Jeremiah 2

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of ^athy youth, ^bthe love of thine espousals, ^cwhen thou wentest after me in the wilderness, ^din a land that was not sown. ^3eIsrael was holiness unto the Lord, and ^fthe firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him ^gshall offend; ^hevil shall come upon them, saith the Lord. ⁴Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: ⁵Thus saith the Lord, ⁱWhat iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and ^khave walked after ^lvanity, and ^kmare become vain? ⁶Neither said they, Where is the Lord ⁿthat brought us up out of the land of Egypt, ^othat led us through the wilderness, through ^pa land of deserts and of ^qpits, through ^pa land of ^rdrought, and of ^sthe shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? ⁷And I brought you into ^ta plentiful country, to eat ^uthe fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye ^vdefiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. ⁸The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and ^wthey that handle the law knew me not: ^xthe pastors also transgressed against me, and ^xxthe prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after ^ythings that do not profit. ⁹Wherefore I ^zwill yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and ^awith your children’s children will I plead. ^10aaFor pass over the isles of ^bChittim, and see; and send unto ^cKedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. ^11dHath a nation changed their gods, ^ewhich are yet no gods? but my people ^fhave changed their glory for ^gthat which doth not profit. ¹²Be astonished, ^hO ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. ¹³For my people have committed two evils; ^ikthey have forsaken me ^klthe fountain of ^mliving waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

¹⁴ⁿIs Israel a servant? is he ^oa homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? ^15pThe young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and ^qthey made his land waste: ^rhis cities are burnt ^qswithout inhabitant. ¹⁶Also the children of ^tNoph and ^uTahapanes have broken the crown of thy head. ^17wHast thou not procured this unto thyself, ⁱin that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, ^xwhen he led thee by the way? ¹⁸And now ^ywhat hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of ^zSihor? or ^awhat hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of ^bthe river? ^19cThine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy ^dbackslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and ^ebitter, ^fthat thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. ²⁰For of old time ^gI have broken thy yoke, and ^gburst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when ^hiupon every high hill and under every green tree ^kthou wanderest, ^ilplaying the harlot. ²¹Yet ^mI had planted thee ⁿa noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into ^othe degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? ²²For though ^pthou wash thee with ^qnitre, and take thee much ^rsope, yet thine iniquity is ^smarked before me, saith the Lord God. ^23tHow canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way ^ttin the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art ^ua swift ^uudromedary traversing her ways; ^24vwa wild ass used to the wilderness, that ^vsnuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her ^xoccasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; ^yin her month they shall find her. ²⁵Withhold ^zthy foot from being unshod, and thy throat ^afrom thirst: ^bbut thou saidst, ^cThere is no hope: no; for I have loved ^dstrangers, and after them will I go. ²⁶As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, ^ddtheir kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, ²⁷saying to ^ea 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 ^eein the time of their ^ftrouble they will say, Arise, and save us. ²⁸But ^gwhere are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, ^hif they can save thee in the time of thy ^ftrouble: ⁱfor according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. ^29kWherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord. ³⁰In vain ^lhave I smitten your children; they received no correction: ^myour own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

³¹ⁿO generation, see ye the word of the Lord. ^oHave I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, ^pWe are lords; we will come no more unto thee? ³²Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her ^qattire? yet ^rmy people have forgotten me days without number. ³³Why ^rrtrimmest thou thy way to seek love? ^stherefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. ³⁴Also in thy skirts is found ^tthe blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. ³⁵Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, ^uI will plead with thee, ^vbecause thou sayest, I have not sinned. ^36wWhy gaddest thou about so much to ^xchange thy way? ^ythou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, ^was thou wast ashamed of Assyria. ³⁷Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and ^zthine hands upon thine head: for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.

III.