Jeremiah 2
2
God’s people abandon their God
1The LORD’s word came to me:
2Go and proclaim to the people of Jerusalem,
The LORD proclaims:
I remember your first love,#2.2 Or the love of your youth
your devotion as a young bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
in an unplanted land.
3Israel was devoted to the LORD,
the early produce of the harvest.
Whoever ate from it became guilty;
disaster overtook them,
declares the LORD.
4Listen to the LORD’s word,
people of Judah,
all you families of the Israelite household.
5This is what the LORD says:
What wrong did your ancestors find in me
that made them wander so far?
They pursued what was worthless
and became worthless.
6They didn’t ask,
“Where’s the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us through the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and ravines,
in a land of drought and darkness,
in a land of no return,
where no one survives?”
7I brought you into a land of plenty,
to enjoy its gifts and goodness,
but you ruined my land;
you disgraced my heritage.
8The priests didn’t ask,
“Where’s the LORD?”
Those responsible for the Instruction didn’t know me;
the leaders rebelled against me;
the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,
going after what has no value.
9That is why I will take you to court
and charge even your descendants,
declares the LORD.
10Look to the west as far as the shores of Cyprus
and to the east as far as the land of Kedar.
Ask anyone there:
Has anything this odd ever taken place?
11Has a nation switched gods,
though they aren’t really gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glory
for what has no value.
12Be stunned at such a thing, you heavens;
shudder and quake,
declares the LORD.
13My people have committed two crimes:
They have forsaken me, the spring of living water.
And they have dug wells, broken wells that can’t hold water.
14Is Israel a slave,
a servant by birth?
If not, why then has he become prey?
15Lions roar at him; they growl.
They destroy his land
and make his towns desolate
until nothing is left.
16As well, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes
lay open your scalp.
17Haven’t you brought this on yourself
by abandoning the LORD your God,
who has directed your paths?
18So why take the path to Egypt
to drink water from the Nile?
Why travel the path to Assyria
to drink water from the Euphrates?
19Your wrongdoing will punish you.
Your acts of unfaithfulness will find you out.
Don’t you understand how terribly bitter
it is to abandon the LORD your God
and not fear me?
declares the LORD of heavenly forces.
20Long ago I broke your yoke;
I shattered your chains.
But even then you said, “I won’t serve you.”
On every high hill and under every lush tree,
you have acted like a prostitute.
21Yet it was I who planted you, a precious vine of fine quality;
how could you turn into a wild vine
and become good for nothing?
22Even though you scrub yourself with soap or strong powder,
the stain of your sin is still before me,
declares the LORD God.
23How can you say,
“I’m not dirty;
I haven’t gone after Baals.”
Look what you have done in the valley;
consider what you have done there.
You are like a frenzied young camel,
racing around,
24a wild donkey in the wilderness,
lustfully sniffing the wind.
Who can restrain such passion?
Those who desire her need not give up;
with little effort they will find her in heat.
25Don’t run about until your feet are blistered
and your throat is parched.
But you say, “What’s the use?
I have fallen in love with foreign gods,
and I must pursue them.”
26As a thief is ashamed when caught in his tracks,
so the people of Israel are ashamed—
their kings, officials, priests, and prophets—
27when they say to a piece of wood, “You are my father,”
and to a stone, “You gave me birth.”
They have turned their backs to me
and not their faces.
Yet in their time of trouble they say,
“Arise and save us!”
28Where are the gods
you have made for yourselves?
Let’s see if they will come through for you in your time of trouble.
You have as many gods, Judah,
as you have towns.
29Why would you bring charges against me?
You have all rebelled against me,
declares the LORD.
30I have disciplined your children in vain;
they have rejected my correction.
You have devoured your prophets
like a hungry lion.
31People of this generation, listen closely to the LORD’s word:
Have I been a wasteland to Israel
or a land of dense darkness?
Why then do my people say,
“We have wandered far away;
we’ll come to you no longer”?
32Does a young woman forget her jewelry
or a bride her wedding dress?
Yet you have forgotten me days without end!
33So skilled are you at pursuing lovers#2.33 Or love
that you instruct even the most wicked.#2.33 Or you have taught your ways to wicked women.
34Your garments are stained
with the blood of the innocent poor,
even though you didn’t catch them
breaking and entering.
Yet, despite all this,#2.34 Heb uncertain 35you still insist,
“I’m innocent;
as a result he will turn his anger away from me.”
Because you claim not to have sinned,
I will pass judgment against you.
36You change sides so casually!
But Egypt will shame you
no less than Assyria.
37From there you will go out
with your hands on your heads,
because the LORD has rejected those you rely on;
they won’t help you.
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Jeremiah 2: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
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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