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14 Is Israel a slave?
    Is he born into slavery?
    Why has he become a captive?
15 The young lions have roared at him and yelled.
    They have made his land waste.
    His cities are burned up, without inhabitant.
16     The children also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of your head.
17 “Haven’t you brought this on yourself,
    in that you have forsaken Yahweh your God,[a] when he led you by the way?
18 Now what do you gain by going to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor?
    Or why do you to go on the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?[b]
19 “Your own wickedness will correct you,
    and your backsliding will rebuke you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing,
    that you have forsaken Yahweh your God,
    and that my fear is not in you,” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:17 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
  2. 2:18 i.e., the Euphrates River

14 “Is Israel (A)a slave? Or is he a servant born in the home?
Why has he become plunder?
15 The young (B)lions have roared at him,
They have [a]roared loudly.
And they have (C)made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
16 Also the [b]men of (D)Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have [c]shaved (E)your head.
17 Have you not (F)done this to yourself
By your abandoning the Lord your God
When He (G)led you in the way?
18 But now what are you doing (H)on the road to Egypt,
Except to drink the waters of the [d](I)Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
Except to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
19 (J)Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your (K)apostasies will punish you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and (L)bitter
For you to abandon the Lord your God,
And (M)the fear of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord [e]God of armies.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:15 Lit given their voice
  2. Jeremiah 2:16 Lit sons
  3. Jeremiah 2:16 Lit grazed
  4. Jeremiah 2:18 Heb Shihor
  5. Jeremiah 2:19 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord