Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
    all you clans of Israel.

This is what the Lord says:

“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
    that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols(A)
    and became worthless(B) themselves.
They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
    who brought us up out of Egypt(C)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
    through a land of deserts(D) and ravines,(E)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
    a land where no one travels(F) and no one lives?’
I brought you into a fertile land
    to eat its fruit and rich produce.(G)
But you came and defiled my land
    and made my inheritance detestable.(H)
The priests did not ask,
    ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;(I)
    the leaders(J) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,(K)
    following worthless idols.(L)

“Therefore I bring charges(M) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
    “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus(N) and look,
    send to Kedar[a](O) 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(P) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious(Q) 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(R) me,
    the spring of living water,(S)
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert

Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:

Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead.

10 For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.

11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord.

13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

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