Jeremiah 2:9-19

New International Version

⁹ “Therefore I bring charges^(A) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
    “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
¹⁰ Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus^(B) and look,
    send to Kedar^[a](C) and observe closely;
    see if there has ever been anything like this:
¹¹ Has a nation ever changed its gods?
    (Yet they are not gods^(D) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious^(E) God
    for worthless idols.
¹² Be appalled at this, you heavens,
    and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
¹³ “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken^(F) me,
    the spring of living water,^(G)
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
¹⁴ Is Israel a servant, a slave^(H) by birth?
    Why then has he become plunder?
¹⁵ Lions^(I) have roared;
    they have growled at him.
They have laid waste^(J) his land;
    his towns are burned^(K) and deserted.^(L)
16 Also, the men of Memphis^(M) and Tahpanhes^(N)
    have cracked your skull.
¹⁷ Have you not brought this on yourselves^(O)
    by forsaking^(P) the Lord your God
    when he led you in the way?
¹⁸ Now why go to Egypt^(Q)
    to drink water from the Nile^[b]?^(R)
And why go to Assyria^(S)
    to drink water from the Euphrates?^(T)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
    your backsliding^(U) will rebuke^(V) you.
Consider then and realize
    how evil and bitter^(W) it is for you
when you forsake^(X) the Lord your God
    and have no awe^(Y) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.