Israel Forsakes the Lord

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord,

“I remember the devotion of (A)your youth,
    your love (B)as a bride,
(C)how you followed me in the wilderness,
    (D)in a land not sown.
(E)Israel was holy to the Lord,
    (F)the firstfruits of his harvest.
(G)All who ate of it incurred guilt;
    disaster came upon them,
declares the Lord.”

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

(H)“What wrong did your fathers find in me
    that they went far from me,
(I)and went after (J)worthlessness, and became worthless?
They did not say, (K)‘Where is the Lord
    who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us (L)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?’
(M)And I brought you into a plentiful land
    to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, (N)you defiled my land
    and made my heritage an abomination.
The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
    (O)Those who handle the law did not know me;
(P)the shepherds[a] transgressed against me;
    (Q)the prophets prophesied by Baal
    and went after (R)things that do not profit.

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

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:8 Or rulers

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