Jeremiah 2:1–13

ISRAEL ACCUSED OF APOSTASY

2 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,ac

your love as a bride—

how you followed me in the wilderness,

in a land not sown.

3 Israel was holy to the Lord,ad

the firstfruits of his harvest.ae

All who ate of it found themselves guilty;af

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 ancestors find in mea

that they went so far from me,

followed worthless idols,b

and became worthless themselves?c

6 They stopped asking, “Where is the Lordd

who brought us from the land of Egypt,

who led us through the wilderness,e

through a land of deserts and ravines,

through a land of drought and darkness,A

a land no one traveled through

and where no one lived?”

7 I brought you to a fertile landf

to eat its fruit and bounty,

but after you entered, you defiled my land;g

you made my inheritanceh detestable.

8 The priests quit asking, “Where is the Lord?”

The experts in the law no longer knew me,i

and the rulersj rebelled against me.

The prophets prophesied byB Baalk

and followed useless idols.l

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.m

10 Cross over to the coasts of CyprusC,n and take a look.

Send someone to Kedaro and consider carefully;

see if there has ever been anything like this:

11 Has a nation ever exchanged its gods?p

(But they were not gods!q)

Yet my people have exchanged theirA Glory

for useless idols.r

12 Be appalled at this, heavens;s

be shocked and utterly desolated!

This is the Lord’s declaration.

13 For my people have committed a double evil:

They have abandoned me,t

the fountain of living water,u

and dug cisterns for themselves—

cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.v