Judah’s Apostasy
2 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Go and (A)proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord,
“I remember concerning you the (B)devotion of your youth,
The love of your betrothals,
(C)Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
3 “Israel was (D)holy to the Lord,
The (E)first of His harvest.
(F)All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares 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,
“(G)What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me
And walked after (H)emptiness and became empty?
6 “They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
Who (I)brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who (J)led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no man dwelt?’
7 “I brought you into the (K)fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and (L)defiled My land,
And My inheritance you made an abomination.
8 “The (M)priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the law (N)did not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed against Me,
And the (O)prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after (P)things that did not profit.
9 “Therefore I will yet (Q)contend with you,” declares the Lord,
“And with your sons’ sons I will contend.
10 “For (R)cross to the coastlands of Kittim and see,
And send to (S)Kedar and observe closely
And see if there has been such a thing as this!
11 “Has a nation changed gods
When (T)they were not gods?
But My people have (U)changed their glory
For that which does not profit.
12 “Be appalled, (V)O heavens, at this,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The (W)fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves (X)cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.
14 “Is Israel (Y)a slave? Or is he a homeborn servant?
Why has he become a prey?
15 “The young (Z)lions have roared at him,
They have roared loudly.
And they have (AA)made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
16 “Also the men of (AB)Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have shaved the (AC)crown of your head.
17 “Have you not (AD)done this to yourself
By your forsaking the Lord your God
When He (AE)led you in the way?
18 “But now what are you doing (AF)on the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of the (AG)Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the Euphrates?
19 “(AH)Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your (AI)apostasies will reprove you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and (AJ)bitter
For you to forsake the Lord your God,
And (AK)the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord God of hosts.
20 “For long ago (AL)I broke your yoke
And tore off your bonds;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every (AM)high hill
And under every green tree
You have lain down as a harlot.
21 “Yet I (AN)planted you a choice vine,
A completely faithful seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the (AO)degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
22 “Although you (AP)wash yourself with lye
And use much soap,
The (AQ)stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares the Lord God.
23 “(AR)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the (AS)Baals’?
Look at your way in the (AT)valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel (AU)entangling her ways,
24 A (AV)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her heat who can turn her away?
All who seek her will not become weary;
In her month they will find her.
25 “Keep your feet from being unshod
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘(AW)It is hopeless!
No! For I have (AX)loved strangers,
And after them I will walk.’
26 “As the (AY)thief is shamed when he is discovered,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their princes
And their priests and their prophets,
27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their (AZ)back to Me,
And not their face;
But in the (BA)time of their trouble they will say,
‘Arise and save us.’
28 “But where are your (BB)gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can (BC)save you
In the time of your trouble;
For (BD)according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.
29 “Why do you contend with Me?
You have (BE)all transgressed against Me,” declares the Lord.
30 “(BF)In vain I have struck your sons;
They accepted no chastening.
Your (BG)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31 “O generation, heed the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a (BH)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘(BI)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
32 “Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have (BJ)forgotten Me
Days without number.
33 “How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
34 “Also on your skirts is found
The (BK)lifeblood of the innocent poor;
You did not find them (BL)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
35 Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will (BM)enter into judgment with you
Because you (BN)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 “Why do you (BO)go around so much
Changing your way?
Also, (BP)you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by (BQ)Assyria.
37 “From this place also you will go out
With (BR)your hands on your head;
For the Lord has rejected (BS)those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper with them.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 2:2
- Jeremiah 2:6
- Jeremiah 2:8
- Jeremiah 2:10
- Jeremiah 2:15
- Jeremiah 2:16
- Jeremiah 2:16
- Jeremiah 2:18
- Jeremiah 2:18
- Jeremiah 2:19
- Jeremiah 2:20
- Jeremiah 2:22
- Jeremiah 2:22
- Jeremiah 2:24
- Jeremiah 2:25
- Jeremiah 2:27
- Jeremiah 2:28
- Jeremiah 2:33
Cross references
- Jeremiah 2:2 : Is 58:1; Jer 7:2; 11:6
- Jeremiah 2:2 : Ezek 16:8; Hos 2:15
- Jeremiah 2:2 : Deut 2:7; Jer 2:6
- Jeremiah 2:3 : Ex 19:5, 6; Deut 7:6; 14:2
- Jeremiah 2:3 : James 1:18; Rev 14:4
- Jeremiah 2:3 : Is 41:11; Jer 30:16; 50:7
- Jeremiah 2:5 : Is 5:4; Mic 6:3
- Jeremiah 2:5 : 2 Kin 17:15; Jer 8:19; Rom 1:21
- Jeremiah 2:6 : Ex 20:2; Is 63:11
- Jeremiah 2:6 : Deut 8:15; 32:10
- Jeremiah 2:7 : Deut 8:7-9; 11:10-12
- Jeremiah 2:7 : Ps 106:38; Jer 3:2; 16:18
- Jeremiah 2:8 : Jer 10:21
- Jeremiah 2:8 : Jer 4:22; Mal 2:7, 8
- Jeremiah 2:8 : Jer 23:13
- Jeremiah 2:8 : Jer 16:19; Hab 2:18
- Jeremiah 2:9 : Jer 2:35; Ezek 20:35, 36
- Jeremiah 2:10 : Is 23:12
- Jeremiah 2:10 : Ps 120:5; Is 21:16; Jer 49:28
- Jeremiah 2:11 : Is 37:19; Jer 5:7; 16:20
- Jeremiah 2:11 : Ps 106:20; Rom 1:23
- Jeremiah 2:12 : Is 1:2; Jer 4:23
- Jeremiah 2:13 : Ps 36:9; Jer 17:13; John 4:14
- Jeremiah 2:13 : Jer 14:3
- Jeremiah 2:14 : Jer 5:19; 17:4
- Jeremiah 2:15 : Jer 50:17
- Jeremiah 2:15 : Jer 4:7
- Jeremiah 2:16 : Is 19:13; Jer 44:1; Hos 9:6
- Jeremiah 2:16 : Deut 33:20; Jer 48:45
- Jeremiah 2:17 : Deut 32:10; Jer 4:18
- Jeremiah 2:17 : Deut 32:10; Jer 4:18
- Jeremiah 2:18 : Is 30:2
- Jeremiah 2:18 : Josh 13:3
- Jeremiah 2:19 : Is 3:9; Jer 4:18; Hos 5:5
- Jeremiah 2:19 : Jer 3:6, 8, 11, 14; Hos 11:7
- Jeremiah 2:19 : Job 20:12-16; Amos 8:10
- Jeremiah 2:19 : Ps 36:1; Jer 5:24
- Jeremiah 2:20 : Lev 26:13
- Jeremiah 2:20 : Deut 12:2; Is 57:5, 7; Jer 3:2, 6; 17:2
- Jeremiah 2:21 : Ex 15:17; Ps 44:2; 80:8; Is 5:2
- Jeremiah 2:21 : Is 5:4
- Jeremiah 2:22 : Jer 4:14
- Jeremiah 2:22 : Job 14:17; Hos 13:12
- Jeremiah 2:23 : Prov 30:12
- Jeremiah 2:23 : Jer 9:14
- Jeremiah 2:23 : Jer 7:31
- Jeremiah 2:23 : Jer 2:33, 36; 31:22
- Jeremiah 2:24 : Jer 14:6
- Jeremiah 2:25 : Jer 18:12
- Jeremiah 2:25 : Deut 32:16; Jer 14:10
- Jeremiah 2:26 : Jer 48:27
- Jeremiah 2:27 : Jer 18:17; 32:33
- Jeremiah 2:27 : Judg 10:10; Is 26:16
- Jeremiah 2:28 : Deut 32:37; Judg 10:14; Is 45:20; Jer 1:16
- Jeremiah 2:28 : Jer 11:12
- Jeremiah 2:28 : 2 Kin 17:30, 31; Jer 11:13
- Jeremiah 2:29 : Jer 5:1; 6:13; Dan 9:11
- Jeremiah 2:30 : Is 1:5; Jer 5:3; 7:28
- Jeremiah 2:30 : Neh 9:26; Jer 26:20-24; Acts 7:52; 1 Thess 2:15
- Jeremiah 2:31 : Is 45:19
- Jeremiah 2:31 : Deut 32:15; Jer 2:20, 25
- Jeremiah 2:32 : Ps 106:21; Is 17:10; Jer 3:21; 13:25; Hos 8:14
- Jeremiah 2:34 : 2 Kin 21:16; 24:4; Ps 106:38; Jer 7:6; 19:4
- Jeremiah 2:34 : Ex 22:2
- Jeremiah 2:35 : Jer 25:31
- Jeremiah 2:35 : Prov 28:13; 1 John 1:8, 10
- Jeremiah 2:36 : Jer 2:23; 31:22; Hos 12:1
- Jeremiah 2:36 : Is 30:3
- Jeremiah 2:36 : 2 Chr 28:16, 20, 21
- Jeremiah 2:37 : 2 Sam 13:19; Jer 14:3, 4
- Jeremiah 2:37 : Jer 37:7-10
