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Jeremiah 2

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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 the coasts of 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 appalled at this, heavens; ⓐ be shocked and utterly desolated! 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 water of the Nile? [6] What will you gain by traveling along the way to Assyria ⓙ to drink the water of the Euphrates? ⓚ

¹⁹ Your own evil will discipline you; ⓛ your own apostasies will reprimand you. Recognize [7] 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 Armies.

²⁰ For long ago I [8] broke your yoke; ⓝ I [9] tore off your chains. You insisted, “I will not serve!” On every high hill and under every green tree ⓐ you lay 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 bleach, [10] ⓔ the stain of your iniquity 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 [11] 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. [12]

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.

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; [13] 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. [14]

#	CSB
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 the coasts of 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 appalled at this, heavens; ⓐ be shocked and utterly desolated! 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 water of the Nile? [6] What will you gain by traveling along the way to Assyria ⓙ to drink the water of the Euphrates? ⓚ
19	Your own evil will discipline you; ⓛ your own apostasies will reprimand you. Recognize [7] 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 Armies.
20	For long ago I [8] broke your yoke; ⓝ I [9] tore off your chains. You insisted, “I will not serve!” On every high hill and under every green tree ⓐ you lay 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 bleach, [10] ⓔ the stain of your iniquity 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 [11] 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. [12]
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; [13] 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. [14]

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^{Jeremiah 2:17 [5]} Or covenant of her God

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