Israel Forsakes God

2 The wordn of the Lord came to me: 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘I remember the devotion of your youth,o

how as a bride you loved me

and followed me through the wilderness,p

through a land not sown.

3 Israel was holyq to the Lord,r

the firstfruitss of his harvest;

all who devouredt her were held guilty,u

and disaster overtook them,’ ”

declares the Lord.

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 idolsv

and became worthlessw themselves.

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

who brought us up out of Egyptx

and led us through the barren wilderness,

through a land of desertsy and ravines,z

a land of drought and utter darkness,

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

7 I brought you into a fertile land

to eat its fruit and rich produce.b

But you came and defiled my land

and made my inheritance detestable.c