Jeremiah 2

Chapter 2

The LORD’s Case against His People

1 The LORD gave me another message. He said,

2 “Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the LORD says:
“I remember how eager you were to please me
as a young bride long ago,
how you loved me and followed me
even through the barren wilderness.3 In those days Israel was holy to the LORD,
the first of his children.t
All who harmed his people were declared guilty,
and disaster fell on them.
I, the LORD, have spoken!”4 Listen to the word of the LORD, people of Jacob—all you families of Israel!

5 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.6 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?’7 “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.8 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.9 Therefore, I will bring my case against you,”
says the LORD.
“I will even bring charges against your children’s children
in the years to come.10 “Go west and look in the land of Cyprust;
go east and search through the land of Kedar.
Has anyone ever heard of anything
as strange as this?11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious Godt
for worthless idols!12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,”
says the LORD.13 “For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!

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 Memphist 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 Nilet
or the waters of the Euphrates River?t19 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!20 “Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you
and tore away the chains of your slavery,
but still you said,
‘I will not serve you.’
On every hill and under every green tree,
you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols.21 But I was the one who planted you,
choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best.
How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?22 No amount of soap or lye can make you clean.
I still see the stain of your guilt.
I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!

Israel, an Unfaithful Wife

23 “You say, ‘That’s not true!
I haven’t worshiped the images of Baal!’
But how can you say that?
Go and look in any valley in the land!
Face the awful sins you have done.
You are like a restless female camel
desperately searching for a mate.24 You are like a wild donkey,
sniffing the wind at mating time.
Who can restrain her lust?
Those who desire her don’t need to search,
for she goes running to them!25 When will you stop running?
When will you stop panting after other gods?
But you say, ‘Save your breath.
I’m in love with these foreign gods,
and I can’t stop loving them now!’26 “Israel is like a thief
who feels shame only when he gets caught.
They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets—
all are alike in this.27 To an image carved from a piece of wood they say,
‘You are my father.’
To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say,
‘You are my mother.’
They turn their backs on me,
but in times of trouble they cry out to me,
‘Come and save us!’28 But why not call on these gods you have made?
When trouble comes, let them save you if they can!
For you have as many gods
as there are towns in Judah.29 Why do you accuse me of doing wrong?
You are the ones who have rebelled,”
says the LORD.30 “I have punished your children,
but they did not respond to my discipline.
You yourselves have killed your prophets
as a lion kills its prey.31 “O my people, listen to the words of the LORD!
Have I been like a desert to Israel?
Have I been to them a land of darkness?
Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God!
We don’t need him anymore!’32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry?
Does a bride hide her wedding dress?
Yet for years on end
my people have forgotten me.33 “How you plot and scheme to win your lovers.
Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!34 Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor,
though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses!35 And yet you say,
‘I have done nothing wrong.
Surely God isn’t angry with me!’
But now I will punish you severely
because you claim you have not sinned.36 First here, then there—
you flit from one ally to another asking for help.
But your new friends in Egypt will let you down,
just as Assyria did before.37 In despair, you will be led into exile
with your hands on your heads,
for the LORD has rejected the nations you trust.
They will not help you at all.

JEREMIAH 2

Israel's Unfaithfulness

1 The [Lord] told me

2 to go to Jerusalem and tell everyone that he had said:
When you were my young bride,
you loved me and followed me
through the barren desert.

3 You belonged to me alone,
like the first part of the harvest,
and I severely punished
those who mistreated you.

4 Listen, people of Israel, t

5 and I, the [Lord], will speak.
I was never unfair
to your ancestors,
but they left me
and became worthless
by following worthless idols.

6 Your ancestors refused
to ask for my help,
though I had rescued them
from Egypt
and led them through
a treacherous, barren desert,
where no one lives
or dares to travel.

7 I brought you here to my land,
where food is abundant,
but you made my land filthy
with your sins.

8 The priests who teach my laws
don't care to know me.
Your leaders rebel against me;
your prophets
give messages from Baal
and worship false gods.

The [Lord] Accuses His People

9 I will take you to court
and accuse you
and your descendants
*

10 of a crime that no nation
has ever committed before.
Just ask anyone, anywhere,
from the eastern deserts
to the islands in the west.

11 You will find that no nation
has ever abandoned its gods
even though they were false.
I am the true and glorious God,
but you have rejected me
to worship idols.

12 Tell the heavens
to tremble with fear!

13 You, my people, have sinned
in two ways—
you have rejected me, the source
of life-giving water,
and you've tried to collect water
in cracked and leaking pits
dug in the ground.

14 People of Israel,
you weren't born slaves;
you were captured in war.

15 Enemies roared like lions
and destroyed your land;
towns lie burned and empty.

16 Soldiers from the Egyptian towns
of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have cracked your skulls.

17 It's all your own fault!
You stopped following me,
the [Lord] your God,

18 and you trusted the power
of Egypt and Assyria.t

19 Your own sins will punish you,
because it was a bitter mistake
for you to reject me
without fear of punishment.
I, the [Lord] All-Powerful,
have spoken.

20 Long ago you left me
and broke all ties between us,
refusing to be my servant.
Now you worship other gods
by having sex
on hilltops or in the shade
of large trees.t

21 You were a choice grapevine,
but you have become
a wild, useless vine.

Israel Is Stained //with Guilt

22 The [Lord] said:
People of Israel,
you are stained with guilt,
and no soap or bleach
can wash it away.

23 You deny your sins
and say, “We aren't unclean.
We haven't worshiped Baal.”t
But think about what you do
in Hinnom Valley.t
You run back and forth
like young camels,
as you rush to worship one idol
after another.

24 You are a female donkey
sniffing the desert air,
wanting to mate
with just anyone.
You are an easy catch!

25 Your shoes are worn out,
and your throat is parched
from running here and there
to worship foreign gods.
“Stop!” I shouted,
but you replied, “No!
I love those gods too much.”

26 You and your leaders
are more disgraceful
than thieves—
you and your kings,
your priests and prophets

27 worship stone idols
and sacred poles
as if they had created you
and had given you life.
You have rejected me,
but when you're in trouble,
you cry to me for help.

28 Go cry to the gods you made!
There should be enough of them
to save you,
because Judah has as many gods
as it has towns.

Israel Rebels against //the [Lord]

29 The [Lord] said to Israel:
You accuse me of not saving you,
but I say you have rebelled.

30 I tried punishing you,
but you refused
to come back to me,
and like fierce lions
you killed my prophets.

31 Now listen to what I say!
Did I abandon you in the desert
or surround you with darkness?
You are my people,
yet you have told me,
“We'll do what we want,
and we refuse
to worship you!”

32 A bride could not forget
to wear her jewelry
to her wedding,
but you have forgotten me
day after day.

33 You are so clever
at finding lovers
that you could give lessons
to a prostitute.

34 You killed innocent people
for no reason at all.
And even though their blood
can be seen on your clothes,

35 you claim to be innocent,
and you want me to stop
being angry with you.
So I'll take you to court,
and we'll see who is right.

36 When Assyria let you down,
you quickly ran to Egypt,
but you'll find no help there,

37 and you will leave
in great sadness.t
I won't let you find help
from those you trust.