Jeremías 2

1 Y vino a mí la palabra del Señor, diciendo:2 Ve y clama a los oídos de Jerusalén, diciendo: "Así dice el Señor: 'De ti recuerdo el cariño de tu juventud, el amor de tu desposorio, de cuando me seguías en el desierto, por tierra no sembrada.

3 'Santo era Israel para el Señor, primicias de su cosecha; todos los que comían de ella se hacían culpables; el mal venía sobre ellos'--declara el Señor."
4 Oíd la palabra del Señor, casa de Jacob, y todas las familias de la casa de Israel.5 Así dice el Señor: ¿Qué injusticia hallaron en mí vuestros padres, para que se alejaran de mí y anduvieran tras lo vano y se hicieran vanos?6 Tampoco dijeron: ¿Dónde está el Señor que nos hizo subir de la tierra de Egipto, que nos condujo por el desierto, por una tierra de yermos y de barrancos, por una tierra seca y tenebrosa, una tierra por la que nadie pasó y donde ningún hombre habitó?7 Yo os traje a una tierra fértil, para que comierais de su fruto y de sus delicias; pero vinisteis y contaminasteis mi tierra, y de mi heredad hicisteis abominación.

8 Los sacerdotes no dijeron: "¿Dónde está el Señor?" Los que se ocupaban de la ley no me conocieron, los gobernantes se rebelaron contra mí, y los profetas profetizaban por Baal, y andaban tras cosas que no aprovechan.
9 Por tanto, aún contenderé con vosotros--declara el Señor-- y con los hijos de vuestros hijos contenderé.10 Pasad, pues, a las islas de Quitim y ved, enviad gente a Cedar y observad atentamente, y ved si ha habido cosa semejante:11 ¿Ha cambiado alguna nación sus dioses, aunque ésos no son dioses? Pues mi pueblo ha cambiado su gloria por lo que no aprovecha.12 Espantaos, oh cielos, por esto, y temblad, quedad en extremo desolados--declara el Señor.

13 Porque dos males ha hecho mi pueblo: me han abandonado a mí, fuente de aguas vivas, y han cavado para sí cisternas, cisternas agrietadas que no retienen el agua.
14 ¿Es un esclavo Israel o un siervo nacido en casa? ¿Por qué se ha convertido en presa?15 Contra él rugieron los leoncillos, rugieron fuertemente, y han hecho de su tierra una desolación; sus ciudades están quemadas, sin habitantes.16 Incluso los hombres de Menfis y de Tafnes te han afeitado la coronilla.17 ¿No te ha sucedido esto por haber dejado al Señor tu Dios, cuando El te guiaba por el camino?18 Y ahora, ¿qué haces en el camino a Egipto para beber las aguas del Nilo? ¿O qué haces en el camino a Asiria para beber las aguas del Eufrates?

19 Te castigará tu propia maldad, y tus apostasías te condenarán. Reconoce, pues, y ve que es malo y amargo el dejar al Señor tu Dios, y no tener temor de mí--declara el Señor, Dios de los ejércitos.
20 Porque desde hace tiempo rompí tu yugo y arranqué tus coyundas; pero dijiste: "No serviré." Porque sobre toda colina alta y bajo todo árbol frondoso te echabas como ramera.21 Pero yo te planté como vid escogida, toda ella de simiente genuina. ¿Cómo, pues, te has vuelto delante de mí sarmiento degenerado de una vid extraña?22 Aunque te laves con soda y uses mucho jabón, la mancha de tu iniquidad está aún delante de mí--declara el Señor Dios.23 ¿Cómo puedes decir: "No estoy manchada, no he ido tras los baales"? Mira tu proceder en el valle, reconoce lo que has hecho. Eres una camella joven y liviana que enreda sus pasos,24 asna montés acostumbrada al desierto, que en su ardor olfatea el viento. En la época de su celo ¿quién la puede refrenar? Todos los que la busquen, no se tienen que fatigar, en su mes la hallarán.25 Guarda tus pies de andar descalzos y tu garganta de la sed. Mas dijiste: "Es en vano. ¡No! Porque amo a los extraños, y tras ellos andaré."26 Como se avergüenza el ladrón cuando es descubierto, así se ha avergonzado la casa de Israel: ellos, sus reyes, sus príncipes, sus sacerdotes y sus profetas;27 los que dicen al leño: "Mi padre eres tú", y a la piedra: "Tú me engendraste." Porque ellos me han vuelto las espaldas, y no el rostro; pero en el tiempo de su calamidad dirán: "Levántate y sálvanos."

28 Mas ¿dónde están tus dioses, los que hiciste para ti? Que se levanten, a ver si pueden salvarte en el tiempo de tu calamidad; porque según el número de tus ciudades son tus dioses, oh Judá.
29 ¿Por qué contendéis conmigo? Todos vosotros os habéis rebelado contra mí--declara el Señor.30 En vano he herido a vuestros hijos, no han aceptado corrección. Vuestra espada ha devorado a vuestros profetas como león destructor.31 ¡Oh generación, atended a la palabra del Señor! ¿He sido yo un desierto para Israel, o una tierra de densa oscuridad? ¿Por qué dice mi pueblo: "Vaguemos libremente; no vendremos más a ti"?32 ¿Se olvida una virgen de sus adornos, o una novia de su atavío? Pues mi pueblo me ha olvidado por innumerables días.33 ¡Qué bien preparas tu camino para buscar amor! Por eso aun a las malvadas has enseñado tus caminos.34 También en tus faldas se halla sangre de la vida de pobres inocentes; no los encontraste forzando la entrada. Pero a pesar de todo esto,35 aún dices: "Soy inocente, ciertamente su ira se ha apartado de mí." He aquí, entraré en juicio contigo porque dices: "No he pecado."36 ¿Por qué das tantas vueltas cambiando tu camino? También por Egipto serás avergonzada como fuiste avergonzada por Asiria.37 También de allí saldrás con las manos en la cabeza; porque el Señor ha desechado a aquellos en quienes confías, y no prosperarás con ellos.

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