Jeremiah 2
Legacy Standard Bible
Judah Transgresses Against Yahweh
2 Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 2 “Go and (A)call out in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh,
“I remember concerning you the (B)lovingkindness of your youth,
The love of your betrothals,
(C)Your walking after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
3 Israel was (D)holy to Yahweh,
The (E)first of His produce.
(F)All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares Yahweh.’”
4 Hear the word of Yahweh, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says Yahweh,
“(G)What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me
And walked after (H)vanity and became vain?
6 They did not say, ‘Where is Yahweh
Who (I)brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who (J)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 one crossed
And where no man inhabited?’
7 I brought you into the (K)fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and (L)defiled My land,
And My inheritance you made an abomination.
8 The (M)priests did not say, ‘Where is Yahweh?’
And those who handle the law (N)did not know Me;
The [a]shepherds also transgressed against Me,
And the (O)prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after (P)things that did not profit.
9 “Therefore I will yet (Q)contend with you,” declares Yahweh,
“And with your sons’ sons I will contend.
10 For (R)cross to the coastlands of [b]Kittim and see,
And send to (S)Kedar and perceive closely
And see if there has been such a thing as this!
11 Has a nation changed gods
Though (T)they were not gods?
But My people have (U)changed their glory
For that which does not profit.
12 Be appalled, (V)O heavens, at this,
And be horribly afraid, be very devastated,” declares Yahweh.
13 “For My people have done two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The (W)fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves (X)cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.
14 “Is Israel (Y)a slave? Or is he a homeborn slave?
Why has he become plunder?
15 The young (Z)lions have roared at him;
They have given forth their voice.
And they have (AA)made his land a desolation;
His cities have been turned into ruin, without inhabitant.
16 Also the [c]men of (AB)Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have [d]shaved the (AC)top of your head.
17 Have you not (AD)done this to yourself
By your forsaking Yahweh your God
When He (AE)led you in the way?
18 But now what are you doing (AF)on the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of the [e](AG)Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the [f]River?
19 (AH)Your own evil will chastise you,
And your (AI)acts of faithlessness will reprove you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and (AJ)bitter
For you to forsake Yahweh your God,
And (AK)the dread of Me is not in you,” declares Lord Yahweh of hosts.
20 “For long ago [g](AL)I broke your yoke
And tore off your bonds;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every (AM)high hill
And under every green tree
You have lain down as a harlot.
21 Yet I (AN)planted you a choice vine,
A completely true seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the (AO)degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
22 Although you (AP)wash yourself with lye
And [h]use much soap,
The (AQ)stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares Lord Yahweh.
23 “(AR)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;
I have not walked after the (AS)Baals’?
Look at your way in the (AT)valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel (AU)entangling her ways,
24 A (AV)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her [i]heat who can turn her away?
All who seek her will not become weary;
In her month they will find her.
25 Keep your feet from being barefoot
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘(AW)It is [j]hopeless!
No! For I have (AX)loved strangers,
And after them I will walk.’
26 “As the (AY)thief is shamed when he is found,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their princes,
And their priests and their prophets,
27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their (AZ)back to Me
And not their face;
But in the (BA)time when their evil comes they will say,
‘Arise and save us.’
28 But where are your (BB)gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can (BC)save you
In the time when your evil comes;
For (BD)according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.
29 “Why do you contend with Me?
You have (BE)all transgressed against Me,” declares Yahweh.
30 “(BF)In vain I have struck your sons;
They received no discipline.
Your (BG)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31 O generation, [k]behold the word of Yahweh.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel
Or a (BH)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘(BI)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have (BJ)forgotten Me
Days without number.
33 How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even [l]the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
The (BK)lifeblood of the innocent needy;
You did not find them (BL)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
35 Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will (BM)enter into judgment with you
Because you (BN)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 Why do you (BO)despise Him so much
In changing your way?
Also, (BP)you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by (BQ)Assyria.
37 From this place also you will go out
With (BR)your hands on your head;
For Yahweh has rejected (BS)those in whom you trust,
And you will not succeed with them.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 2:8 Rulers
- Jeremiah 2:10 Cyprus and other islands
- Jeremiah 2:16 Or sons
- Jeremiah 2:16 Lit grazed
- Jeremiah 2:18 Heb Shihor
- Jeremiah 2:18 The Euphrates River
- Jeremiah 2:20 Or you
- Jeremiah 2:22 Lit cause to be great to you
- Jeremiah 2:24 Lit occasion
- Jeremiah 2:25 Or desperate
- Jeremiah 2:31 Lit see
- Jeremiah 2:33 Or in wickedness
Jeremiah 2
Revised Standard Version
God Pleads with Israel to Repent
2 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord,
I remember the devotion of your youth,
your love as a bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
in a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy to the Lord,
the first fruits of his harvest.
All who ate of it became guilty;
evil came upon them,
says the Lord.”
4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:
“What wrong did your fathers find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?
6 They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us 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 And I brought you into a plentiful land
to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in you defiled my land,
and made my heritage an abomination.
8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who handle the law did not know me;
the rulers[a] transgressed against me;
the prophets prophesied by Ba′al,
and went after things that do not profit.
9 “Therefore I still contend with you,
says the Lord,
and with your children’s children I will contend.
10 For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see,
or send to Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has been such a thing.
11 Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
for that which does not profit.
12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
says the Lord,
13 for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns,
that can hold no water.
14 “Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant?
Why then has he become a prey?
15 The lions have roared against him,
they have roared loudly.
They have made his land a waste;
his cities are in ruins, without inhabitant.
16 Moreover, the men of Memphis and Tah′panhes
have broken the crown of your head.
17 Have you not brought this upon yourself
by forsaking the Lord your God,
when he led you in the way?
18 And now what do you gain by going to Egypt,
to drink the waters of the Nile?
Or what do you gain by going to Assyria,
to drink the waters of the Euphra′tes?
19 Your wickedness will chasten you,
and your apostasy will reprove you.
Know and see that it is evil and bitter
for you to forsake the Lord your God;
the fear of me is not in you,
says the Lord God of hosts.
20 “For long ago you broke your yoke
and burst your bonds;
and you said, ‘I will not serve.’
Yea, upon every high hill
and under every green tree
you bowed down as a harlot.
21 Yet I planted you a choice vine,
wholly of pure seed.
How then have you turned degenerate
and become a wild vine?
22 Though you wash yourself with lye
and use much soap,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,
says the Lord God.
23 How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the Ba′als’?
Look at your way in the valley;
know what you have done—
a restive young camel interlacing her tracks,
24 a wild ass used to the wilderness,
in her heat sniffing the wind!
Who can restrain her lust?
None who seek her need weary themselves;
in her month they will find her.
25 Keep your feet from going unshod
and your throat from thirst.
But you said, ‘It is hopeless,
for I have loved strangers,
and after them I will go.’
26 “As a thief is shamed when caught,
so the house of Israel shall be shamed:
they, their kings, their princes,
their priests, and their prophets,
27 who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their back to me,
and not their face.
But in the time of their trouble they say,
‘Arise and save us!’
28 But where are your gods
that you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can save you,
in your time of trouble;
for as many as your cities
are your gods, O Judah.
29 “Why do you complain against me?
You have all rebelled against me,
says the Lord.
30 In vain have I smitten your children,
they took no correction;
your own sword devoured your prophets
like a ravening lion.
31 And you, O generation, heed the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
or a land of thick darkness?
Why then do my people say, ‘We are free,
we will come no more to thee’?
32 Can a maiden forget her ornaments,
or a bride her attire?
Yet my people have forgotten me
days without number.
33 “How well you direct your course
to seek lovers!
So that even to wicked women
you have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
the lifeblood of guiltless poor;
you did not find them breaking in.
Yet in spite of all these things
35 you say, ‘I am innocent;
surely his anger has turned from me.’
Behold, I will bring you to judgment
for saying, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 How lightly you gad about,
changing your way!
You shall be put to shame by Egypt
as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37 From it too you will come away
with your hands upon your head,
for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
and you will not prosper by them.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 2:8 Heb shepherds
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Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.