Jeremiah 2
Living Bible
2 Again the Lord spoke to me and said:
2 Go and shout this in Jerusalem’s streets: This is what the Lord says! I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren deserts. 3 In those days Israel was a holy people, the first of my children.[a] All who harmed them were counted deeply guilty, and great evil fell on anyone who touched them.
4-5 O Israel, says the Lord, why did your fathers desert me? What sin did they find in me that turned them away and changed them into fools who worship idols? 6 They ignore the fact that it was I, the Lord, who brought them safely out of Egypt and led them through the barren wilderness, a land of deserts and rocks, of drought and death, where no one lives or even travels. 7 And I brought them into a fruitful land, to eat of its bounty and goodness, but they made it into a land of sin and corruption and turned my inheritance into an evil thing. 8 Even their priests cared nothing for the Lord, and their judges ignored me; their rulers turned against me, and their prophets worshiped Baal and wasted their time on nonsense.
9 But I will not give you up—I will plead for you to return to me and will keep on pleading; yes, even with your children’s children in the years to come!
10-11 Look around you and see if you can find another nation anywhere that has traded in its old gods for new ones—even though their gods are nothing. Send to the west to the island of Cyprus; send to the east to the deserts of Kedar. See if anyone there has ever heard so strange a thing as this. And yet my people have given up their glorious God for silly idols! 12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay. 13 For my people have done two evil things: They have forsaken me, the Fountain of living waters; and they have built for themselves broken cisterns that can’t hold water!
14 Why has Israel become a nation of slaves? Why is she captured and led far away?
15 I see great armies marching on Jerusalem with mighty shouts[b] to destroy her and leave her cities in ruins, burned and desolate. 16 I see the armies of Egypt rising against her, marching from their cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes to utterly destroy Israel’s glory and power. 17 And you have brought this on yourselves by rebelling against the Lord your God when he wanted to lead you and show you the way!
18 What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt and with Assyria? 19 Your own wickedness will punish you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to rebel against the Lord your God, fearlessly forsaking him, says the Lord Almighty. 20 Long ago you shook off my yoke and broke away from my ties. Defiant, you would not obey me. On every hill and under every tree you’ve bowed low before idols.
21 How could this happen? How could this be? For when I planted you, I chose my seed so carefully—the very best. Why have you become this degenerate race of evil men? 22 No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. You are stained with guilt that cannot ever be washed away. I see it always before me, the Lord God says. 23 You say it isn’t so, that you haven’t worshiped idols? How can you say a thing like that? Go and look in any valley in the land! Face the awful sins that you have done, O restless female camel, seeking for a male! 24 You are a wild donkey, sniffing the wind at mating time. (Who can restrain your lust?) Any jack wanting you need not search, for you come running to him! 25 Why don’t you turn from all this weary running after other gods? But you say, “Don’t waste your breath. I’ve fallen in love with these strangers and I can’t stop loving them now!”
26-27 Like a thief, the only shame that Israel knows is getting caught. Kings, princes, priests, and prophets—all are alike in this. They call a carved-up wooden post their father, and for their mother they have an idol chiseled out from stone. Yet in time of trouble they cry to me to save them! 28 Why don’t you call on these gods you have made? When danger comes, let them go out and save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are cities in Judah. 29 Don’t come to me—you are all rebels, says the Lord. 30 I have punished your children, but it did them no good; they still will not obey. And you yourselves have killed my prophets as a lion kills its prey.
31 O my people, listen to the words of God: Have I been unjust to Israel? Have I been to them a land of darkness and of evil? Why then do my people say, “At last we are free from God; we won’t have anything to do with him again!” 32 How can you disown your God like that?[c] Can a girl forget her jewels? What bride will seek to hide her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me—the most precious of their treasures.
33 How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. The most experienced harlot could learn a lot from you! 34 Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor. Brazenly you murder without a cause. 35 And yet you say, “I haven’t done a thing to anger God. I’m sure he isn’t angry!”[d] I will punish you severely because you say, “I haven’t sinned!”
36 First here, then there, you flit about, going from one ally to another for their help; but it’s all no good—your new friends in Egypt will forsake you as Assyria did before. 37 You will be left in despair and cover your face with your hands, for the Lord has rejected the ones that you trust. You will not succeed despite their aid.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 2:3 the first of my children, literally, “the firstfruits of his harvest.”
- Jeremiah 2:15 I see great armies marching on Jerusalem with mighty shouts, literally, “The lions have roared against him.”
- Jeremiah 2:32 How can you disown your God like that? implied. the most precious of their treasures, implied.
- Jeremiah 2:35 he isn’t angry, implied.
Jeremiah 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Israel Accused of Apostasy
2 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says:
I remember the loyalty of your youth,(A)
your love as a bride—
how you followed Me in the wilderness,
in a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy to the Lord,(B)
the firstfruits of His harvest.(C)
All who ate of it found themselves guilty;(D)
disaster came on them.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
4 Hear the word of the Lord, house of Jacob
and all families of the house of Israel.
5 This is what the Lord says:
What fault did your fathers find in Me(E)
that they went so far from Me,
followed worthless idols,(F)
and became worthless themselves?(G)
6 They stopped asking, “Where is the Lord(H)
who brought us from the land of Egypt,
who led us through the wilderness,(I)
through a land of deserts and ravines,
through a land of drought and darkness,[a]
a land no one traveled through
and where no one lived?”
7 I brought you to a fertile land(J)
to eat its fruit and bounty,
but after you entered, you defiled My land;(K)
you made My inheritance(L) detestable.
8 The priests quit asking, “Where is the Lord?”
The experts in the law no longer knew Me,(M)
and the rulers(N) rebelled against Me.
The prophets prophesied by[b] Baal(O)
and followed useless idols.(P)
9 Therefore, I will bring a case against you again.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
I will bring a case against your children’s children.(Q)
10 Cross over to Cyprus[c](R) and take a look.
Send someone to Kedar(S) and consider carefully;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever exchanged its gods?(T)
(But they were not gods!(U))
Yet My people have exchanged their[d] Glory
for useless idols.(V)
12 Be horrified at this, heavens;(W)
be shocked and utterly appalled.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
13 For My people have committed a double evil:
They have abandoned Me,(X)
the fountain of living water,(Y)
and dug cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.(Z)
Consequences of Apostasy
14 Is Israel a slave?
Was he born into slavery?[e]
Why else has he become a prey?
15 The young lions have roared at him;(AA)
they have roared loudly.
They have laid waste his land.(AB)
His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants.
16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes(AC)
have also broken your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourself(AD)
by abandoning the Lord your God
while He was leading you along the way?
18 Now what will you gain
by traveling along the way to Egypt(AE)
to drink the waters of the Nile?[f]
What will you gain
by traveling along the way to Assyria(AF)
to drink the waters of the Euphrates?(AG)
19 Your own evil will discipline you;(AH)
your own apostasies will reprimand you.
Think it over and see how evil and bitter(AI) it is
for you to abandon the Lord your God
and to have no fear of Me.
This is the declaration
of the Lord God of Hosts.
20 For long ago I[g] broke your yoke;(AJ)
I[h] tore off your chains.
You insisted, “I will not serve!”
On every high hill
and under every green tree(AK)
you lie down like a prostitute.(AL)
21 I planted you, a choice vine(AM)
from the very best seed.
How then could you turn into
a degenerate, foreign vine?(AN)
22 Even if you wash with lye
and use a great amount of soap,(AO)
the stain of your sin is still in front of Me.(AP)
This is the Lord God’s declaration.
23 How can you protest, “I am not defiled;
I have not followed the Baals”?(AQ)
Look at your behavior in the valley;
acknowledge what you have done.(AR)
You are a swift young camel
twisting and turning on her way,
24 a wild donkey(AS) at home[i] in the wilderness.
She sniffs the wind in the heat of her desire.
Who can control her passion?
All who look for her will not become tired;
they will find her in her mating season.[j]
25 Keep your feet from going bare
and your throat from thirst.
But you say, “It’s hopeless;(AT)
I love strangers,(AU)
and I will continue to follow them.”
26 Like the shame of a thief when he is caught,
so the house of Israel has been put to shame.(AV)
They, their kings, their officials,
their priests, and their prophets(AW)
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,(AX)
yet in their time of disaster(AY) they beg,
“Rise up and save us!”
28 But where are your gods you made for yourself?
Let them rise up and save you(AZ)
in your time of disaster if they can,
for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah.
Judgment Deserved
29 Why do you bring a case against Me?(BA)
All of you have rebelled against Me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
30 I have struck down your children in vain;
they would not accept discipline.(BB)
Your own sword has devoured your prophets(BC)
like a ravaging lion.
31 Evil generation,
pay attention to the word of the Lord!
Have I been a wilderness to Israel
or a land of dense darkness?(BD)
Why do My people claim,
“We will go where we want;[k]
we will no longer come to You”?
32 Can a young woman forget her jewelry(BE)
or a bride her wedding sash?
Yet My people have forgotten Me(BF)
for countless days.
33 How skillfully you pursue love;
you also teach evil women your ways.
34 Moreover, your skirts are stained
with the blood of the innocent poor.(BG)
You did not catch them breaking and entering.(BH)
But in spite of all these things
35 you claim, “I am innocent.(BI)
His anger is sure to turn away from me.”
But I will certainly judge you
because you have said, “I have not sinned.”(BJ)
36 How unstable you are,(BK)
constantly changing your ways!
You will be put to shame by Egypt(BL)
just as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37 Moreover, you will be led out from here
with your hands on your head(BM)
since the Lord has rejected those you trust;(BN)
you will not succeed even with their help.[l]
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 2:6 Or shadow of death
- Jeremiah 2:8 = in the name of
- Jeremiah 2:10 Lit to the islands of Kittim
- Jeremiah 2:11 Ancient Jewish tradition reads My
- Jeremiah 2:14 Lit born of a house
- Jeremiah 2:18 Lit of Shihor
- Jeremiah 2:20 LXX reads you
- Jeremiah 2:20 LXX reads you
- Jeremiah 2:24 Lit donkey taught
- Jeremiah 2:24 Lit her month
- Jeremiah 2:31 Or We have taken control, or We can roam
- Jeremiah 2:37 Lit with them
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.