Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord:

(A)“What wrong did your fathers find in me
    that they went far from me,
(B)and went after (C)worthlessness, and became worthless?
They did not say, (D)‘Where is the Lord
    who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us (E)in the wilderness,
    in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
    in a land that none passes through,
    where no man dwells?’
(F)And I brought you into a plentiful land
    to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, (G)you defiled my land
    and made my heritage an abomination.
The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
    (H)Those who handle the law did not know me;
(I)the shepherds[a] transgressed against me;
    (J)the prophets prophesied by Baal
    and went after (K)things that do not profit.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:8 Or rulers

Listen to the word of the Lord, people of Jacob—all you families of Israel! This is what the Lord says:

“What did your ancestors find wrong with me
    that led them to stray so far from me?
They worshiped worthless idols,
    only to become worthless themselves.
They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord
    who brought us safely out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness—
    a land of deserts and pits,
a land of drought and death,
    where no one lives or even travels?’

“And when I brought you into a fruitful land
    to enjoy its bounty and goodness,
you defiled my land and
    corrupted the possession I had promised you.
The priests did not ask,
    ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who taught my word ignored me,
    the rulers turned against me,
and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,
    wasting their time on worthless idols.

Read full chapter