Bible

¹ And there is a word of Yahweh unto me, saying, ² "Go, and you have called in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said Yahweh: I have remembered for you The kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals, Your going after Me in a wilderness, in a land not sown. ³ Holy [is] Israel to Yahweh, The first-fruit of His increase, All consuming him are guilty, Evil comes in unto them, an affirmation of Yahweh. ⁴ Hear a word of Yahweh, O house of Jacob, And all you families of the house of Israel. ⁵ Thus said Yahweh: What - have your fathers found in Me perversity, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after the vanity, and become vain, ⁶ And have not said, Where [is] Yahweh, Who brings us up out of the land of Egypt, Who leads us in a wilderness, In a land of deserts and pits, In a dry land, and of death-shade, In a land - none has passed through it, Nor dwelt has man there? ⁷ Yea, I bring you in to a land of fruitful fields, To eat its fruit and its goodness, And you come in and defile My land, And Mine inheritance have made an abomination. ⁸ The priests have not said, `Where [is] Yahweh?' And those handling the law have not known Me. And the shepherds transgressed against Me, And the prophets have prophesied by Baal, And after those who profit not have gone. ⁹ Therefore, yet I plead with you, An affirmation of Yahweh, And with your sons' sons I plead. ¹⁰ For, pass to the isles of Chittim, and see, And to Kedar send, and consider well, And see if there has been like this: ¹¹ Has a nation changed elohims? (And they [are] no elohims!) And My people has changed its honor For that which does not profit. ¹² Be astonished, you heavens, at this, Yea, be frightened, be greatly wasted, An affirmation of Yahweh. ¹³ For two evils has My people done, Me they have forsaken, a fountain of living waters, To hew out for themselves wells - broken wells, That contain not the waters. ¹⁴ A servant [is] Israel? Is he a child of the house? Wherefore has he been for a prey? ¹⁵ Against him roar do young lions, They have given forth their voice, And make his land become a desolation, His cities have been burnt without inhabitant. ¹⁶ Also sons of Noph and Tahapanes Consume you - the crown of the head! ¹⁷ Do you not do this to yourself? [By] your forsaking Yahweh your Elohim, At the time He is leading you in the way? ¹⁸ And now, what - to you in the way of Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? And what - to you in the way of Asshur, To drink the waters of the River? ¹⁹ Instruct you does your wickedness, And your backslidings reprove you, Know and see that an evil and a bitter thing [Is] your forsaking Yahweh your Elohim, And My fear not being on you, An affirmation of the Lord Yahweh of Hosts. ²⁰ For from of old you have broken your yoke, Drawn away your bands, and say, `I do not serve', For, on every high height, and under every green tree, You are wandering - a harlot. ²¹ And I planted you a choice vine, wholly a true seed, And how have you been turned to Me, To the degenerate shoots of a strange vine? ²² But though you do wash with nitre, And do multiply to yourself soap, Marked is your iniquity before Me, An affirmation of the Lord Yahweh. ²³ How say you, `I have not been defiled, After the Baalim I have not gone?' See your way in a valley, know what you have done, A swift dromedary winding her ways, ²⁴ A wild ass accustomed to a wilderness, In the desire of her soul she has swallowed up wind, Her meeting - who does turn her back? None seeking her do weary themselves, In her month they find her. ²⁵ Withhold your foot from being unshod, And your throat from thirst, And you say, `It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and after them I go.' ²⁶ As the shame of a thief when he is found, So put to shame have been the house of Israel, They, their kings, their heads, And their priests, and their prophets, ²⁷ Saying to wood, `My father [are] you!' And to a stone, `You have brought me forth', For they turned unto me the back and not the face, And in the time of their vexation, They say, `Arise You, and save us.' ²⁸ And where [are] your elohims, that you have made to yourself? Let them arise, if they may save you, In the time of your vexation, For - the number of your cities have been your elohims, O Judah, ²⁹ Why do you strive with Me? All of you have transgressed against Me, An affirmation of Yahweh. ³⁰ In vain I have smitten your sons, Instruction they have not accepted, Devoured has your sword your prophets, As a destroying lion. ³¹ O generation, see you the word of Yahweh: A wilderness have I been to Israel? A land of thick darkness? Wherefore have My people said, `We mourned, We come not in again unto You.' ³² Does a virgin forget her ornaments? A bride her bands? And My people have forgotten Me days without number. ³³ What - do you make pleasing your ways to seek love? Therefore even the wicked you have taught your ways. ³⁴ Also in your skirts has been found the blood of innocent needy souls, Not by digging have I found them, but upon all these. ³⁵ And you say, `Because I have been innocent, Surely turned back has His anger from me?' Lo, I have been judged with you, Because of your saying, `I have not sinned.' ³⁶ What? you are very vile to repeat your way, Even of Egypt you are ashamed, As you have been ashamed of Asshur, ³⁷ Also from this you go out, And your hands on your head, For Yahweh has kicked at your confidences, And you do not give prosperity to them!"

Jeremiah 2