Jeremiah 2

God’s Case Against Israel

1 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2 "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:

"I remember you,

The kindness of your *Ezek. 16:8; Hos. 2:15youth,

The love of your betrothal,

*Deut. 2:7; Jer. 2:6When you went after Me in the wilderness,

In a land not sown.

3 *(Ex. 19:5, 6; Deut. 7:6; 14:2)Israel was holiness to the Lord,

*James 1:18; Rev. 14:4The firstfruits of His increase.

*Jer. 12:14All that devour him will offend;

Disaster will *Gen. 12:3; Is. 41:11; Jer. 30:15, 16; 50:7come upon them," says the Lord.’ "

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:

*Is. 5:4; Mic. 6:3"What injustice have your fathers found in Me,

That they have gone far from Me,

*2 Kin. 17:15; Jer. 8:19; (Jon. 2:8); Rom. 1:21Have followed idols,

And have become idolaters?

6 Neither did they say, ‘Where is the Lord,

Who *Ex. 20:2; Is. 63:11brought us up out of the land of Egypt,

Who led us through *Deut. 8:15; 32:10the 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?’

7 I brought you into *Num. 13:27a bountiful country,

To eat its fruit and its goodness.

But when you entered, you *Num. 35:33; Is. 24:5; Hos. 4:3defiled My land

And made My heritage an abomination.

8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’

And those who handle the *Rom. 2:20law did not know Me;

The rulers also transgressed against Me;

*Jer. 23:13The prophets prophesied by Baal,

And walked after thingsthat do not profit.

9 "Therefore *Jer. 2:35; Ezek. 20:35, 36; Mic. 6:2I will yet bring charges against you," says the Lord,

"And against your children’s children I will bring charges.

10 For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see,

Send to Kedar and consider diligently,

And see if there has been such a*Jer. 18:13thing.

11 *Mic. 4:5Has a nation changed its gods,

Which are*Ps. 115:4; Is. 37:19not gods?

*Ps. 106:20; Rom. 1:23But 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 *Ps. 36:9; Jer. 17:13; (John 4:14)fountain of living waters,

And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

14 "Is Israel *(Ex. 4:22)a servant?

Is he a homeborn slave?

Why is he plundered?

15 *Is. 1:7; Jer. 50:17The young lions roared at him, and growled;

They made his land waste;

His cities are burned, without inhabitant.

16 Also the people of Noph and *2 Kin. 23:29–37; Jer. 43:7–9Tahpanhes

Have broken the crown of your head.

17 *Jer. 4:18Have you not brought this on yourself,

In that you have forsaken the Lord your God

When *Deut. 32:10He led you in the way?

18 And now why take *Is. 30:1–3the road to Egypt,

To drink the waters of *Josh. 13:3Sihor?

Or why take the road to *Hos. 5:13Assyria,

To drink the waters of the River?

19 Your own wickedness will *Is. 3:9; Jer. 4:18; Hos. 5:5correct you,

And your backslidings will rebuke you.

Know therefore and see that itis an evil and bitter thing

That you have forsaken the Lord your God,

And the fear of Me is not in you,"

Says the Lord God of hosts.

20 "For of old I have *Lev. 26:13broken your yoke and burst your bonds;

And *Ex. 19:8; Josh. 24:18; Judg. 10:16; 1 Sam. 12:10you said, ‘I will not transgress,’

When *Deut. 12:2; Is. 57:5, 7; Jer. 3:6on every high hill and under every green tree

You lay down, *Ex. 34:15playing the harlot.

21 Yet I had *Ex. 15:17; Ps. 44:2; 80:8; Is. 5:2planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality.

How then have you turned before Me

Into *Deut. 32:32; Is. 5:4the degenerate plant of an alien vine?

22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap,

Yet your iniquity is *Job 14:16, 17; Jer. 17:1, 2; Hos. 13:12marked before Me," says the Lord God.

23 "How*Prov. 30:12 can you say, ‘I am not polluted,

I have not gone after the Baals’?

See your way in the valley;

Know what you have done:

Youare 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, *Is. 57:10; Jer. 18:12‘There is no hope.

No! For I have loved *Jer. 3:13aliens, 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 *Is. 28:7; Jer. 5:31prophets,

27 Saying to a tree, ‘You are my father,’

And to a *Jer. 3:9stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’

For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face.

But in the time of their *Judg. 10:10; Is. 26:16; Hos. 5:15trouble

They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’

28 But *Deut. 32:37; Judg. 10:14where are your gods that you have made for yourselves?

Let them arise,

If they *Is. 45:20can save you in the time of your trouble;

For *2 Kin. 17:30, 31; Jer. 11:13accordingto 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 *Is. 9:13chastened your children;

They *Is. 1:5; Jer. 5:3; 7:28received no correction.

Your sword has *Neh. 9:26; Jer. 26:20–24; Acts 7:52; 1 Thess. 2:15devoured 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 are lords;

*Deut. 32:15; Jer. 2:20, 25We will come no more to You’?

32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments,

Or a bride her attire?

Yet My people *Ps. 106:21; Is. 17:10; Jer. 3:21; 13:25; Hos. 8:14have 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

*2 Kin. 21:16; 24:4; Ps. 106:38; Jer. 7:6; 19:4The blood of the lives of the poor innocents.

I have not found it by secret search,

But plainly on all these things.

35 *Jer. 2:23, 29; Mal. 2:17; 3:8Yet you say, ‘Because I am innocent,

Surely His anger shall turn from me.’

Behold, *Jer. 2:9I will plead My case against you,

*(Prov. 28:13; 1 John 1:8, 10)Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

36 *Jer. 31:22; Hos. 5:13; 12:1Why do you gad about so much to change your way?

Also *Is. 30:3you shall be ashamed of Egypt *2 Chr. 28:16as you were ashamed of Assyria.

37 Indeed you will go forth from him

With your hands on *2 Sam. 13:19; Jer. 14:3, 4your head;

For the Lord has rejected your trusted allies,

And you will *Jer. 37:7–10not prosper by them.