Jeremiah 2
Expanded Bible
Israel Turns from God
2 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 2 “Go and ·speak to the people of Jerusalem [L announce/proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem], saying: This is what the Lord says:
‘I remember ·how faithful you were to me when you were a young nation [L your loyalty/devotion as a youth/girl/child].
You loved me like a young bride.
You ·followed [L went after] me through the ·desert [wilderness; C as they traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land],
a land that had never been ·planted [sown].
3 The people of Israel were holy to the Lord,
like the firstfruits from his harvest [C both belonged to God; Ex. 23:19; Lev. 23:10–14; Num. 18:12–13; Deut. 26:1–11].
Those who tried to ·hurt Israel [L consume it] were judged guilty.
·Disasters [Troubles] ·struck [L came to] them,’” says the Lord.
4 Hear the word of the Lord, ·family [L house] of Jacob,
all you ·family groups [L clans of the house] of Israel.
5 This is what the Lord says:
“·I was fair to your ancestors,
so why did they turn away from me? [L What wrong did your ancestors/fathers find in me
that they removed themselves from me?]
Your ·ancestors [fathers] ·worshiped [L went after] ·useless idols [worthless/meaningless things]
and became ·useless [worthless; meaningless] themselves.
6 Your ·ancestors [fathers] didn’t say,
‘Where is the Lord who brought us out of Egypt?
He led us through the ·desert [wilderness],
through a ·dry [barren] and ·rocky [broken] land,
through a dangerous [parched] and dark land.
He led us where no one ·travels [passes through] or lives.’
7 I brought you into a ·fertile land [orchard; land of plenty]
so you could eat its fruit and produce.
But you came and made my land unclean [C in a ritual sense];
you made ·it [L my inheritance] a ·hateful place [abomination].
8 The priests didn’t ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
The people who ·know [handle; deal with] the ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah] didn’t know me.
The ·leaders [L shepherds] turned against me.
The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal [Deut. 13:1–5]
and ·worshiped useless idols [L went after unprofitable things].
9 “So now I will ·again tell what I have against [accuse; charge] you,” says the Lord.
“And I will ·tell what I have against [accuse; charge] ·your grandchildren [L the sons of your sons].
10 ·Go across the sea [L Cross over] to the ·island [or coasts] of Cyprus [C to the west] and see.
Send someone to the land of Kedar [C eastern desert nomads; Gen. 25:13; Jer. 49:28–29; Song 1:5] to look closely.
See if there has ever been anything like this.
11 Has a nation ever exchanged its gods?
(·Of course, its gods are not really gods at all [L And they are not gods].)
But my people have exchanged their glory [C God]
for ·idols worth nothing [L unprofitable things].
12 ·Skies [Heavens], be shocked at the things that have happened
and ·shake [shudder] with great fear!” says the Lord.
13 “My people have done two evils:
They have ·turned away from [abandoned; forsaken] me,
the ·spring [fountain] of living water [17:13].
And they have dug their own ·wells [cisterns],
which are broken ·wells [cisterns] that cannot hold water [C the idols, like the wells, are useless].
14 Have the people of Israel become slaves?
Have they become like ·someone who was born a slave [a home-born servant; Ex. 21:4]?
Why ·were they taken captive [L have they become plunder]?
15 ·Enemies have roared like lions at Israel [L The lions roar against him];
they have ·growled at Israel [L given forth their voice].
They have ·destroyed [L made a desolation of] the land of Israel.
The cities of Israel lie in ruins,
·and all the people have left [and there are no inhabitants].
16 The ·men from the cities [L sons] of ·Memphis [L Noph] and Tahpanhes [C two important Egyptian cities]
have ·shaved [or broken] the top of your head [C disgracing them; Israel embarrassed itself by entering into alliances with Egypt; 41:5; 48:37; 2 Sam. 10:4; Is. 7:20; Ezek. 44:20].
17 ·Haven’t you brought this on yourselves [L Did you not do this to yourself]
by ·turning away from [abandoning; forsaking] the Lord your God
when he was leading you in the ·right way [or path]?
18 ·It did not help to go to [L Why would you go on the path to…?] Egypt
and drink from the Shihor River [C the Nile or one of its tributaries].
·It did not help to [L Why would you…?] go to Assyria
and drink from the River [C the Euphrates].
19 Your evil will ·bring punishment to [instruct; discipline] you,
and ·the wrong you have done [your apostasy/infidelity] will ·teach you a lesson [reprove/convict/rebuke you].
·Think about it and understand [L Know and see]
that it is ·a terrible evil [L evil and bitter] to ·turn away from [abandon; forsake] the Lord your God.
It is wrong not to fear me,”
says the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
20 “Long ago you broke your yoke [C abandoning God].
You snapped off your ropes [C rejecting their dependence on God]
and said, ‘I will not serve you!’
In fact, on every high hill
and under every green tree
you lay down as a prostitute [C worshiping at pagan altars in the hills; Deut. 12:2; 1 Kin. 14:13; 2 Kin. 17:10; Is. 57:5; 65:7; Ezek. 6:12; 20:28; Hos. 4:13].
21 But I planted you as a ·special [choice] vine [Is. 5:1–7],
·as a very good seed [from good stock].
How then did you turn
into a wild vine [C growing bad fruit]?
22 Although you wash yourself with ·cleanser [lye]
and use much soap [Mal. 3:2],
I can still see the stain of your guilt,” says the Lord God.
23 “How can you say to me, ‘I am not ·guilty [L defiled].
I have not ·worshiped [L gone after] the Baals [C idols]’?
Look at ·the things you did [L your way/path] in the valley.
·Think about [Know] what you have done.
You are like a she-camel
that runs from place to place [C as if in heat].
24 You are like a wild donkey that lives in the ·desert [wilderness]
and sniffs the wind ·at mating time [when in heat].
At that time who can hold ·her back [back her lust]?
None who ·chase [seek] her ·will easily catch her [L need to exert themselves];
·at mating time [L in her month], it is easy to find her.
25 Stop before your feet are bare
or your throat is dry [C from running after her].
But you say, ‘It’s no use!
I love those strangers [C other gods],
and I must ·chase [L go after] them!’
26 “A thief is ·ashamed [humiliated] when someone ·catches [discovers] him.
In the same way, the ·family [L house] of Israel is ·ashamed [humiliated]—
they, their kings, their ·officers [princes],
their priests, and their prophets.
27 They say to ·things of wood [L a tree], ‘You are my father,’
and to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me [C idols were made out of wood and stone].’
Those people have turned their backs to me,
not their faces.
But when they get into trouble, they say,
‘·Come [L Rise up] and ·save [rescue] us!’
28 Where are the gods you made for yourselves [C idols]?
Let them ·come [L rise up] and ·save [rescue] you
when you are in trouble [Deut. 32:37–38; Is. 43:8–13; 44:6–23]!
People of Judah, you have as many gods [C idols]
as you have towns!
29 “Why do you ·complain to [charge; accuse] me?
All of you have ·turned [rebelled; transgressed] against me,” says the Lord.
30 “I ·punished [L struck] your ·people [L children], ·but it did not help [L in vain].
They didn’t ·come back when they were punished [L accept instruction/discipline].
With your swords you ·killed [devoured] your prophets
like a ·hungry [ravenous] lion [Ps. 7:2; 10:9; Is. 5:29].
31 “·People of Judah [L Oh generation], ·pay attention [L look] to the word of the Lord:
Have I been a ·desert [wilderness] to the people of Israel
or a dark land [C useless or even dangerous]?
Why do my people say, ‘We are ·free to wander [our own masters].
We won’t come to you anymore’?
32 ·A young woman does not [L Does a virgin…?] forget her ·jewelry [ornaments],
and ·a bride does not [L does a bride…?] forget the decorations for her dress.
But my people have forgotten me
for more days than can be counted.
33 ·You really know how to chase after love [L How well you know the path to seek lovers!].
Even ·the worst [evil] women can learn ·evil ways from you [L your ways/paths].
34 Even on your clothes you have the blood
of poor and innocent people,
but ·they weren’t thieves you caught breaking in [L you did not find them breaking in; C in which case they could have killed them in self-defense; Ex. 22:2].
You do all these things,
35 but you say, ‘I am innocent.
·God is not angry with me [L His anger has turned from me].’
But I will judge you [C guilty of lying],
because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 It is so easy for you to change your ·mind [L way; path].
Even Egypt will ·let you down [L shame/embarrass you],
as Assyria ·let you down [L shamed/embarrassed you].
37 You will eventually ·leave that place [L go out]
with your hands on your head [C like captives].
·You trusted those countries [L For the Lord has rejected these in whom you had confidence],
and you will not ·be helped by [find success with] them.
Jeremiah 2
King James Version
2 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
3 Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord.
4 Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:
5 Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
6 Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that 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 man passed through, and where no man dwelt?
7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.
8 The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead.
10 For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.
11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.
12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord.
13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
14 Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?
15 The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.
16 Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.
17 Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?
18 And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?
19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.
20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God.
23 How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;
24 A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.
25 Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.
26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets.
27 Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
28 But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.
29 Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.
30 In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.
31 O generation, see ye the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?
32 Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
33 Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.
34 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.
35 Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.
36 Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.
37 Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.
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