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The Results of Israel’s Sin

14 “Why has Israel become a slave?
    Why has he been carried away as plunder?
15 Strong lions have roared against him,
    and the land has been destroyed.
The towns are now in ruins,
    and no one lives in them anymore.
16 Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis[a] and Tahpanhes,
    have destroyed Israel’s glory and power.
17 And you have brought this upon yourselves
    by rebelling against the Lord your God,
    even though he was leading you on the way!

18 “What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt
    and your covenants with Assyria?
What good to you are the streams of the Nile[b]
    or the waters of the Euphrates River?[c]
19 Your wickedness will bring its own punishment.
    Your turning from me will shame you.
You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is
    to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him.
    I, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!

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Footnotes

  1. 2:16 Hebrew Noph.
  2. 2:18a Hebrew of Shihor, a branch of the Nile River.
  3. 2:18b Hebrew the river?

Consequences of Apostasy

14 Is Israel a slave?
Was he born into slavery?[a]
Why else has he become a prey?
15 The young lions have roared at him;(A)
they have roared loudly.
They have laid waste his land.(B)
His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants.
16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes(C)
have also broken your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourself(D)
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(E)
to drink the water of the Nile?[b]
What will you gain
by traveling along the way to Assyria(F)
to drink the water of the Euphrates?(G)
19 Your own evil will discipline you;(H)
your own apostasies will reprimand you.
Recognize[c] how evil and bitter(I) 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 Armies.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:14 Lit born of a house
  2. 2:18 Lit of Shihor
  3. 2:19 Lit Know and see