Jeremiáš 2

Nevěrný lid

1 Dostal jsem slovo Hospodinovo: 2 „Jdi a volej, ať to Jeruzalém slyší – Tak praví Hospodin:
Vzpomínám, jak jsi v mládí byla oddaná,
jak jsi milovala jako nevěsta,
jak jsi mě následovala pouští,
v tom nehostinném kraji. 3 Izrael býval Hospodinu svatý,
byl prvotinou jeho úrody;
všichni, kdo jej hltali, bývali potrestáni
a přišlo na ně neštěstí, praví Hospodin.“ 4 Slyšte slovo Hospodinovo, dome Jákobův, všechny rodiny Izraelova domu! 5 Tak praví Hospodin:
„Co na mně vaši otcové našli špatného,
že ode mě odešli tak daleko?
Marnost následovali
a marností se stali. 6 Už se neptali: ‚Kde je Hospodin,
který nás vyvedl z Egypta,
který nás provázel na poušti
zemí pustou a plnou jam,
zemí sucha a stínu smrti,
zemí, kterou se nechodí,
kde není ani živáčka?‘ 7 Vedl jsem vás do země krásné jako sad,
abyste požívali dary, které plodila.
Vy jste však přišli a zprznili mou zemi,
zohavili jste mé dědictví! 8 Ani kněží se neptali:
‚Kde je Hospodin?‘
Znalci Zákona mě neznali,
pastýři lidu mě zradili,
proroci prorokovali při Baalovi,
následovali nesmysly. 9 Proto vás znovu obviňuji, praví Hospodin,
a ještě i vaše vnuky obviním. 10 Jeďte se podívat na středomořské ostrovy,
pošlete někoho k beduínům na poušti;
dobře se podívejte a zvažte to:
Kdy se co takového stalo? 11 Vyměnil nějaký národ své bohy,
i když to žádní bozi nebyli?
Můj lid ale svou Slávu vyměnil
za nesmysly! 12 Zděste se, nebesa, otřásejte se
hrůzou nad tím, co se stalo, praví Hospodin. 13 Můj lid totiž spáchal dvojí zlo:
Opustili mne, pramen živých vod,
a vykopali si své rozpukané nádrže,
ze kterých voda vyteče. 14 Copak je Izrael otrok?
Copak se narodil jako čeledín?
Proč se tedy stal kořistí? 15 Vrčeli a řvali nad ním lvi;
jeho zem zpustošili, města spálili,
takže v nich nikdo nebydlí. 16 Z Memfisu a Dafné přišli muži,
kteří ti lebku rozbili. 17 Copak si za to nemůžeš sama?
Opustilas Hospodina, svého Boha,
tenkrát, když s tebou putoval. 18 Co z toho máš, chodit do Egypta –
aby ses vody z Nilu napila?
Co z toho máš, do Asýrie cestovat –
aby ses napila z řeky Eufrat? 19 Za vyučenou ti dá špatnost tvá,
tvé odvrácení tě vytrestá.
Poznáš a uvidíš, jak zle a trpce chutná,
žes opustila Hospodina, svého Boha,
a bázeň přede mnou jsi ztratila,
praví Hospodin, Pán zástupů. 20 Své jho jsi už dávno rozlámala,
své postroje jsi strhala:
‚Nebudu sloužit!‘ říkalas.
Na kdejakém vyšším návrší
a pod kdejakým stromem košatým
se ale válíš jako nevěstka. 21 Já jsem tě sázel jako výbornou révu
z nejušlechtilejších sazenic.
Jak ses mi mohla takhle zvrhnout
v plané křoví, jež mi nepatří? 22 I kdyby ses mýdlem vydrhla
a louhu přidala sebevíc,
skvrna tvé viny přede mnou zůstává,
praví Panovník Hospodin. 23 Jak můžeš říkat: ‚Jsem bez poskvrny,
nechodila jsem za baaly.‘
Jen se podívej, cos prováděla v Údolí,
nad tím, cos páchala, se zamysli!
Jsi velbloudice pádící svými cestami, 24 divoká oslice, zvyklá na poušti.
Jakmile lačně zavětříš,
kdo zadrží tvůj chtíč?
Kdokoli po ní v čas říje zatouží,
najde ji snadno, bez námahy. 25 Dej pozor, ať si neuchodíš nohy
a ať se žízní neumoříš.
‚Ne ne,‘ odpovídáš, ‚marné řeči!
Miluji cizí a půjdu za nimi!‘ 26 Jako má hanbu přistižený zloděj,
tak je hanebný celý dům Izraele
se svými králi a velmoži
i s kněžími a proroky. 27 Dřevo oslovují: ‚Otče náš,‘
kameni říkají: ‚Jsi má rodička.‘
Ukazují mi záda, a ne tvář,
jakmile je však stihne bída,
volají: ‚Přijď a zachraň nás!‘ 28 Kde jsou ti tví bohové, které sis pořídil?
Jen ať tě přijdou z tvé bídy zachránit!
Máš přece tolik bohů, Judo –
jednoho boha na každé město! 29 Z čeho mě chcete obvinit?
Všichni jste mě zradili, praví Hospodin. 30 Nadarmo jsem bil váš lid,
nedal se poučit.
Své proroky jste mečem hubili
jako nenasytní lvi.“ 31 Vy jedno pokolení, pohleďte, co praví Hospodin:
„Jsem snad Izraeli pouští?
Zemí temnoty?
Proč můj lid říká: ‚Jsme volní!
Chodit za tebou? Už nikdy!‘ 32 Zapomene snad dívka na svůj šperk?
Zapomene se nevěsta obléci ke svatbě?
Můj lid však na mě zapomněl –
kolik už je to let? 33 Jak jsi šikovná v honbě za milováním!
I nejhorší coury teď můžeš poučit. 34 Roucho máš potřísněné krví ubohých,
ne přistižených lupičů, ale nevinných.
A při tom všem 35 ještě říkáš:
‚Jsem nevinná. Jeho hněv se mi vyhýbá!‘
Nuže, budu tě soudit za tvá slova,
prý: ‚Já jsem nehřešila.‘ 36 Proč stále někam chodíš
a stále měníš směr?
Jako ses zklamala v Asýrii,
zklameš se Egyptem. 37 I odtud odejdeš s hlavou v dlaních.
Hospodin zavrhl ty tvé opory,
žádnou pomoc u nich nenajdeš.“

Jeremiah 2

The Lord Recalls Israel’s Earlier Faithfulness

1 The Lord spoke to me. He said:2 “Go and declare in the hearing of the people of Jerusalem:s ‘This is what the Lord says: “I have fond memories of you,t how devoted you were to me in your early years.ss I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, through a land that had never been planted.

3 Israel was set apart to the Lord; they were like the first fruits of a harvest to him.s All who tried to devour them were punished; disaster came upon them,” says the Lord.’”

The Lord Reminds Them of the Unfaithfulness of Their Ancestors

4 Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendantst of Jacob,
all you family groups from the nationt of Israel.

5 This is what the Lord says:
“What fault could your ancestorst have possibly found in me
that they strayed so far from me?t
They paid allegiance tot worthless idols, and so became worthless to me.t

6 They did not ask:
‘Where is the Lord who delivered us out of Egypt,
who brought us through the wilderness,
through a land of desert sands and rift valleys,
through a land of drought and deep darkness,t
through a land in which no one travels,
and where no one lives?’s

7 I brought yous into a fertile land
so you could enjoyt its fruits and its rich bounty.
But when you entered my land, you defiled it;s
you made the land I call my ownts loathsome to me.

8 Your priestst did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’s
Those responsible for teaching my lawts did not really know me.t
Your rulers rebelled against me.
Your prophets prophesied in the name of the god Baal.t
They all worshiped idols that could not help them.t

The Lord Charges Contemporary Israel with Spiritual Adultery

9 “So, once more I will state my casets against you,” says the Lord.
“I will also state it against your children and grandchildren.ts

10 Go westt across the sea to the coasts of Cyprusts and see.
Send someone east to Kedars and have them look carefully.
See if such a thing as this has ever happened:

11 Has a nation ever changed its gods
(even though they are not really gods at all)?
But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God,t
for a god that cannot help them at all!t

12 Be amazed at this, O heavens!s
Be shocked and utterly dumbfounded,”
says the Lord.

13 “Do so because my people have committed a double wrong:
they have rejected me,
the fountain of life-giving water,t
and they have dug cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns which cannot even hold water.”

Israel’s Reliance on Foreign Alliances (not on God)

14 “Israel is not a slave, is he?
He was not born into slavery, was he?ts
If not, why then is he being carried off?

15 Like lions his enemies roar victoriously over him;
they raise their voices in triumph.ts
They have laid his land waste;
his cities have been burned down and deserted.t

16 Even the soldierst from Memphis and Tahpanhes
have cracked your skulls, people of Israel.s

17 You have brought all this on yourself, Israel,t
by deserting the Lord your God when he was leading you along the right path.t

18 What good will it do yout thent to go down to Egypt
to seek help from the Egyptians?t
What good will it do yout to go over to Assyria
to seek help from the Assyrians?t

19 Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment.
Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you.t
Know, then, and realize how utterly harmfult
it was for you to reject me, the Lord your God,t
to show no respect for me,”t
says the Lord God who rules over all.t

The Lord Expresses His Exasperation at Judah’s Persistent Idolatry

20 “Indeed,t long ago you threw off my authority
and refused to be subject to me.t
You said, ‘I will not serve you.’s
Instead, you gave yourself to other gods on every high hill
and under every green tree,
like a prostitute sprawls out before her lovers.t

21 I planted you in the land
like a special vine of the very best stock.
Why in the world have you turned into something like a wild vine
that produces rotten, foul-smelling grapes?s

22 You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent.
You can use as much soap as you want.
But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see,”t
says the Lord God.t

23 “How can you say, ‘I have not made myself unclean.
I have not paid allegiance tot the gods called Baal.’
Just look at the way you have behaved in the Valley of Hinnom!t
Think about the things you have done there!
You are like a flighty, young female camel
that rushes here and there, crisscrossing its path.s

24 You are like a wild female donkey brought up in the wilderness.
In her lust she sniffs the wind to get the scent of a male.t
No one can hold her back when she is in heat.
None of the males need wear themselves out chasing after her.
At mating time she is easy to find.s

25 Do not chase after other gods until your shoes wear out
and your throats become dry.t
But you say, ‘It is useless for you to try and stop me
because I love those foreign godst and want to pursue them!’

26 Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught,
so the people of Israelt will suffer dishonor for what they have done.t
So will their kings and officials,
their priests and their prophets.

27 They say to a wooden idol,t ‘You are my father.’
They say to a stone image, ‘You gave birth to me.’s
Yes, they have turned away from me instead of turning to me.t
Yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’

28 But where are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them save you when you are in trouble.
The sad fact is thatt you have as many gods
as you have towns, Judah.

29 “Why do you try to refute me?s
All of you have rebelled against me,”
says the Lord.

30 “It did no good for me to punish your people.
They did not respond to such correction.
You slaughtered your prophets
like a voracious lion.”t

31 You people of this generation,
listen to what the Lord says.
“Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel?
Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you?t
Why then do yout say, ‘We are free to wander.t
We will not come to you any more?’

32 Does a young woman forget to put on her jewels?
Does a bride forget to put on her bridal attire?
But my people have forgotten me
for more days than can even be counted.

33 “My, how good you have become
at chasing after your lovers!t
Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two!t

34 Even your clothes are stained with
the lifeblood of the poor who had not done anything wrong;
you did not catch them breaking into your homes.ts
Yet, in spite of all these things you have done,t

35 you say, ‘I have not done anything wrong,
so the Lord cannot really be angry with me any more.’
But, watch out!t I will bring down judgment on you
because you say, ‘I have not committed any sin.’

36 Why do you constantly go about
changing your political allegiances?t
You will get no help from Egypt
just as you got no help from Assyria.t

37 Moreover, you will come away from Egypt
with your hands covering your faces in sorrow and shamet
because the Lord will not allow your reliance on them to be successful
and you will not gain any help from them.t