Jeremiah 2
Modern English Version
God Pleads With Israel to Repent
2 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying,
Thus says the Lord:
I remember you, the kindness of your youth,
the love of your espousals,
when you followed Me in the wilderness,
in a land that was not sown.
3 Israel is holy to the Lord,
and the first fruits of His harvest.
All who eat of it will become guilty;
disaster will come 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 iniquity have your fathers found in Me,
that they have gone far from Me,
and have walked after vanity
and have become vain?
6 They did not say, “Where is the Lord
who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
who 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 lived?”
7 And I brought you into a plentiful country
to eat its fruit and its goodness.
But when you entered, you defiled My land
and made My heritage an abomination.
8 The priests did not say,
“Where is the Lord?”
And those who handle the law did not know Me;
the shepherds also transgressed against Me,
and the prophets prophesied by Baal
and walked after things that do not profit.
9 Therefore I will yet contend with you,
says the Lord,
and with your sons’ sons I will contend.
10 For pass over the coastlands of Cyprus and see,
and send to Kedar and consider diligently,
and see if there is such a thing.
11 Has a nation changed their gods,
though they are not gods?
But My people have changed their glory
for that which does not profit.
12 Be astonished at this, O heavens,
and be horribly afraid, be very desolate,
says the Lord.
13 For My people have committed two evils.
They have forsaken Me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out for themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
14 Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave?
Why has he been plundered?
15 The young lions roared at him
and roared loudly,
and they made his land a waste;
his cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
16 Also the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have shaved the crown of your head.
17 Have you not brought this on yourself,
in that you have forsaken the Lord your God
when He led you in the way?
18 And now what are you doing in the way of Egypt,
to drink the waters of the Nile?
Or what are you doing in the way of Assyria,
to drink the waters of the River?
19 Your own wickedness will correct you,
and your backslidings will reprove you.
Know therefore and see
that it is an evil thing and bitter for you
to have forsaken the Lord your God,
and the fear of Me is not in you,
says the Lord God of Hosts.
20 For long ago I have broken your yoke
and burst your bonds;
and you said, “I will not serve.”
For upon every high hill
and under every green tree
you wander, playing the harlot.
21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine,
a wholly faithful seed.
How then have you turned
into the degenerate plant of a strange vine to Me?
22 For though you wash yourself with lye,
and take much soap,
yet your iniquity is marked before Me,
says the Lord God.
23 How can you say, “I am not polluted,
I have not gone after the Baals”?
See your way in the valley.
Know what you have done.
You are a swift young camel
entangling her ways,
24 a wild donkey used to the wilderness
that sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her heat, who can turn her away?
All those who seek her will not weary themselves;
in her month they shall find her.
25 Withhold your foot from being unshod
and your throat from thirst.
But you said, “There is no hope. No!
For I have loved strangers,
and after them I will go.”
26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found,
so is the house of Israel ashamed.
They, their kings, their officials,
and their priests, and their prophets
27 say to a tree, “You are my father.”
And to a stone, “You gave birth to me.”
For they have turned their back to Me,
and not their face.
But in the time of their trouble they will say,
“Arise and save us.”
28 But where are your gods that you have made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can save you
in the time of your trouble;
for according to the number of your cities
are your gods, O Judah.
29 Why will you plead with Me?
You all have transgressed against Me,
says the Lord.
30 In vain I have smitten your children;
they received no correction.
Your own sword has devoured your prophets
like a destroying lion.
31 O generation, consider the word of the Lord:
Have I been a wilderness to Israel?
A land of darkness?
Why do My people say, “We are free to roam.
We will come no more to You”?
32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have forgotten Me
for days without number.
33 You prepare your way very well to seek love.
Therefore you have also taught the wicked women your ways.
34 Also in your skirts is found
the blood of the souls of the innocent poor.
I have not found it by breaking in,
but in spite of all these things.
35 Yet you say, “Because I am innocent,
surely His anger shall turn away from me.”
Now I will plead with you,
because you say, “I have not sinned.”
36 Why do you go about so much
to change your way?
You also shall be ashamed of Egypt,
as you were ashamed of Assyria.
37 Indeed, you shall go forth from him
with your hands upon your head;
for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
and you shall not prosper in them.
Jeremiah 2
Authorized (King James) Version
2 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord;
I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth,
the love of thine espousals,
when thou wentest after me in the wilderness,
in a land that was not sown.
3 Israel was holiness unto the Lord,
and the firstfruits of his increase:
all that devour him shall offend;
evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord.
4 Hear ye the word of the Lord,
O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:
5 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?
6 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?
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
14 Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave?
why is he spoiled?
15 The young lions roared upon him,
and yelled, and they made his land waste:
his cities are burned without inhabitant.
16 Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.
17 Hast thou not procured this unto thyself,
in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God,
when he led thee by the way?
18 And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt,
to drink the waters of Sihor?
or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria,
to drink the waters of the river?
19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee,
and thy backslidings shall reprove thee:
know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter,
that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God,
and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.
20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands;
and thou saidst, I will not transgress;
when upon every high hill and under every green tree
thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed:
how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
22 For though thou wash thee with nitre,
and take thee much soap,
yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God.
23 How canst thou say, I am not polluted,
I have not gone after Baalim?
see thy way in the valley,
know what thou hast done:
thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;
24 a wild ass used to the wilderness,
that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure;
in her occasion who can turn her away?
all they that seek her will not weary themselves;
in her month they shall find her.
25 Withhold thy foot from being unshod,
and thy throat from thirst:
but thou saidst, There is no hope:
no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.
26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found,
so is the house of Israel ashamed;
they, their kings, their princes,
and their priests, and their prophets,
27 saying to a stock, Thou art my father;
and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth:
for they have turned their back unto me,
and not their face:
but in the time of their trouble they will say,
Arise, and save us.
28 But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee?
let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble:
for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.
29 Wherefore will ye plead with me?
ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.
30 In vain have I smitten your children;
they received no correction:
your own sword hath devoured your prophets,
like a destroying lion.
31 O generation, see ye the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness unto Israel?
a land of darkness?
wherefore say my people, We are lords;
we will come no more unto thee?
32 Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire?
yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
33 Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love?
therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.
34 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents:
I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.
35 Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent,
surely his anger shall turn from me.
Behold, I will plead with thee,
because thou sayest, I have not sinned.
36 Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way?
thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt,
as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.
37 Yea, thou shalt go forth from him,
and thine hands upon thine head:
for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences,
and thou shalt not prosper in them.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.