Jeremiah 2:4-20

English Standard Version

⁴Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. ⁵Thus says the Lord:

^(A)“What wrong did your fathers find in me
    that they went far from me,
^(B)and went after ^(C)worthlessness, and became worthless?
⁶They did not say, ^(D)‘Where is the Lord
    who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us ^(E)in the wilderness,
    in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
    in a land that none passes through,
    where no man dwells?’
⁷^(F)And I brought you into a plentiful land
    to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, ^(G)you defiled my land
    and made my heritage an abomination.
⁸The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
    ^(H)Those who handle the law did not know me;
^(I)the shepherds^[a] transgressed against me;
    ^(J)the prophets prophesied by Baal
    and went after ^(K)things that do not profit.

⁹“Therefore ^(L)I still contend with you,
declares the Lord,
    and ^(M)with your children's children I will contend.
¹⁰For cross to the coasts of ^(N)Cyprus and see,
    or send to ^(O)Kedar and examine with care;
    see if there has been such a thing.
¹¹^(P)Has a nation changed its gods,
    ^(Q)even though they are no gods?
But my people ^(R)have changed their glory
    for ^(S)that which does not profit.
¹²Be appalled, ^(T)O heavens, at this;
    be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,
¹³for my people have committed two evils:
^(U)they have forsaken ^(V)me,
    the fountain of ^(W)living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
    broken cisterns that can hold no water.

¹⁴^(X)“Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant?
    Why then has he become a prey?
¹⁵^(Y)The lions have roared against him;
    they have roared loudly.
They have made his land a waste;
    his cities are in ruins, ^(Z)without inhabitant.
¹⁶Moreover, the men of ^(AA)Memphis and ^(AB)Tahpanhes
    ^(AC)have shaved^[b] the crown of your head.
¹⁷^(AD)Have you not brought this upon yourself
    by forsaking the Lord your God,
    when ^(AE)he led you in the way?
¹⁸^(AF)And now what do you gain by going to Egypt
    to drink the waters of ^(AG)the Nile?
^(AH)Or what do you gain by going to Assyria
    to drink the waters of ^(AI)the Euphrates?^[c]
¹⁹^(AJ)Your evil will chastise you,
    and ^(AK)your apostasy will reprove you.
Know and see that it is evil and ^(AL)bitter
    for ^(AM)you to forsake the Lord your God;
    the fear of me is not in you,
declares the Lord God of hosts.

²⁰“For long ago I ^(AN)broke your yoke
    and burst your bonds;
    but you said, ^(AO)‘I will not serve.’
Yes, ^(AP)on every high hill
    and under every green tree
    you bowed down ^(AQ)like a whore.