Jeremiah 2

The People Continue to Reject the Lord’s Love for Them

1 The Lord spoke his word to me,2 “Go and announce to Jerusalem,‘This is what the Lord says:I remember the unfailing loyalty of your youth,the love you had for me as a bride.I remember how you followed me into the desert,into a land that couldn’t be farmed.3 Israel was set apart for the Lord.It was the best part of the harvest.All who devoured it became guilty,and disaster struck them,’ ” declares the Lord.4 Listen to the word of the Lord, descendants of Jacob,all the families in the nation of Israel.5 This is what the Lord says:What did your ancestors find wrong with methat they went so far away from me?They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.6 They didn’t ask, “Where is the Lord,who brought us from Egypt?He led us through the desert,through a wasteland and its pits,a land of drought and the shadow of death.No one lives there or travels there.”7 I brought them into a fertile landto eat its fruit and its produce.They came and made my land unclean.tThey made my property disgusting.8 The priests didn’t ask, “Where is the Lord?”Those who deal with my teachings didn’t know me.The rulers rebelled against me.The prophets prophesied in the name of Baaland followed statues that couldn’t help them.9 “That is why I am bringing charges against you,” declares the Lord,“and I am bringing charges against your grandchildren.10 Go over to the coasts of Cyprus, and see.Send someone to Kedar, and observe closely.See if there has ever been anything like this.11 Has any nation ever exchanged gods?(Their gods aren’t really gods.)Yet, my people have exchanged their Gloryfor something that doesn’t help them.12 Be horrified over this, heaven.Be terribly afraid,” declares the Lord.13 “My people have done two things wrong.They have abandoned me,the fountain of life-giving water.They have also dug their own cisterns,broken cisterns that can’t hold water.14 “Are the people of Israel slaves?Were they born into slavery?Why, then, have they become someone’s property?15 Young lions have roared very loudly at them.Young lions have turned the land into a wasteland.The cities have been burned down, and everyone has left.16 People from Noph and Tahpanhes have cracked your skulls, Israel.17 You have brought this on yourselfby abandoning the Lord your Godwhen he led you on his way.18 You won’t gain anything by going to Egyptto drink water from the Nile River.You won’t gain anything by going to Assyriato drink water from the Euphrates River.19 Your own wickedness will correct you,and your unfaithful ways will punish you.You should know and see how evil and bitter it is for youif you abandon the Lord your God and do not fear me,”declares the Almighty Lord of Armies.20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke,t tore off your chains,and said that you wouldn’t be a slave.You lay down and acted like a prostituteon every high hill and under every large tree.21 I planted you like a choice grapevine from the very best seed.Now you have turned against me and have become a wild vine.22 Even if you wash with detergent and use a lot of soap,I would still see the stains from your wickedness,”declares the Almighty Lord.23 “How can you say that you haven’t dishonored yourselvesand haven’t followed other gods—the Baals?Look how you’ve behaved in the valley.Acknowledge what you’ve done.You are like a young camel that swiftly runs here and there.24 You are like a wild donkey that is used to the desert,sniffing the wind while in heat.All who look for you won’t get tired.They will find you during your monthly period.25 Don’t run until your feet are bare and your throats are dry.But you say that it’s useless.You love foreign gods and follow them.26 “As a thief feels ashamed when he’s caught,so the nation of Israel will feel ashamed.Their kings, princes, priests,and prophets will also feel ashamed.27 You call wood your father.You call stone your mother.You’ve turned your backs, not your faces, to me.But when you’re in trouble, you ask me to come and rescue you.28 Where are the gods that you made for yourselves?Let them come and rescue you when you’re in trouble.You have as many gods as you have cities, Judah!29 “Why do you complain about me?All of you have rebelled against me,” declares the Lord.30 “I have punished your children without results.They didn’t respond to correction.You killed my prophets like a raging lion.31 “Consider the word of the Lord, people of this generation.Haven’t I been a desert, a land of thick darkness, for Israel?Why do my people say that they are free to wander aroundand no longer come to me?32 A young woman can’t forget her jewelry or a bride her veils.Yet, my people have forgotten me for countless days.33 You carefully planned ways to look for love.You taught your ways to wicked women.34 You have the blood from poor and innocent peopleon your clothes.You didn’t kill them for breaking in to your home.35 In spite of all this you say, ‘I’m innocent.God will turn his anger from me,because I haven’t sinned.’36 You change your mind so easily.You will be put to shame by Egyptas you were put to shame by Assyria.37 You will also leave this place with your hands over your head,because the Lord has rejected those you trust.You will not be helped by them.”

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