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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

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 waters of the Nile?[b]
What will you gain
by traveling along the way to Assyria(F)
to drink the waters of the Euphrates?(G)
19 Your own evil will discipline you;(H)
your own apostasies will reprimand you.
Think it over and see 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 Hosts.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:14 Lit born of a house
  2. Jeremiah 2:18 Lit of Shihor