Jeremias 2

1 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2 "Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Yahweh says,

"I remember for you the kindness of your youth,

your love as a bride,

how you went after me in the wilderness,

in a land that was not sown.

3 Israel was holiness to Yahweh,

the first fruits of his increase.

All who devour him will be held guilty.

Evil will come on them,"’ says Yahweh."

4 Hear Yahweh’s word, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel! 5 Yahweh says,

"What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me,

that they have gone far from me,

and have walked after worthless vanity,

and have become worthless?

6 They didn’t say, ‘Where is Yahweh who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,

who 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 one passed through,

and where no man lived?’

7 I brought you into a plentiful land

to eat its fruit and its goodness;

but when you entered, you defiled my land,

and made my heritage an abomination.

8 The priests didn’t say, ‘Where is Yahweh?’

and those who handle the law didn’t know me.

The rulers also transgressed against me,

and the prophets prophesied by Baal

and followed things that do not profit.

9 "Therefore I will yet contend with you," says Yahweh,

"and I will contend with your children’s children.

10 For pass over to the islands of Kittim, and see.

Send to Kedar, and consider diligently,

and see if there has been such a thing.

11 Has a nation changed its gods,

which really are no gods?

But my people have changed their glory for that which doesn’t profit.

12 "Be astonished, you heavens, at this

and be horribly afraid.

Be very desolate," says Yahweh.

13 "For my people have committed two evils:

they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters,

and cut out cisterns for themselves: broken cisterns that can’t hold water.

14 Is Israel a slave?

Is he born into slavery?

Why has he become a captive?

15 The young lions have roared at him and raised their voices.

They have made his land waste.

His cities are burned up, without inhabitant.

16 The children also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of your head.

17 "Haven’t you brought this on yourself,

in that you have forsaken Yahweh your God,*2:17 The Hebrew word rendered "God" is "אֱלֹהִ֑ים" (Elohim). when he led you by the way?

18 Now what do you gain by going to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor?

Or why do you go on the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?*2:18 i.e., the Euphrates River

19 "Your own wickedness will correct you,

and your backsliding will rebuke you.

Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing,

that you have forsaken Yahweh your God,

and that my fear is not in you," says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.

20 "For long ago I broke off your yoke,

and burst your bonds.

You said, ‘I will not serve;’

for on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed yourself,

playing the prostitute.

21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine,

a pure and faithful seed.

How then have you turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine to me?

22 For though you wash yourself with lye,

and use much soap,

yet your iniquity is marked before me," says the Lord Yahweh.

23 "How can you say, ‘I am not defiled.

I have not gone after the Baals’?

See your way in the valley.

Know what you have done.

You are a swift dromedary traversing her ways, 24 a wild donkey used to the wilderness, that sniffs the wind in her craving.

When she is in heat, who can turn her away?

All those who seek her will not weary themselves. In her month, they will find her.

25 "Keep your feet from being bare,

and your throat from thirst.

But you said, ‘It is in vain.

No, for I have loved strangers,

and I will go after them.’

26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found,

so the house of Israel is ashamed—

they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets,

27 who tell wood, ‘You are my father,’

and a stone, ‘You have given birth to me,’

for they have turned their back to me,

and not their face,

but in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise, and save us!’

28 "But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves?

Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble,

for you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah.

29 "Why will you contend with me?

You all have transgressed against me," says Yahweh.

30 "I have struck your children in vain.

They received no correction.

Your own sword has devoured your prophets,

like a destroying lion.

31 Generation, consider Yahweh’s word.

Have I been a wilderness to Israel?

Or a land of thick darkness?

Why do my people say, ‘We have broken loose.

We will come to you no more’?

32 "Can a virgin forget her ornaments,

or a bride her attire?

Yet my people have forgotten me for days without number.

33 How well you prepare your way to seek love!

Therefore you have even taught the wicked women your ways.

34 Also the blood of the souls of the innocent poor is found in your skirts.

You didn’t find them breaking in,

but it is because of all these things.

35 "Yet you said, ‘I am innocent.

Surely his anger has turned away from me.’

"Behold, I will judge you,

because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

36 Why do you go about so much to change your ways?

You will be ashamed of Egypt also,

as you were ashamed of Assyria.

37 You will also leave that place with your hands on your head;

for Yahweh has rejected those in whom you trust,

and you won’t prosper with them.

Ka Tohe a Ihowā ki a Īharaira kia Rīpenetā

1 I puta anō te kupu a Ihowā ki ahau, i mea: 2 "Haere, karanga ki ngā taringa o Hiruhārama, mea atu, Ko te kupu tēnei a Ihowā:

E mahara ana ahau ki a koe,

ki te mahi pai a tōu tamarikitanga,

ki te aroha i tōu mārenatanga,

i a koe i aru i ahau i te koraha,

i te whenua kīhai i whakatōkia.

3 He tapu a Īharaira ki a Ihowā,

ko ngā mātāmua ia o ōna hua.

Ko te hunga katoa e kai ana i a ia,

ka kīia he hē tā rātou;

ka pā te kino ki a rātou,"

e ai tā Ihowā.

4 Whakarongo ki te kupu a Ihowā, e te whare o Hākopa,

e ngā hapū katoa o te whare o Īharaira.

5 Ko te kupu tēnei a Ihowā:

"He aha tāku kino i mau i ō koutou mātua,

i matara atu ai rātou i ahau,

i whai ai rātou i te horihori,

ā, horihori iho rātou?

6 Kāhore hoki ā rātou kīanga ake, ‘Kei hea a Ihowā,

nāna nei tātou i kawe mai i te whenua o Īhipa,

nāna nei tātou i ārahi i te koraha,

i te whenua tītōhea, he maha nei ngā rua,

i te whenua o te matewai, o te ātārangi o te mate,

i te whenua kīhai i haerea e te tangata,

kīhai anō i nohoia e te tangata?’

7 Ā, nāku koutou i kawe mai ki te whenua maha ōna hua,

ki te kai i ōna hua, i ōna mea papai.

Nā, i tō koutou taenga mai, kei te whakapoke i tōku whenua,

meinga ana e koutou tōku wāhi tupu hei mea whakarihariha.

8 Kāhore ngā tohunga i kī, ‘Kei hea a Ihowā?’

Ko ngā kairahurahu o te ture, kāhore i mātau ki ahau;

kua hē hoki ngā rangatira ki ahau;

ko ngā poropiti, nā Paara ngā tikanga i poropiti ai rātou,

whāia ana e rātou ngā mea kāhore nei he pai.

9 "Mō reira ka totohe anō ahau ki a koutou,"

e ai tā Ihowā,

"ka totohe hoki ahau ki ngā tama a ā koutou tama.

10 Tēnā rā, whiti atu ki ngā motu o Kitimi titiro ai;

unga tāngata anō ki Kerara, ka whakaaroaro mārie;

tirohia hoki mehemea tērā anō te rite o tēnei mea i mua.

11 I whakaputaia kētia rānei ōna atua e tētahi iwi,

ehara nei anō i te atua?

Nā, ko tōku iwi, kua whakaputaina kētia e rātou tō rātou korōria

hei mea kāhore ōna pai.

12 Mīharo mai, e ngā rangi, ki tēnei,

kia nui hoki te wehi, kia ngaro noa iho,"

e ai tā Ihowā.

13 "Ka rua hoki ngā hē kua mahia nei e tāku iwi:

Ko ahau, ko te puna o ngā wai ora

kua mahue i a rātou,

haua iho e rātou ētahi poka, he poka pakaru,

e kore nei e mau te wai ki roto.

14 He pononga rānei a Īharaira? He pononga i whānau ki te whare?

He aha ia i waiho ai hei pāhuatanga?

15 Kua ngengere ngā raiona kūao ki a ia,

kua hāmama;

ā, kua meinga e rātou tōna whenua kia ururua;

kua tahuna ōna pā, kāhore hoki he tangata noho i reira.

16 I pakaru anō tōu tumuaki

i ngā tamariki o Nopo, o Tahapanehe.

17 He teka ianei nāu anō tēnei i mahi ki a koe,

i te mea nāu i whakarere a Ihowā, tōu Atua,

i a ia e ārahi ana i a koe i te ara?

18 Tēnā rā ko te aha māu i te ara ki Īhipa

i inu ai koe i ngā wai o Hihoro?

He aha rānei māu i te ara ki Ahiria,

i inu ai koe i ngā wai o te awa?

19 Ko tōu hē anō hei riri i tāu,

ko ōu tahuritanga kētanga anō hei papaki i a koe.

Kia mōhio koe, kia kite hoki,

he mea kino, he mea kawa,

kei tāu whakarerenga i a Ihowā, i tōu Atua,

kāhore hoki ōu wehi ki ahau,"

e ai tā te Ariki, tā Ihowā o ngā mano.

20 "I wāhia hoki tōu ioka e ahau i mua,

motumotuhia ana e ahau ōu here;

ā, kī mai ana koe, ‘E kore ahau e mahi!’

Heoi, i runga koe i ngā pukepuke tiketike katoa,

i raro hoki i ngā rākau kōuru nui katoa,

e koropiko ana, e kairau ana.

21 He wāina pai anō koe i tāku whakatōkanga i a koe,

he momo pai katoa.

Nā te aha koe i puta kē ai ki ahau,

he mea kua heke te tupu, he wāina kē?

22 Ahakoa i horoi koe i a koe ki te hōura,

ā, nui noa tāu hopi,

e mau ana anō tōu hē ki tōku aroaro,"

e ai tā te Ariki, tā Ihowā.

23 "He pēhea tāu kī, ‘Kāhore ōku poke,

kīhai ahau i whai i a Paarimi’?

Tirohia iho ōu ara i te raorao,

kia mōhio ki āu mahi –

tōu rite, kei te kāmera tere, kōpikopiko tonu ōna ara;

24 kei te kāihe mohoao kua mōhio ki te koraha,

e hongi ana i te hau mō tōna hiahia;

ka matenui ia ko wai hei whakahoki i a ia?

Ko te hunga katoa e rapu ana i a ia

e kore e whakangenge noa i a rātou;

i tōna marama anō ka kitea ia e rātou.

25 Kaiponuhia tōu waewae, kei kore te hū,

tōu korokoro hoki kei mate i te wai.

Nā, kei te mea koe, ‘Kua hē!

Kāhore; he tāngata kē hoki āku i aroha ai,

ā, ko rātou tāku e whai ai.’

26 "Ka whakamā te tāhae ina mau,

ka pēnā anō te whare o Īharaira, ka whakamā –

rātou ko ō rātou kīngi, ko ō rātou rangatira,

ko ō rātou tohunga, ko ō rātou poropiti.

27 I a rātou e mea nā ki te rākau, ‘Ko koe tōku pāpā,’

ki te kāmaka, ‘I whānau ahau i roto i a koe.’

Hurihia ake e rātou ko te kōhamo ki ahau,

kāhore hoki te aroaro;

heoi i te wā e hē ai rātou, ka kī mai rātou,

‘Whakatika ki te whakaora i a mātou.’

28 Kei hea rā ōu atua i hangā e koe mōu?

Kia whakatika rātou, ki te mea ka ora koe

i a rātou i te wā e hē ai koe.

Rite tonu hoki ki ōu pā

te maha o ōu atua, e Hūrā.

29 "He aha te mea e totohe ai koutou ki ahau?

Kua mahi kē koutou katoa i te kino ki ahau,"

e ai tā Ihowā.

30 "Maumau whiu noa ahau i ā koutou tamariki;

kīhai rātou i ākona.

Ko tā koutou hoari nāna i kai ō koutou poropiti,

i pērā anō me tā te raiona kai kino.

31 "E te whakatupuranga nei, whakaaroa te kupu a Ihowā!

He koraha rānei ahau ki a Īharaira,

he whenua pōuri kerekere?

He aha tāku iwi i mea ai, ‘Kua matara mātou;

heoi anō ō mātou taenga atu ki a koe’?

32 E wareware rānei te kōtiro ki āna whakapaipai,

te wahine mārena hou ki ōna whītiki?

Ko tāku iwi ia kua wareware ki ahau,

e kore ngā rā e taea te tatau.

33 Tāu mahi ki te whakapai i tōu ara hei rapunga i te aroha!

Nā, kei te whakaako koe i ngā wāhine kikino anō hoki ki ōu ara.

34 Kua kitea anō ki ngā remu o ōu kākahu

te toto o ngā wairua o ngā ware harakore.

Kīhai i kitea e ahau i te wāhi i pakaru ai,

engari i runga i ēnei katoa.

35 Heoi, kei te kī nā koe, ‘He harakore nei ahau;

he pono e tahuri kē atu ana tōna riri i ahau.’

Nanā, ka whakawā ahau i a koe,

mō tāu kīanga, ‘Kāhore ōku hara.’

36 He aha koe i kōpikopiko rawa ai,

i mea ai kia pōkaia kētia he ara mōu?

Ka whakamā anō koe ki Īhipa,

ka pērā me koe i whakamā rā ki Ahiria.

37 Inā, ka haere atu anō koe i reira,

i runga anō ōu ringa i tōu mātenga,

nō te mea kua paopao a Ihowā ki ōu whakawhirinakitanga,

e kore anō koe e whai wāhi i ēnā."