Jeremias 2

HERRENs Ord kom til mig således:

Gå hen og råb Jerusalem i Ørene: Så siger HERREN: Jeg mindes din Kærlighed som ung, din Elskov som Brud, at du fulgte mig i Ørkenen, et Land, hvor der ikke sås;

Israel var helliget HERREN, hans Førstegrøde, alle, som åd det, måtte bøde, Ulykke ramte dem, lyder det fra HERREN.

Hør HERRENs Ord, Jakobs Hus og alle Slægter i Israels Hus:

Så siger HERREN: Hvad ondt fandt eders Fædre hos mig, siden de gik bort fra mig og holdt sig til Tomhed, til de selv blev tomme?

Jeg bragte eder til Frugthavens Land, at I kunde nyde dets Frugt og Goder; men da I kom derind, gjorde I mit Land urent og min Arvelod vederstyggelig.

Derfor må jeg fremdeles gå i Rette med eder, lyder det fra HERREN, og med eders Sønners Sønner må jeg gå i Rette.

Drag engang over til Kittæernes Strande og se efter, send Bud til Kedar og spørg jer nøje for; se efter, om sligt er hændet før!

Har et Hedningefolk nogen Sinde skiftet Guder? Og så er de endda ikke Guder. Men mit Folk har skiftet sin Ære bort for det, der intet gavner.

Gys derover, I Himle, Skræk og Rædsel gribe eder, lyder det fra HERREN;

thi to onde Ting har mit Folk gjort: Mig, en Kilde med levende Vand, har de forladt for at hugge sig Cisterner, sprukne Cisterner, der ikke kan holde Vand.

Er Israel da en Træl, en hjemmefødt Træl? Hvorfor er han blevet til Bytte?

Løver brøler imod ham med rungende Røst; hans Land har de gjort til en Ørk, hans Byer er brændt, så ingen bor der.

Selv Nofs og Takpankes's Sønner afgnaver din Isse.

Mon ikke det times dig, fordi du svigted mig? lyder det fra HERREN din Gud.

Hvorfor skal du nu til Ægypten og drikke af Sjihor? Hvorfor skal du nu til Assur og drikke af Floden?

Lad din Ulykke gøre dig klog og lær af dit Frafald, kend og se, hvor ondt og bittert det er, at du svigted HERREN din Gud; Frygt for mig findes ikke hos dig, så lyder det fra Herren, Hærskarers HERRE.

Som en Ædelranke plantede jeg dig, en fuldgod Stikling; hvor kunde du da blive Vildskud, en uægte Ranke?

Om du end tor dig med Lud og ødsler med Sæbe, jeg ser dog din Brødes Snavs, så lyder det fra HERREN.

et Vildæsel, kendt med Steppen! Den snapper i Brynde efter Luft, hvo tæmmer dens Brunst? At søge den trætter ingen, den findes i sin Måned.

Som Tyven får Skam, når han gribes, så Israels Hus, de, deres Konger og Fyrster, Præster og Profeter,

Hvor er de da, dine Guder, dem, du har gjort dig? Lad dem stå op! Kan de frelse dig i Ulykkestiden? Thi som dine Byers Tal er dine Guders, Juda.

Hvorfor tvistes I med mig? I har alle forbrudt jer imod mig, lyder det fra HERREN.

Forgæves slog jeg eders Børn, de tog ikke ved Lære, som hærgende Løve fortærede Sværdet Profeterne.

Glemmer en Jomfru sit Smykke, en Brud sit Bælte? Og mig har mit Folk dog glemt i talløse Dage.

Hvor snildt du dog går til Værks for at søge dig Elskov! Du vænned dig derfor også til ondt i din Færd.

Endog findes Blod på dine Hænder af fattige, skyldfri Sjæle, Blod, jeg ej fandt hos en Tyv, men på alle disse.

Hvor let det dog falder for dig at skifte din Vej! Du skal også få Skam af Ægypten, som du fik det af Assur;

også derfra skal du gå med Hænder på Hoved, thi HERREN har forkastet dine Støtter, de båder dig intet.

Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land {that was} not sown. {thee: or, for thy sake}

Israel {was} holiness unto the LORD, {and} the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.

Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:

Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

Neither said they, Where {is} the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. {a plentiful...: or, the land of Carmel}

The priests said not, Where {is} the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after {things that} do not profit.

Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead.

For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. {over: or, over to}

Hath a nation changed {their} gods, which {are} yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for {that which} doth not profit.

Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, {and} hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

{Is} Israel a servant? {is} he a homeborn {slave}? why is he spoiled? {spoiled: Heb. become a spoil?}

The young lions roared upon him, {and} yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. {yelled: Heb. gave out their voice}

Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head. {have...: or, feed on thy crown}

Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way?

And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?

Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that {it is} an evil {thing} and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear {is} not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

For of old time I have broken thy yoke, {and} burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot. {transgress: or, serve}

Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, {yet} thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.

How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: {thou art} a swift dromedary traversing her ways; {thou art...: or, O swift dromedary}

A wild ass used to the wilderness, {that} snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. {A wild...: or, O wild ass, etc} {used: Heb. taught} {her pleasure: Heb. the desire of her heart} {turn...: or, reverse it?}

Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. {There...: or, Is the case desperate?}

As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,

Saying to a stock, Thou {art} my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned {their} back unto me, and not {their} face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. {brought...: or, begotten me} {their back: Heb. the hinder part of the neck}

But where {are} thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for {according to} the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. {trouble: Heb. evil}

Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD.

In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? {We are...: Heb. We have dominion}

Can a maid forget her ornaments, {or} a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.

Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. {secret...: Heb. digging}

Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.