Jeremiah 2:4–13

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

8 The priests did not ask,

‘Where is the Lord?’

Those who deal with the law did not know me;d

the leaderse rebelled against me.

The prophets prophesied by Baal,f

following worthless idols.g

9 “Therefore I bring chargesh against you again,”

declares the Lord.

“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.

10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprusi and look,

send to Kedara j and observe closely;

see if there has ever been anything like this:

11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?

(Yet they are not godsk at all.)

But my people have exchanged their gloriousl God

for worthless idols.

12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,

and shudder with great horror,”

declares the Lord.

13 “My people have committed two sins:

They have forsakenm me,

the spring of living water,n

and have dug their own cisterns,

broken cisterns that cannot hold water.