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.

14 Is Israel a servant, a slaveo by birth?

Why then has he become plunder?

15 Lionsp have roared;

they have growled at him.

They have laid wasteq his land;

his towns are burnedr and deserted.s

16 Also, the men of Memphist and Tahpanhesu

have cracked your skull.

17 Have you not brought this on yourselvesv

by forsakingw the Lord your God

when he led you in the way?

18 Now why go to Egyptx

to drink water from the Nileb?y

And why go to Assyriaz

to drink water from the Euphrates?a

19 Your wickedness will punish you;

your backslidingb will rebukec you.

Consider then and realize

how evil and bitterd it is for you

when you forsakee the Lord your God

and have no awef of me,”

declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

20 “Long ago you broke off your yokeg

and tore off your bonds;h

you said, ‘I will not serve you!’i

Indeed, on every high hillj

and under every spreading treek

you lay down as a prostitute.l

21 I had plantedm you like a choice vinen

of sound and reliable stock.

How then did you turn against me

into a corrupt,o wild vine?

22 Although you washp yourself with soapq

and use an abundance of cleansing powder,

the stain of your guilt is still before me,”

declares the Sovereign Lord.r