Jeremiah 2:20–25

“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.

Yet I planted you a choice vine,

wholly of pure seed.

How then have you turned degenerate

and become a wild vine?

Though you wash yourself with lye

and use much soap,

the stain of your guilt is still before me,

declares the Lord God.

How can you say, ‘I am not unclean,

I have not gone after the Baals’?

Look at your way in the valley;

know what you have done—

a restless young camel running here and there,

a wild donkey used to the wilderness,

in her heat sniffing the wind!

Who can restrain her lust?

None who seek her need weary themselves;

in her month they will find her.

Keep your feet from going unshod

and your throat from thirst.

But you said, ‘It is hopeless,

for I have loved foreigners,

and after them I will go.’

“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.

I had planted you like a choice vine

of sound and reliable stock.

How then did you turn against me

into a corrupt, wild vine?

Although you wash yourself with soap

and use an abundance of cleansing powder,

the stain of your guilt is still before me,”

declares the Sovereign Lord.

“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;

I have not run after the Baals’?

See how you behaved in the valley;

consider what you have done.

You are a swift she-camel

running here and there,

a wild donkey accustomed to the desert,

sniffing the wind in her craving—

in her heat who can restrain her?

Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;

at mating time they will find her.

Do not run until your feet are bare

and your throat is dry.

But you said, ‘It’s no use!

I love foreign gods,

and I must go after them.’

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 lay down like a prostitute.

I planted you, a choice vine

from the very best seed.

How then could you turn into

a degenerate, foreign vine?

Even if you wash with lye

and use a great amount of bleach,

the stain of your iniquity is still in front of me.

This is the Lord God’s declaration.

How can you protest, “I am not defiled;

I have not followed the Baals”?

Look at your behavior in the valley;

acknowledge what you have done.

You are a swift young camel

twisting and turning on her way,

a wild donkey at home in the wilderness.

She sniffs the wind in the heat of her desire.

Who can control her passion?

All who look for her will not become weary;

they will find her in her mating season.

Keep your feet from going bare

and your throat from thirst.

But you say, “It’s hopeless;

I love strangers,

and I will continue to follow them.”

“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.

But I was the one who planted you,

choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best.

How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?

No amount of soap or lye can make you clean.

I still see the stain of your guilt.

I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!

“You say, ‘That’s not true!

I haven’t worshiped the images of Baal!’

But how can you say that?

Go and look in any valley in the land!

Face the awful sins you have done.

You are like a restless female camel

desperately searching for a mate.

You are like a wild donkey,

sniffing the wind at mating time.

Who can restrain her lust?

Those who desire her don’t need to search,

for she goes running to them!

When will you stop running?

When will you stop panting after other gods?

But you say, ‘Save your breath.

I’m in love with these foreign gods,

and I can’t stop loving them now!’

“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.

Yet I planted you as a choice vine,

all of it a seed of trustworthiness.

How then have you altered before me

into something that is degenerate, the foreign vine?

For if you wash with natron,

and you use much soap,

your guilt is sticking as a stain before me,”

declares the Lord Yahweh.

“How can you say, ‘I have not defiled myself,

I have not gone after the Baals?’

Look at your way in the valley,

know what you have done.

You are a young she-camel,

interweaving her ways.

A wild ass accustomed to the desert,

in the desire of her soul.

She gasps for wind in her rutting time.

Who can quell her lust?

All those who seek her will not grow weary,

in her month they will find her.

Restrain your foot from being barefoot,

and your throat from thirst.

But you said, ‘It is hopeless.

No! For I have loved strangers,

and after them I will go.’

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. 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? For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God. 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; 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. 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.