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Jeremiah 2
Legacy Standard Bible
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
Evangelical Heritage Version
Jeremiah 2
Evangelical Heritage Version
Israel Has Forsaken the Lord
2 The word of the Lord came to me.
2 Go and proclaim this in the hearing of Jerusalem.
This is what the Lord says.
This is what I remember concerning you:
your faithfulness when you were young,
and your love when you were pledged in marriage.
I remember how you followed me in the wilderness,
in a land that has never been planted.
3 Israel was set apart as holy to the Lord,
the firstfruits of his harvest.
All those who devoured Israel became guilty,
and disaster came upon them, declares the Lord.
4 Hear the word of the Lord, you house of Jacob.
All you families of the house of Israel,
5 this is what the Lord says.
What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they departed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols,
and so they became worthless themselves.
6 They did not say,
“Where is the Lord, who brought us up from the land of Egypt?
Where is the one who led us through the wilderness,
through a desert wasteland filled with ravines,
through a land of drought and the shadow of death,
a land which no one passes through,
a land where no human being lives?”
7 I brought you into a fertile land,
to eat its fruit and its good things.
But you defiled my land
and made my inheritance repulsive.
8 The priests did not ask, “Where is the Lord?”
The experts in the law did not acknowledge me.
Their shepherds rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal
and went after useless idols.
9 So I am bringing charges against you again, declares the Lord,
and I am bringing charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus[a] and look.
Send someone to Kedar[b] and observe carefully.
See if there has ever been anything like this.
11 Has a nation ever exchanged its gods
(even though they are not gods at all)?
Yet my people have exchanged their Glory[c]
for useless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens.
Be horrified and wither away completely, declares the Lord.
13 For my people have committed two evils:
They have abandoned me, the spring of living water,
and they have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that hold no water!
14 Is Israel a servant, born into slavery?
Why then has Israel been plundered?
15 Young lions have roared at him.
They have growled loudly.
They have made his land desolate.
His towns are burned and deserted.
16 The men of Memphis[d] and Tahpanhes
have shaved the top of your head.[e]
17 Have you not brought this on yourself
by deserting the Lord your God
while he led you on the way?
18 So why are you on the road to Egypt
to drink the water of the Shihor?[f]
And why are you on the road to Assyria
to drink the water of the River?[g]
19 It is your own evil that will bring discipline on you.
Your backsliding will judge you.
Know and see how evil and bitter it is for you
to forsake the Lord your God,
to have no fear of me,
declares the Lord God of Armies.
20 Long ago I broke your yoke.
I[h] tore off your chains,
but you said, “I will not serve you!”
Instead, on every high hill
and under every green tree
you sprawl out like a prostitute.
21 But I planted you as a very good vine,
healthy and from reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me?
How then did you turn into a wild vine?
22 Even if you scrub yourself with cleanser
and use a lot of strong soap,
the stain of your guilt is before me, declares the Lord.
23 How can you say, “I have not defiled myself.
I have not gone after the Baals”?
Look what you did in the valley!
Think about what you did!
You were a fast female camel
running wildly all over the place,
24 or a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
sniffing the wind in her passion.
Who can control her when she is in heat?
None of the males who pursue her will become tired.
They will find her in her mating time.
25 Stop before your shoes wear out
and your throat becomes dry!
But you say, “It’s hopeless!
I love strange gods, and I must pursue them.”
26 As a thief is shamed when he is caught,
so the house of Israel will be shamed—
the people, their kings, their officials,
their priests, and their prophets.
27 They say to wood, “You are my father.”
They say to stone, “You gave birth to me.”
They have turned their backs to me
and not their faces.
But when a time of trouble comes, they say,
“Get up and save us!”
28 Where are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them rise up,
if they are able to save you in a time of trouble.
After all, Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns.
29 Why do you bring charges against me?
You have all rebelled against me, declares the Lord.
30 I punished your people in vain.
They did not respond to correction.
Your own sword has devoured your prophets,
like a raging lion.
31 You people of this generation,
consider the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
or a land of deep darkness?
Why do my people say, “We are free to wander.
We will not come to you anymore”?
32 Does a virgin about to be married forget her jewelry?
Does a bride forget her veil?[i]
But my people have forgotten me for countless days.
33 How practiced you are in the ways that you pursue love!
Even the most evil women could learn from your ways.
34 The lifeblood of poor, innocent people is found on your skirt,
even though you did not catch them breaking in.
In spite of all this, 35 you say, “I am innocent.
He will not be angry with me.”
But I have indeed judged you
because you say, “I have not sinned.”
36 How fickle you are in changing your direction!
You will be disappointed by Egypt,
just as you were by Assyria.
37 So you will leave there with your hands on your head,
because the Lord has rejected the ones you trust.
You will receive no help from them.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 2:10 Hebrew Kittim. The term may include other areas in the Mediterranean basin besides Cyprus.
- Jeremiah 2:10 An area in Arabia
- Jeremiah 2:11 Or their glory. This reading follows the main Hebrew text. An alternate Hebrew reading is my glory.
- Jeremiah 2:16 Hebrew Noph. The English names of Egyptian cities are usually based on the Greek forms of their names rather than the Hebrew forms.
- Jeremiah 2:16 Or have cracked your skull
- Jeremiah 2:18 A branch of the Nile
- Jeremiah 2:18 That is, the Euphrates
- Jeremiah 2:20 The translation follows the Hebrew reading. The Greek Old Testament reads you.
- Jeremiah 2:32 Literally sash
Jeremiah 2
New International Version
Jeremiah 2
New International Version
Israel Forsakes God
2 The word(A) of the Lord came to me: 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
“This is what the Lord says:
“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,(B)
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,(C)
through a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy(D) to the Lord,(E)
the firstfruits(F) of his harvest;
all who devoured(G) her were held guilty,(H)
and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the Lord.
4 Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
all you clans of Israel.
5 This is what the Lord says:
“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols(I)
and became worthless(J) themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
who brought us up out of Egypt(K)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts(L) and ravines,(M)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no one travels(N) and no one lives?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.(O)
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.(P)
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;(Q)
the leaders(R) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,(S)
following worthless idols.(T)
9 “Therefore I bring charges(U) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus(V) and look,
send to Kedar[a](W) and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods(X) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious(Y) God
for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken(Z) me,
the spring of living water,(AA)
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14 Is Israel a servant, a slave(AB) by birth?
Why then has he become plunder?
15 Lions(AC) have roared;
they have growled at him.
They have laid waste(AD) his land;
his towns are burned(AE) and deserted.(AF)
16 Also, the men of Memphis(AG) and Tahpanhes(AH)
have cracked your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourselves(AI)
by forsaking(AJ) the Lord your God
when he led you in the way?
18 Now why go to Egypt(AK)
to drink water from the Nile[b]?(AL)
And why go to Assyria(AM)
to drink water from the Euphrates?(AN)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding(AO) will rebuke(AP) you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter(AQ) it is for you
when you forsake(AR) the Lord your God
and have no awe(AS) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke(AT)
and tore off your bonds;(AU)
you said, ‘I will not serve you!’(AV)
Indeed, on every high hill(AW)
and under every spreading tree(AX)
you lay down as a prostitute.(AY)
21 I had planted(AZ) you like a choice vine(BA)
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt,(BB) wild vine?
22 Although you wash(BC) yourself with soap(BD)
and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.(BE)
23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;(BF)
I have not run after the Baals’?(BG)
See how you behaved in the valley;(BH)
consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
running(BI) here and there,
24 a wild donkey(BJ) accustomed to the desert,(BK)
sniffing the wind in her craving—
in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
at mating time they will find her.
25 Do not run until your feet are bare
and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!(BL)
I love foreign gods,(BM)
and I must go after them.’(BN)
26 “As a thief is disgraced(BO) when he is caught,
so the people of Israel are disgraced—
they, their kings and their officials,
their priests(BP) and their prophets.(BQ)
27 They say to wood,(BR) ‘You are my father,’
and to stone,(BS) ‘You gave me birth.’
They have turned their backs(BT) to me
and not their faces;(BU)
yet when they are in trouble,(BV) they say,
‘Come and save(BW) us!’
28 Where then are the gods(BX) you made for yourselves?
Let them come if they can save you
when you are in trouble!(BY)
For you, Judah, have as many gods
as you have towns.(BZ)
29 “Why do you bring charges against me?
You have all(CA) rebelled against me,”
declares the Lord.
30 “In vain I punished your people;
they did not respond to correction.(CB)
Your sword has devoured your prophets(CC)
like a ravenous lion.
31 “You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord:
“Have I been a desert to Israel
or a land of great darkness?(CD)
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
we will come to you no more’?(CE)
32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten(CF) me,
days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing(CG) love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
34 On your clothes is found
the lifeblood(CH) of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.(CI)
Yet in spite of all this
35 you say, ‘I am innocent;(CJ)
he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment(CK) on you
because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’(CL)
36 Why do you go about so much,
changing(CM) your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt(CN)
as you were by Assyria.
37 You will also leave that place
with your hands on your head,(CO)
for the Lord has rejected those you trust;
you will not be helped(CP) by them.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert
- Jeremiah 2:18 Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)
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Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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