Jeremiah 2

Israel Accused of Apostasy

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says:

I remember the loyalty of your youth,  * 2:2 Ezk 16:8,60; Hs 2:15; Rv 2:4

your love as a bride —

how you followed me in the wilderness,

in a land not sown.

3 Israel was holy to the  Lord,  * 2:3 Dt 7:6

the firstfruits of his harvest.  * 2:3 Jms 1:18

All who ate of it found themselves guilty;  * 2:3 Gn 12:3; Ps 105:14–15; Is 41:11

disaster came on them."

This is the  Lord’s declaration.

4 Hear the word of the  Lord, house of Jacob

and all families of the house of Israel.

5 This is what the  Lord  says:

What fault did your ancestors find in me  * 2:5 Is 5:4; Mc 6:3

that they went so far from me,

followed worthless idols,  * 2:5 2Kg 17:15; Jr 2:25; Hs 2:5

and became worthless themselves?  * 2:5 Ps 115:8; Hs 9:10; Rm 1:21

6 They stopped asking, "Where is the  Lord* 2:6 Jdg 6:13; Jb 35:10

who brought us from the land of Egypt,

who led us through the wilderness,  * 2:6 Dt 8:15; 32:10

through a land of deserts and ravines,

through a land of drought and darkness,  * 2:6 Or shadow of death

a land no one traveled through

and where no one lived? "

7 I brought you to a fertile land  * 2:7 Ex 3:8; Dt 8:7–10; Jr 4:26

to eat its fruit and bounty,

but after you entered, you defiled my land;  * 2:7 Nm 35:33; Ezk 36:17

you made my inheritance  * 2:7 Jr 16:18  detestable.

8 The priests quit asking, "Where is the  Lord? "

The experts in the law no longer knew me,  * 2:8 Hs 4:6; Mal 2:7; Lk 11:52

and the rulers  * 2:8 Jr 23:1–4; Ezk 34 rebelled against me.

The prophets prophesied by  * 2:8 = in the name of  Baal  * 2:8 Jr 2:23; 9:14

and followed useless idols.  * 2:8 Hab 2:8

9 Therefore, I will bring a case against you again.

This is the  Lord’s declaration.

I will bring a case against your children’s children.  * 2:9 Ex 20:5; Is 3:13; Mc 6:1–8

10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus  * 2:10 Lit to the islands of Kittim,* 2:10 Gn 10:4; Nm 24:24; Is 23:1,12; Am 6:2; Ac 13:4 and take a look.

Send someone to Kedar  * 2:10 Ps 120:5 and consider carefully;

see if there has ever been anything like this:

11 Has a nation ever exchanged its gods?  * 2:11 Mc 4:5

(But they were not gods!  * 2:11 Jr 16:20; Gl 4:8)

Yet my people have exchanged their  * 2:11 Alt Hb tradition reads my  Glory

for useless idols.  * 2:11 Ps 106:20; Hs 4:7; Rm 1:23; 1Pt 1:18

12 Be appalled at this, heavens;  * 2:12 Dt 32:1; Is 1:2; Mc 6:1

be shocked and utterly desolated!

This is the  Lord’s declaration.

13 For my people have committed a double evil:

They have abandoned me,  * 2:13 Jdg 10:13

the fountain of living water,  * 2:13 Ps 36:9; Jr 17:13; Jn 4:10

and dug cisterns for themselves —

cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.  * 2:13 Is 55:2; Gl 1:6–7

Consequences of Apostasy

14 Is Israel a slave?

Was he born into slavery?  * 2:14 Lit born of a house

Why else has he become a prey?

15 The young lions have roared at him;  * 2:15 Is 5:29

they have roared loudly.

They have laid waste his land.  * 2:15 Is 1:7

His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants.

16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes  * 2:16 Jr 44:1; 46:14,19; Ezk 30:13,16,18

have also broken your skull.

17 Have you not brought this on yourself  * 2:17 Jr 4:18

by abandoning the  Lord your God

while he was leading you along the way?

18 Now what will you gain

by traveling along the way to Egypt  * 2:18 Is 30:1–2; 31:1

to drink the water of the Nile?  * 2:18 Lit of Shihor

What will you gain

by traveling along the way to Assyria  * 2:18 Hs 7:11

to drink the water of the Euphrates?  * 2:18 Is 8:7

19 Your own evil will discipline you;  * 2:19 Is 3:9; Hs 5:5

your own apostasies will reprimand you.

Recognize  * 2:19 Lit Know and see how evil and bitter  * 2:19 Jr 4:18 it is

for you to abandon the  Lord your God

and to have no fear of me.

This is the declaration

of the Lord God of Armies.

20 For long ago I  * 2:20 LXX reads you  broke your yoke;  * 2:20 Lv 26:13; Is 10:27; Nah 1:13

I  * 2:20 LXX reads you tore off your chains.

You insisted, "I will not serve! "

On every high hill

and under every green tree  * 2:20 Dt 12:2; 1Kg 14:23; 2Kg 17:10; Is 57:5; Jr 3:6; Ezk 6:13; Hs 4:13

you lay down like a prostitute.  * 2:20 Ezk 16:28; Hs 2:5

21 I planted you, a choice vine  * 2:21 Gn 49:11; Ps 80:8; Is 5:2

from the very best seed.

How then could you turn into

a degenerate, foreign vine?  * 2:21 Is 5:4

22 Even if you wash with lye

and use a great amount of bleach,  * 2:22 Lit cleansing agent,* 2:22 Ps 51:2,7; Mal 3:2; Eph 5:26

the stain of your iniquity is still in front of me.  * 2:22 Ps 90:8

This is the Lord God’s declaration.

23 How can you protest, "I am not defiled;

I have not followed the Baals"?  * 2:23 Jr 2:8; 9:14

Look at your behavior in the valley;

acknowledge what you have done.  * 2:23 Gn 3:13; 1Sm 15:13; Pr 28:13; Jr 3:13; 1Jn 1:8

You are a swift young camel

twisting and turning on her way,

24 a wild donkey  * 2:24 Jb 39:5; Hs 8:9 at home  * 2:24 Lit donkey taught in the wilderness.

She sniffs the wind in the heat of her desire.

Who can control her passion?

All who look for her will not become weary;

they will find her in her mating season.  * 2:24 Lit her month

25 Keep your feet from going bare

and your throat from thirst.

But you say, "It’s hopeless;  * 2:25 Jr 18:12

I love strangers,  * 2:25 Dt 32:16; Jr 3:13

and I will continue to follow them."

26 Like the shame of a thief when he is caught,

so the house of Israel has been put to shame.  * 2:26 Jr 2:36; 6:15; 8:9,12; Rm 6:21

They, their kings, their officials,

their priests, and their prophets  * 2:26 Ezr 9:7

27 say to a tree, "You are my father,"

and to a stone, "You gave birth to me."

For they have turned their back to me

and not their face,  * 2:27 2Ch 29:6; Jr 18:17; 32:33; Ezk 8:16

yet in their time of disaster  * 2:27 Jdg 10:9–10; Is 26:16 they beg,

"Rise up and save us! "

28 But where are your gods you made for yourself?

Let them rise up and save you  * 2:28 Dt 32:37–38; Jdg 10:14; Is 45:20

in your time of disaster if they can,

for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah.

Judgment Deserved

29 Why do you bring a case against me?  * 2:29 Jr 2:9

All of you have rebelled against me.

This is the  Lord’s declaration.

30 I have struck down your children in vain;

they would not accept discipline.  * 2:30 Pr 3:11; Is 1:5; 9:13; Jr 5:3; 17:23; 32:33; Am 4:10

Your own sword has devoured your prophets  * 2:30 Mt 23:34

like a ravaging lion.

31 Evil generation,  * 2:31 Dt 1:35; Mt 12:45; Lk 11:29

pay attention to the word of the  Lord!

Have I been a wilderness to Israel

or a land of dense darkness?  * 2:31 Jr 50:12; Hs 2:3

Why do my people claim,

"We will go where we want;  * 2:31 Or "We have taken control, or "We can roam

we will no longer come to you"?

32 Can a young woman forget her jewelry  * 2:32 Is 61:10

or a bride her wedding sash?

Yet my people have forgotten me  * 2:32 Ps 106:21; Jr 13:25; 18:15; Ezk 22:12; 23:35; Hs 8:14

for countless days.

33 How skillfully you pursue love;

you also teach evil women your ways.

34 Moreover, your skirts are stained

with the blood of the innocent poor.  * 2:34 2Kg 21:16; 24:4; Ps 106:38; Jr 19:4; 22:3,17

You did not catch them breaking and entering.  * 2:34 Ex 22:2

But in spite of all these things

35 you claim, "I am innocent.  * 2:35 Jb 33:9

His anger is sure to turn away from me."

But I will certainly judge you

because you have said, "I have not sinned."  * 2:35 Pr 28:13; 1Jn 1:8,10

36 How unstable you are,  * 2:36 Jms 1:8

constantly changing your ways!

You will be put to shame by Egypt  * 2:36 Is 30:3

just as you were put to shame by Assyria.

37 Moreover, you will be led out from here

with your hands on your head  * 2:37 2Sm 13:19

since the Lord has rejected those you trust;  * 2:37 1Sm 15:23,26; 2Kg 17:20; Jr 7:29

you will not succeed even with their help.  * 2:37 Lit with them