Jeremiah 2:4–7

4 Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,

all you clans of Israel.

5 This is what the Lord says:

“What fault did your ancestors find in me,

that they strayed so far from me?

They followed worthless idols

and became worthless themselves.

6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,

who brought us up out of Egypt

and led us through the barren wilderness,

through a land of deserts and ravines,

a land of drought and utter darkness,

a land where no one travels and no one lives?’

7 I brought you into a fertile land

to eat its fruit and rich produce.

But you came and defiled my land

and made my inheritance detestable.

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:

“What wrong did your fathers find in me

that they went far from me,

and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?

6 They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord

who brought us up from the land of Egypt,

who led us in the wilderness,

in a land of deserts and pits,

in a land of drought and deep darkness,

in a land that none passes through,

where no man dwells?’

7 And I brought you into a plentiful land

to enjoy its fruits and its good things.

But when you came in, you defiled my land

and made my heritage an abomination.

4 Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: 5 Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? 6 Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? 7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

4 Listen to the word of the Lord, people of Jacob—all you families of Israel! 5 This is what the Lord says:

“What did your ancestors find wrong with me

that led them to stray so far from me?

They worshiped worthless idols,

only to become worthless themselves.

6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord

who brought us safely out of Egypt

and led us through the barren wilderness—

a land of deserts and pits,

a land of drought and death,

where no one lives or even travels?’

7 “And when I brought you into a fruitful land

to enjoy its bounty and goodness,

you defiled my land and

corrupted the possession I had promised you.

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:

“What injustice have your fathers found in Me,

That they have gone far from Me,

Have followed idols,

And have become idolaters?

6 Neither did they say, ‘Where is the Lord,

Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,

Who led us through the wilderness,

Through a land of deserts and pits,

Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,

Through a land that no one crossed

And where no one dwelt?’

7 I brought you into a bountiful country,

To eat its fruit and its goodness.

But when you entered, you defiled My land

And made My heritage an abomination.

4 Hear the word of the Lord, family of Jacob,

all you family groups of Israel.

5 This is what the Lord says:

“I was fair to your ancestors,

so why did they turn away from me?

Your ancestors worshiped useless idols

and became useless themselves.

6 Your ancestors didn’t say,

‘Where is the Lord who brought us out of Egypt?

He led us through the desert,

through a dry and rocky land,

through a dark and dangerous land.

He led us where no one travels or lives.’

7 I brought you into a fertile land

so you could eat its fruit and produce.

But you came and made my land unclean;

you made it a hateful place.

4 Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: 5 Thus saith Jehovah, What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? 6 Neither said they, Where is Jehovah that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that none passed through, and where no man dwelt? 7 And I brought you into a plentiful land, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.

4 Hear the word of Jehovah, house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus saith Jehovah: What injustice have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and become vain? 6 And they said not, Where is Jehovah, that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and of pits, in a land of drought and of the shadow of death, in a land that no one passeth through, and where no man dwelleth? 7 And I brought you into a fruitful land, to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof; and ye entered and defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.

4 Listen to the Lord’s word, descendants of Jacob, 

all the families in the nation of Israel. 

5 This is what the Lord says: 

What did your ancestors find wrong with me 

that they went so far away from me? 

They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. 

6 They didn’t ask, “Where is the Lord, 

who brought us from Egypt? 

He led us through the desert, 

through a wasteland and its pits, 

a land of drought and the shadow of death. 

No one lives there or travels there.” 

7 I brought them into a fertile land 

to eat its fruit and its produce. 

They came and made my land unclean.

They made my property disgusting. 

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 fathers find in Me

that they went so far from Me,

followed worthless idols,

and became worthless themselves?

6 They stopped asking, “Where is the Lord

who brought us from the land of Egypt,

who led us through the wilderness,

through a land of deserts and ravines,

through a land of drought and darkness,

a land no one traveled through

and where no one lived?”

7 I brought you to a fertile land

to eat its fruit and bounty,

but after you entered, you defiled My land;

you made My inheritance detestable.

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:

What wrong did your ancestors find in me

that they went far from me

and went after worthless things and became worthless themselves?

6 They did not say, “Where is the Lord,

who brought us up from the land of Egypt,

who led us in the wilderness,

in a land of deserts and pits,

in a land of drought and deep darkness,

in a land that no one passes through,

where no one lives?”

7 I brought you into a plentiful land

to eat its fruits and its good things.

But when you entered you defiled my land

and made my heritage an abomination.

4 Hear the word of Yahweh, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says Yahweh:

“What injustice did your ancestors find in me

that they were far from me,

and they went after the vanity,

and they became vain?

6 And they did not say,

‘Where is Yahweh,

the one who brought us up from the land of Egypt,

the one who led us in the desert,

in a land of desert plains and gorges,

in a land of dryness and deep darkness,

in a land that no one passes through,

and no human lives there?’

7 And I brought you to the land of the orchard,

to eat its fruit, and its good things.

But you entered and defiled my land,

and my inheritance you made a detestable thing.

4 People of Jacob, hear the Lord’s message.

Listen, all you tribes of Israel.

5 The Lord says,

“What did your people find wrong with me?

Why did they wander so far away from me?

They worshiped worthless statues of gods.

Then they themselves became worthless.

6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?

He brought us up out of Egypt.

He led us through a dry and empty land.

He guided us through deserts and deep valleys.

It was a land of darkness where there wasn’t any rain.

No one lived or traveled there.’

7 But I brought you into a land that has rich soil.

I gave you its fruit and its finest food.

In spite of that, you polluted my land.

You turned it into something I hate.