Jeremiah 2:17–20

17 Have you not brought this on yourselves

by forsaking the Lord your God

when he led you in the way?

18 Now why go to Egypt

to drink water from the Nile?

And why go to Assyria

to drink water from the Euphrates?

19 Your wickedness will punish you;

your backsliding will rebuke you.

Consider then and realize

how evil and bitter it is for you

when you forsake the Lord your God

and have no awe of me,”

declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke

and tore off your bonds;

you said, ‘I will not serve you!’

Indeed, on every high hill

and under every spreading tree

you lay down as a prostitute.

17 Have you not brought this upon yourself

by forsaking the Lord your God,

when he led you in the way?

18 And now what do you gain by going to Egypt

to drink the waters of the Nile?

Or what do you gain by going to Assyria

to drink the waters of the Euphrates?

19 Your evil will chastise you,

and your apostasy will reprove you.

Know and see that it is evil and bitter

for you to forsake the Lord your God;

the fear of me is not in you,

declares the Lord God of hosts.

20 “For long ago I broke your yoke

and burst your bonds;

but you said, ‘I will not serve.’

Yes, on every high hill

and under every green tree

you bowed down like a whore.

17 And you have brought this upon yourselves

by rebelling against the Lord your God,

even though he was leading you on the way!

18 “What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt

and your covenants with Assyria?

What good to you are the streams of the Nile

or the waters of the Euphrates River?

19 Your wickedness will bring its own punishment.

Your turning from me will shame you.

You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is

to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him.

I, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!

20 “Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you

and tore away the chains of your slavery,

but still you said,

‘I will not serve you.’

On every hill and under every green tree,

you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols.

17 Have you not brought this on yourself,

In that you have forsaken the Lord your God

When He led you in the way?

18 And now why take the road to Egypt,

To drink the waters of Sihor?

Or why take the road to Assyria,

To drink the waters of the River?

19 Your own wickedness will correct you,

And your backslidings will rebuke you.

Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing

That you have forsaken the Lord your God,

And the fear of Me is not in you,”

Says the Lord God of hosts.

20 “For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds;

And you said, ‘I will not transgress,’

When on every high hill and under every green tree

You lay down, playing the harlot.

17 Haven’t you brought this on yourselves

by turning away from the Lord your God

when he was leading you in the right way?

18 It did not help to go to Egypt

and drink from the Shihor River.

It did not help to go to Assyria

and drink from the Euphrates River.

19 Your evil will bring punishment to you,

and the wrong you have done will teach you a lesson.

Think about it and understand

that it is a terrible evil to turn away from the Lord your God.

It is wrong not to fear me,”

says the Lord God All-Powerful.

20 “Long ago you refused to obey me as an ox breaks its yoke.

You broke the ropes I used to hold you

and said, ‘I will not serve you!’

In fact, on every high hill

and under every green tree

you lay down as a prostitute.

17 Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, when he led thee by the way? 18 And now what hast thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? or what hast thou to do in the way to 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 a bitter, that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bonds; and thou saidst, I will not serve; for upon every high hill and under every green tree thou didst bow thyself, playing the harlot.

17 Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, at the time he was leading thee in the way? 18 And now, what hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the River? 19 Thine own wickedness chastiseth thee, and thy backslidings reprove thee: know then and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

20 For of old thou hast broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not serve. For upon every high hill, and under every green tree, thou bowest down, playing the harlot.

17 You have brought this on yourself 

by abandoning the Lord your God 

when he led you on his way. 

18 You won’t gain anything by going to Egypt 

to drink water from the Nile River. 

You won’t gain anything by going to Assyria 

to drink water from the Euphrates River. 

19 Your own wickedness will correct you, 

and your unfaithful ways will punish you. 

You should know and see how evil and bitter it is for you 

if you abandon the Lord your God and do not fear me,” 

declares the Almighty Lord of Armies. 

20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke,tore off your chains, 

and said that you wouldn’t be a slave. 

You lay down and acted like a prostitute 

on every high hill and under every large tree. 

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 waters of the Nile?

What will you gain

by traveling along the way to Assyria

to drink the waters of the Euphrates?

19 Your own evil will discipline you;

your own apostasies will reprimand you.

Think it over and see 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 Hosts.

20 For long ago I broke your yoke;

I tore off your chains.

You insisted, “I will not serve!”

On every high hill

and under every green tree

you lie down like a prostitute.

17 Have you not brought this upon yourself

by forsaking the Lord your God,

while he led you in the way?

18 What then do you gain by going to Egypt,

to drink the waters of the Nile?

Or what do you gain by going to Assyria,

to drink the waters of the Euphrates?

19 Your wickedness will punish you,

and your faithlessness will convict you.

Know and see that it is evil and bitter

for you to forsake the Lord your God;

the fear of me is not in you,

says the Lord God of hosts.

20 For long ago you broke your yoke

and burst your bonds,

and you said, “I will not serve!”

On every high hill

and under every green tree

you sprawled and prostituted yourself.

17 Did you not do this to yourself,

by forsaking Yahweh, your God,

at the time of your leading in the way?

18 And now why do you go the way of Egypt

to drink the waters of the Shihor?

And why do you go the way of Assyria

to drink the waters of the Euphrates?

19 Your wickedness will chastise you,

and your apostasies will reprove you.

Therefore know and see that it is evil and bitter,

your forsaking of Yahweh, your God,

and fear of me is not in you,”

declares the Lord, Yahweh of hosts.

20 “For from long ago you have broken your yoke,

you tore to pieces your bonds.

And you said, ‘I will not serve!’

But on every high hill and under every leafy tree

you were lying down as a prostitute.

17 Haven’t you brought that on yourselves?

I am the Lord your God, but you deserted me.

You left me even while I was leading you.

18 Why do you go to Egypt

to drink water from the Shihor River?

Why do you go to Assyria

to drink from the Euphrates River?

19 You will be punished because you have sinned.

You will be corrected for turning away from me.

I am the Lord your God.

If you desert me, bad things will happen to you.

If you do not respect me, you will suffer bitterly.

I want you to understand that,”

announces the Lord who rules over all.

20 “Long ago you broke off the yoke I put on you.

You tore off the ropes I tied you up with.

You said, ‘I won’t serve you!’

In fact, on every high hill

you lay down like a prostitute.

You worshiped other gods under every green tree.

17 “Have you not done this to yourself

By your forsaking the Lord your God

When He led you in the way?

18 “But now what are you doing on the road to Egypt,

To drink the waters of the Nile?

Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,

To drink the waters of the Euphrates?

19 “Your own wickedness will correct you,

And your apostasies will reprove you;

Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter

For you to forsake the Lord your God,

And the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord God of hosts.

20 “For long ago I broke your yoke

And tore off your bonds;

But you said, ‘I will not serve!’

For on every high hill

And under every green tree

You have lain down as a harlot.