?
6They did not say, “Where is the Lord
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us in the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
in a land that no one passes through,
where no one lives?”
7I brought you into a plentiful land
to eat its fruits and its good things.
But when you entered you defiled my land,
and made my heritage an abomination.
8The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?”
Those who handle the law did not know me;
the rulers#2.8 Heb shepherds transgressed against me;
the prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after things that do not profit.
9Therefore once more I accuse you,
says the Lord,
and I accuse your children's children.
10Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has ever been such a thing.
11Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
for something that does not profit.
12Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
says the Lord,
13for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living water,
and dug out cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns
that can hold no water.
14Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant?
Why then has he become plunder?
15The lions have roared against him,
they have roared loudly.
They have made his land a waste;
his cities are in ruins, without inhabitant.
16Moreover, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have broken the crown of your head.
17Have you not brought this upon yourself
by forsaking the Lord your God,
while he led you in the way?
18What then do you gain by going to Egypt,
to drink the waters of the Nile?
Or what do you gain by going to Assyria,
to drink the waters of the Euphrates?
19Your wickedness will punish you,
and your apostasies will convict you.
Know and see that it is evil and bitter
for you to forsake the Lord your God;
the fear of me is not in you,
says the Lord God of hosts.
20For long ago you broke your yoke
and burst your bonds,
and you said, “I will not serve!”
On every high hill
and under every green tree
you sprawled and played the whore.
21Yet I planted you as a choice vine,
from the purest stock.
How then did you turn degenerate
and become a wild vine?
22Though you wash yourself with lye
and use much soap,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,
says the Lord God.
23How 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—
a restive young camel interlacing her tracks,
24a wild ass at home in the wilderness,
in her heat sniffing the wind!
Who can restrain her lust?
None who seek her need weary themselves;
in her month they will find her.
25Keep your feet from going unshod
and your throat from thirst.
But you said, “It is hopeless,
for I have loved strangers,
and after them I will go.”
26As a thief is shamed when caught,
so the house of Israel shall be shamed—
they, their kings, their officials,
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 backs to me,
and not their faces.
But in the time of their trouble they say,
“Come and save us!”
28But where are your gods
that you made for yourself?
Let them come, if they can save you,
in your time of trouble;
for you have as many gods
as you have towns, O Judah.
29Why do you complain against me?
You have all rebelled against me,
says the Lord.
30In vain I have struck down your children;
they accepted no correction.
Your own sword devoured your prophets
like a ravening lion.
31And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord!#2.31 Meaning of Heb uncertain
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
or a land of thick darkness?
Why then do my people say, “We are free,
we will come to you no more”?
32Can a girl forget her ornaments,
or a bride her attire?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
33How well you direct your course
to seek lovers!
So that even to wicked women
you have taught your ways.
34Also on your skirts is found
the lifeblood of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.
Yet in spite of all these things#2.34 Meaning of Heb uncertain
35you say, “I am innocent;
surely his anger has turned from me.”
Now I am bringing you to judgment
for saying, “I have not sinned.”
36How lightly you gad about,
changing your ways!
You shall be put to shame by Egypt
as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37From there also you will come away
with your hands on your head;
for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
and you will not prosper through them.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.