God’s Case Against Israel

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:

“I remember you,
The kindness of your (A)youth,
The love of your betrothal,
(B)When you [a]went after Me in the wilderness,
In a land not sown.
(C)Israel was holiness to the Lord,
(D)The firstfruits of His increase.
(E)All that devour him will offend;
Disaster will (F)come upon them,” says the Lord.’ ”

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

(G)“What injustice have your fathers found in Me,
That they have gone far from Me,
(H)Have followed [b]idols,
And have become idolaters?
Neither did they say, ‘Where is the Lord,
Who (I)brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through (J)the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and pits,
Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no one dwelt?’
I brought you into (K)a bountiful country,
To eat its fruit and its goodness.
But when you entered, you (L)defiled My land
And made My heritage an abomination.
The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the (M)law did not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed against Me;
(N)The prophets prophesied by Baal,
And walked after things that do not profit.

“Therefore (O)I will yet [c]bring charges against you,” says the Lord,
“And against your children’s children I will bring charges.
10 For pass beyond the coasts of [d]Cyprus and see,
Send to [e]Kedar and consider diligently,
And see if there has been such a (P)thing.
11 (Q)Has a nation changed its gods,
Which are (R)not gods?
(S)But My people have changed their Glory
For what does not profit.
12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this,
And be horribly afraid;
Be very desolate,” says the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the (T)fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

14 Is Israel (U)a servant?
Is he a homeborn slave?
Why is he plundered?
15 (V)The young lions roared at him, and growled;
They made his land waste;
His cities are burned, without inhabitant.
16 Also the people of [f]Noph and (W)Tahpanhes
Have [g]broken the crown of your head.
17 (X)Have you not brought this on yourself,
In that you have forsaken the Lord your God
When (Y)He led you in the way?
18 And now why take (Z)the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of (AA)Sihor?
Or why take the road to (AB)Assyria,
To drink the waters of [h]the River?
19 Your own wickedness will (AC)correct you,
And your backslidings will rebuke you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing
That you have forsaken the Lord your God,
And the [i]fear of Me is not in you,”
Says the Lord God of hosts.

20 “For of old I have (AD)broken your yoke and burst your bonds;
And (AE)you said, ‘I will not [j]transgress,’
When (AF)on every high hill and under every green tree
You lay down, (AG)playing the harlot.
21 Yet I had (AH)planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality.
How then have you turned before Me
Into (AI)the degenerate plant of an alien vine?
22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap,
Yet your iniquity is (AJ)marked[k] before Me,” says the Lord God.

23 “How(AK) can you say, ‘I am not [l]polluted,
I have not gone after the Baals’?
See your way in the valley;
Know what you have done:
You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways,
24 A wild donkey used to the wilderness,
That sniffs at the wind in her desire;
In her time of mating, who can turn her away?
All those who seek her will not weary themselves;
In her month they will find her.
25 Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst.
But you said, (AL)‘There is no hope.
No! For I have loved (AM)aliens, and after them I will go.’

26 “As the thief is ashamed when he is found out,
So is the house of Israel ashamed;
They and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their (AN)prophets,
27 Saying to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a (AO)stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’
For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face.
But in the time of their (AP)trouble
They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’
28 But (AQ)where are your gods that you have made for yourselves?
Let them arise,
If they (AR)can save you in the time of your [m]trouble;
For (AS)according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.

29 “Why will you plead with Me?
You all have transgressed against Me,” says the Lord.
30 “In vain I have (AT)chastened your children;
They (AU)received no correction.
Your sword has (AV)devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.

31 “O generation, see the word of the Lord!
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a land of darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘We [n]are lords;
(AW)We will come no more to You’?
32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people (AX)have forgotten Me days without number.

33 “Why do you beautify your way to seek love?
Therefore you have also taught
The wicked women your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
(AY)The blood of the lives of the poor innocents.
I have not found it by [o]secret search,
But plainly on all these things.
35 (AZ)Yet you say, ‘Because I am innocent,
Surely His anger shall turn from me.’
Behold, (BA)I will plead My case against you,
(BB)Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 (BC)Why do you gad about so much to change your way?
Also (BD)you shall be ashamed of Egypt (BE)as you were ashamed of Assyria.
37 Indeed you will go forth from him
With your hands on (BF)your head;
For the Lord has rejected your trusted allies,
And you will (BG)not prosper by them.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:2 followed
  2. Jeremiah 2:5 vanities or futilities
  3. Jeremiah 2:9 contend with
  4. Jeremiah 2:10 Heb. Kittim, representative of western cultures
  5. Jeremiah 2:10 In northern Arabian desert, representative of eastern cultures
  6. Jeremiah 2:16 Memphis in ancient Egypt
  7. Jeremiah 2:16 Or grazed
  8. Jeremiah 2:18 The Euphrates
  9. Jeremiah 2:19 dread
  10. Jeremiah 2:20 Kt. serve
  11. Jeremiah 2:22 stained
  12. Jeremiah 2:23 defiled
  13. Jeremiah 2:28 Or evil
  14. Jeremiah 2:31 have dominion
  15. Jeremiah 2:34 digging

Israel Forsakes God

The word(A) of the Lord came to me: “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what the Lord says:

“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,(B)
    how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,(C)
    through a land not sown.
Israel was holy(D) to the Lord,(E)
    the firstfruits(F) of his harvest;
all who devoured(G) her were held guilty,(H)
    and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the Lord.

Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
    all you clans of Israel.

This is what the Lord says:

“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
    that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols(I)
    and became worthless(J) themselves.
They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
    who brought us up out of Egypt(K)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
    through a land of deserts(L) and ravines,(M)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
    a land where no one travels(N) and no one lives?’
I brought you into a fertile land
    to eat its fruit and rich produce.(O)
But you came and defiled my land
    and made my inheritance detestable.(P)
The priests did not ask,
    ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;(Q)
    the leaders(R) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,(S)
    following worthless idols.(T)

“Therefore I bring charges(U) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
    “And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus(V) and look,
    send to Kedar[a](W) and observe closely;
    see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
    (Yet they are not gods(X) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious(Y) God
    for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
    and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken(Z) me,
    the spring of living water,(AA)
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14 Is Israel a servant, a slave(AB) by birth?
    Why then has he become plunder?
15 Lions(AC) have roared;
    they have growled at him.
They have laid waste(AD) his land;
    his towns are burned(AE) and deserted.(AF)
16 Also, the men of Memphis(AG) and Tahpanhes(AH)
    have cracked your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourselves(AI)
    by forsaking(AJ) the Lord your God
    when he led you in the way?
18 Now why go to Egypt(AK)
    to drink water from the Nile[b]?(AL)
And why go to Assyria(AM)
    to drink water from the Euphrates?(AN)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
    your backsliding(AO) will rebuke(AP) you.
Consider then and realize
    how evil and bitter(AQ) it is for you
when you forsake(AR) the Lord your God
    and have no awe(AS) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke(AT)
    and tore off your bonds;(AU)
    you said, ‘I will not serve you!’(AV)
Indeed, on every high hill(AW)
    and under every spreading tree(AX)
    you lay down as a prostitute.(AY)
21 I had planted(AZ) you like a choice vine(BA)
    of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
    into a corrupt,(BB) wild vine?
22 Although you wash(BC) yourself with soap(BD)
    and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.(BE)
23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;(BF)
    I have not run after the Baals’?(BG)
See how you behaved in the valley;(BH)
    consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
    running(BI) here and there,
24 a wild donkey(BJ) accustomed to the desert,(BK)
    sniffing the wind in her craving—
    in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
    at mating time they will find her.
25 Do not run until your feet are bare
    and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!(BL)
    I love foreign gods,(BM)
    and I must go after them.’(BN)

26 “As a thief is disgraced(BO) when he is caught,
    so the people of Israel are disgraced—
they, their kings and their officials,
    their priests(BP) and their prophets.(BQ)
27 They say to wood,(BR) ‘You are my father,’
    and to stone,(BS) ‘You gave me birth.’
They have turned their backs(BT) to me
    and not their faces;(BU)
yet when they are in trouble,(BV) they say,
    ‘Come and save(BW) us!’
28 Where then are the gods(BX) you made for yourselves?
    Let them come if they can save you
    when you are in trouble!(BY)
For you, Judah, have as many gods
    as you have towns.(BZ)

29 “Why do you bring charges against me?
    You have all(CA) rebelled against me,”
declares the Lord.
30 “In vain I punished your people;
    they did not respond to correction.(CB)
Your sword has devoured your prophets(CC)
    like a ravenous lion.

31 “You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord:

“Have I been a desert to Israel
    or a land of great darkness?(CD)
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
    we will come to you no more’?(CE)
32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
    a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten(CF) me,
    days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing(CG) love!
    Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
34 On your clothes is found
    the lifeblood(CH) of the innocent poor,
    though you did not catch them breaking in.(CI)
Yet in spite of all this
35     you say, ‘I am innocent;(CJ)
    he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment(CK) on you
    because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’(CL)
36 Why do you go about so much,
    changing(CM) your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt(CN)
    as you were by Assyria.
37 You will also leave that place
    with your hands on your head,(CO)
for the Lord has rejected those you trust;
    you will not be helped(CP) by them.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert
  2. Jeremiah 2:18 Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile