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Jeremiah 2

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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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, ⓐ your love as a bride — how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

³ Israel was holy to the LORD, ⓑ the firstfruits of His harvest. ⓒ All who ate of it found themselves guilty; ⓓ 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 fathers find in Me ⓔ that they went so far from Me, followed worthless idols, ⓕ and became worthless themselves? ⓖ

⁶ They stopped asking, “Where is the LORD ⓗ who brought us from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, ⓘ through a land of deserts and ravines, through a land of drought and darkness, [1] a land no one traveled through and where no one lived?”

⁷ I brought you to a fertile land ⓙ to eat its fruit and bounty, but after you entered, you defiled My land; ⓚ you made My inheritance ⓛ detestable.

⁸ The priests quit asking, “Where is the LORD?” The experts in the law no longer knew Me, ⓜ and the rulers ⓝ rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by [2] Baal ⓞ and followed useless idols. ⓟ

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. ⓠ

¹⁰ Cross over to Cyprus [3] ⓡ and take a look. Send someone to Kedar ⓢ and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this:

¹¹ Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? ⓣ (But they were not gods! ⓤ) Yet My people have exchanged their [4] Glory for useless idols. ⓥ

¹² Be horrified at this, heavens; ⓦ be shocked and utterly appalled. — This is the LORD’s declaration.

¹³ For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, ⓧ the fountain of living water, ⓨ and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water. ⓩ

¹⁴ Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? [5] Why else has he become a prey?

¹⁵ The young lions have roared at him; ⓐ they have roared loudly. They have laid waste his land. ⓑ His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants.

¹⁶ The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes ⓒ have also broken your skull.

¹⁷ Have you not brought this on yourself ⓓ 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 ⓔ to drink the waters of the Nile? [6] What will you gain by traveling along the way to Assyria ⓕ to drink the waters of the Euphrates? ⓖ

¹⁹ Your own evil will discipline you; ⓗ your own apostasies will reprimand you. Think it over and see how evil and bitter ⓘ 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 Hosts.

²⁰ For long ago I [7] broke your yoke; ⓙ I [8] tore off your chains. You insisted, “I will not serve!” On every high hill and under every green tree ⓚ you lie down like a prostitute. ⓛ

²¹ I planted you, a choice vine ⓜ from the very best seed. How then could you turn into a degenerate, foreign vine? ⓝ

²² Even if you wash with lye and use a great amount of soap, ⓞ the stain of your sin is still in front of Me. ⓟ — This is the Lord GOD’s declaration.

²³ How can you protest, “I am not defiled; I have not followed the Baals”? ⓠ Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. ⓡ You are a swift young camel twisting and turning on her way,

²⁴ a wild donkey ⓢ at home [9] 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 tired; they will find her in her mating season. [10]

²⁵ Keep your feet from going bare and your throat from thirst. But you say, “It’s hopeless; ⓣ I love strangers, ⓤ 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. ⓥ They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets ⓦ

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, ⓧ yet in their time of disaster ⓨ they beg, “Rise up and save us!”

²⁸ But where are your gods you made for yourself? Let them rise up and save you ⓩ in your time of disaster if they can, for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah.

²⁹ Why do you bring a case against Me? ⓐ 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. ⓑ Your own sword has devoured your prophets ⓒ like a ravaging lion.

³¹ Evil generation, pay attention to the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? ⓓ Why do My people claim, “We will go where we want; [11] we will no longer come to You”?

³² Can a young woman forget her jewelry ⓔ or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me ⓕ 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. ⓖ You did not catch them breaking and entering. ⓗ But in spite of all these things

³⁵ you claim, “I am innocent. ⓘ His anger is sure to turn away from me.” But I will certainly judge you because you have said, “I have not sinned.” ⓙ

³⁶ How unstable you are, ⓚ constantly changing your ways! You will be put to shame by Egypt ⓛ just as you were put to shame by Assyria.

³⁷ Moreover, you will be led out from here with your hands on your head ⓜ since the LORD has rejected those you trust; ⓝ you will not succeed even with their help. [12]

#	HCSB
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, ⓐ your love as a bride — how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.
3	Israel was holy to the LORD, ⓑ the firstfruits of His harvest. ⓒ All who ate of it found themselves guilty; ⓓ 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 fathers find in Me ⓔ that they went so far from Me, followed worthless idols, ⓕ and became worthless themselves? ⓖ
6	They stopped asking, “Where is the LORD ⓗ who brought us from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, ⓘ through a land of deserts and ravines, through a land of drought and darkness, [1] a land no one traveled through and where no one lived?”
7	I brought you to a fertile land ⓙ to eat its fruit and bounty, but after you entered, you defiled My land; ⓚ you made My inheritance ⓛ detestable.
8	The priests quit asking, “Where is the LORD?” The experts in the law no longer knew Me, ⓜ and the rulers ⓝ rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by [2] Baal ⓞ and followed useless idols. ⓟ
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. ⓠ
10	Cross over to Cyprus [3] ⓡ and take a look. Send someone to Kedar ⓢ and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this:
11	Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? ⓣ (But they were not gods! ⓤ) Yet My people have exchanged their [4] Glory for useless idols. ⓥ
12	Be horrified at this, heavens; ⓦ be shocked and utterly appalled. — This is the LORD’s declaration.
13	For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, ⓧ the fountain of living water, ⓨ and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water. ⓩ
14	Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? [5] Why else has he become a prey?
15	The young lions have roared at him; ⓐ they have roared loudly. They have laid waste his land. ⓑ His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants.
16	The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes ⓒ have also broken your skull.
17	Have you not brought this on yourself ⓓ 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 ⓔ to drink the waters of the Nile? [6] What will you gain by traveling along the way to Assyria ⓕ to drink the waters of the Euphrates? ⓖ
19	Your own evil will discipline you; ⓗ your own apostasies will reprimand you. Think it over and see how evil and bitter ⓘ 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 Hosts.
20	For long ago I [7] broke your yoke; ⓙ I [8] tore off your chains. You insisted, “I will not serve!” On every high hill and under every green tree ⓚ you lie down like a prostitute. ⓛ
21	I planted you, a choice vine ⓜ from the very best seed. How then could you turn into a degenerate, foreign vine? ⓝ
22	Even if you wash with lye and use a great amount of soap, ⓞ the stain of your sin is still in front of Me. ⓟ — This is the Lord GOD’s declaration.
23	How can you protest, “I am not defiled; I have not followed the Baals”? ⓠ Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. ⓡ You are a swift young camel twisting and turning on her way,
24	a wild donkey ⓢ at home [9] 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 tired; they will find her in her mating season. [10]
25	Keep your feet from going bare and your throat from thirst. But you say, “It’s hopeless; ⓣ I love strangers, ⓤ 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. ⓥ They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets ⓦ
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, ⓧ yet in their time of disaster ⓨ they beg, “Rise up and save us!”
28	But where are your gods you made for yourself? Let them rise up and save you ⓩ in your time of disaster if they can, for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah.
29	Why do you bring a case against Me? ⓐ 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. ⓑ Your own sword has devoured your prophets ⓒ like a ravaging lion.
31	Evil generation, pay attention to the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? ⓓ Why do My people claim, “We will go where we want; [11] we will no longer come to You”?
32	Can a young woman forget her jewelry ⓔ or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me ⓕ 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. ⓖ You did not catch them breaking and entering. ⓗ But in spite of all these things
35	you claim, “I am innocent. ⓘ His anger is sure to turn away from me.” But I will certainly judge you because you have said, “I have not sinned.” ⓙ
36	How unstable you are, ⓚ constantly changing your ways! You will be put to shame by Egypt ⓛ just as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37	Moreover, you will be led out from here with your hands on your head ⓜ since the LORD has rejected those you trust; ⓝ you will not succeed even with their help. [12]

Footnotes & Cross-References

Cross-References

^{Jeremiah 2:10 [3]} In the Syro-Arabian desert

^{Jeremiah 2:18 [4]} Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile

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