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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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Jeremiah 2
2
Yahweh Remembers Israel’s Faithfulness
1And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,#Literally “to say” 2“Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying,#Literally “to say” ‘Thus says Yahweh,
“I remember concerning you the loyal love of your childhood,#Or “youth”
the love of your betrothal-time,
your going#Or “walking” after me in the desert,#Or “wilderness”
in the land not sown.
3Israel was holy to Yahweh,
the first fruit of his produce.
All those who ate it were held guilty;
disaster came to them,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.’ ”
The Unfaithfulness of Israel’s Ancestors
4Hear the word of Yahweh, O house of Jacob, and all the clans#Or “families” of the house of Israel. 5Thus says Yahweh:
“What injustice did your ancestors#Or “fathers” find in me
that they were far from me,
and they went after the vanity,
and they became vain?
6And they did not say,
‘Where is Yahweh,
the one who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
the one who led us in the desert,#Or “wilderness”
in a land of desert plains and gorges,#Hebrew “gorge”
in a land of dryness and deep darkness,
in a land that no one passes through,#Literally “no man passes through in it”
and no human lives there?’
7And I brought you to the land of the orchard,
to eat its fruit, and its good things.#Hebrew “good thing”
But you entered and defiled my land,
and my inheritance you made a detestable thing.#Or “abomination”
8The priests did not say, ‘Where is Yahweh?’
and those who handle the law did not know me,
and the shepherds have rebelled against me,#Literally “broken with me”
and the prophets prophesied by Baal,
and they went after things which do not profit.
The Unfaithfulness of Contemporary Israel
9Therefore#Literally “To thus” I again bring a lawsuit against you,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh,
“and with your children#Literally “sons of your sons” I bring a lawsuit.
10For go over to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
and send to Kedar and consider very closely,
and see if there has been a thing like this:
11Has a nation exchanged gods? And they are not gods!
But my people have exchanged their glory for that which does not profit.
12Be appalled, O heavens, at this, and shudder;
be utterly desolate,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
13“For my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me, the source#Or “fountain” of living water,
to hew out for themselves cisterns, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.
14Is Israel a slave? Or a slave born in a house?#Literally “born of a house”
Why has he become plunder?
15The young lions have roared against him,
they have raised#Literally “given” their voices.#Hebrew “voice”
And they have made his land as horror;
his cities are destroyed, without#Literally “from not” an inhabitant.
16Moreover, people of Memphis and Tahpanhes
will shave#Literally “pasture” your skull.#Or “crown of your head”
17Did you not do this to yourself,
by forsaking Yahweh, your God,
at the time of your leading in the way?
18And now why do you go#Literally “what for you” the way of Egypt
to drink the waters of the Shihor?
And why do you go#Literally “what for you” the way of Assyria
to drink the waters of the Euphrates?#Literally “river”
19Your wickedness will chastise you,
and your apostasies will reprove you.
Therefore know and see that it is evil and bitter,
your forsaking of Yahweh, your God,
and fear of me is not in you,”
declares#Literally “a declaration of” the Lord, Yahweh of hosts.
20“For from long ago you have broken your yoke,
you tore to pieces your bonds.
And you said, ‘I will not serve!’
But on every high hill and under every leafy tree
you were lying down as a prostitute.
21Yet I planted you as a choice vine,
all of it a seed of trustworthiness.
How then have you altered before me
into something that is degenerate, the foreign vine?
22For if you wash with natron,
and you use much soap,#Literally “make numerous for yourself alkaline salt”
your guilt is sticking as a stain before#Literally “to the face of” me,”
declares#Literally “a declaration of” the Lord Yahweh.
23“How can you say, ‘I have not defiled myself,
I have not gone after the Baals?’
Look at your way in the valley,
know what you have done.
You are a young she-camel,
interweaving her ways.
24A wild ass accustomed to the desert,#Or “wilderness”
in the desire of her soul.
She gasps for wind in her rutting time.
Who can quell#Or “restrain” her lust?
All those who seek her will not grow weary,
in her month they will find her.
25Restrain your foot from being barefoot,
and your throat from thirst.
But you said, ‘It is hopeless.
No! For I have loved strangers,
and after them I will go.’#Or “walk”
26As the shame of a thief when he is caught in the act,
so the house of Israel will be ashamed.
They, their kings, their officials,
and their priests, and their prophets.
27Those who say to the tree, ‘You are my father,’
and to the stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’
For they have turned their backs#Literally “neck” to me, and not their faces.
But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us.’
28But where are your gods that 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 towns
are your gods, O Judah.
29Why do you complain to me?
All of you have rebelled against me,”#Literally “broken with me” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
30“For in vain#Literally “the vanity” I have struck your children.
They accepted no discipline.
Your sword devoured your prophets,
like a ravening#Or “destroying” lion.
31O generation, you see the word of Yahweh.
Have I been a desert#Or “wilderness” to Israel? Or a land of great darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We roam about freely,
we will not come again to you’?
32Can a young woman forget her ornaments?#Or “jewelry” Or a bride her sashes?
Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
33How well you do on your way to seek love!
Therefore#Literally “To thus” even to the wicked woman you can teach your ways.
34Also on your skirts is found
the blood of the life of the innocent, the poor.
You did not find them in the act of breaking into a house.
But in spite of all these things,
35yet you say, ‘But I am innocent,
surely his anger has turned away from me.’
Look, I am entering into judgment with you
because of your saying, ‘I have not sinned.’
36How you go about so much changing your way!
Also by Egypt you will be put to shame,
just as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37Also from there you will come out
with your hands on your head,
for Yahweh has rejected those in whom you trust,#Literally “in your objects of trust”
and you will not prosper through them.
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