Jeremiah 2:14-19

New Century Version

¹⁴ Have the people of Israel become slaves?
    Have they become like someone who was born a slave?
    Why were they taken captive?
¹⁵ Enemies have roared like lions at Israel;
    they have growled at Israel.
They have destroyed the land of Israel.
    The cities of Israel lie in ruins,
    and all the people have left.
¹⁶ The men from the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes
    have disgraced you by shaving the top of your head.
¹⁷ Haven’t you brought this on yourselves
    by turning away from the Lord your God
    when he was leading you in the right way?
¹⁸ It did not help to go to Egypt
    and drink from the Shihor River.
It did not help to go to Assyria
    and drink from the Euphrates River.
¹⁹ Your evil will bring punishment to you,
    and the wrong you have done will teach you a lesson.
Think about it and understand
that it is a terrible evil to turn away from the Lord your God.
    It is wrong not to fear me,”
    says the Lord God All-Powerful.