Israel Accused of Apostasy

2 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says:

I remember the loyalty of your youth, d

your love as a bride—

how you followed Me in the wilderness,

in a land not sown.

3 Israel was holy to the Lord, e

the * firstfruits of His harvest. f

All who ate of it found themselves * guilty; g

disaster came on them.”

This is the Lord’s declaration.

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 h

that they went so far from Me,

followed worthless idols, i

and became worthless themselves? j

6 They stopped asking, “Where is the Lord k

who brought us from the land of Egypt,

who led us through the wilderness, l

through a land of deserts and ravines,

through a land of drought and darkness, m

a land no one traveled through

and where no one lived?”

7 I brought you to a fertile land n

to eat its fruit and bounty,

but after you entered, you defiled My land; o

you made My inheritance p detestable.

8 The priests quit asking, “Where is the Lord?”

The experts in the law no longer knew Me, q

and the rulers r rebelled against Me.

The prophets prophesied by s * Baal t

and followed useless idols. u

9 Therefore, I will bring a case against you again.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

I will bring a case against your children’s children. v

10 Cross over to Cyprus w x and take a look.

Send someone to Kedar y and consider carefully;

see if there has ever been anything like this:

11 Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? z

(But they were not gods! a)

Yet My people have exchanged their b Glory

for useless idols. c

12 Be horrified at this, heavens; d

be shocked and utterly appalled.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

13 For My people have committed a double evil:

They have abandoned Me, e

the fountain of living water, f

and dug cisterns for themselves,

cracked cisterns that cannot hold water. g

Consequences of Apostasy

14 Is Israel a slave?

Was he born into slavery? h

Why else has he become a prey?

15 The young lions have roared at him; i

they have roared loudly.

They have laid waste his land. j

His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants.

16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes k

have also broken your skull.

17 Have you not brought this on yourself l

by abandoning the Lord your God

while He was leading you along the way?

18 Now what will you gain

by traveling along the way to Egypt m

to drink the waters of the Nile? n

What will you gain

by traveling along the way to Assyria o

to drink the waters of the Euphrates? p

19 Your own evil will discipline you; q

your own apostasies will reprimand you.

Think it over and see how evil and bitter r it is

for you to abandon the Lord your God

and to have no * fear of Me.

This is the declaration

of the Lord God of * Hosts.

20 For long ago I s broke your yoke; t

I u tore off your chains.

You insisted, “I will not serve!”

On every high hill

and under every green tree v

you lie down like a prostitute. w

21 I planted you, a choice vine x

from the very best seed.

How then could you turn into

a degenerate, foreign vine? y

22 Even if you wash with lye

and use a great amount of soap, z

the stain of your sin is still in front of Me. a

This is the Lord God’s declaration.

23 How can you protest, “I am not defiled;

I have not followed the Baals”? b

Look at your behavior in the valley;

acknowledge what you have done. c

You are a swift young camel

twisting and turning on her way,

24 a wild donkey d at home e 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 tired;

they will find her in her mating season. f

25 Keep your feet from going bare

and your throat from thirst.

But you say, “It’s hopeless; g

I love strangers, h

and I will continue to follow them.”

26 Like the shame of a thief when he is caught,

so the house of Israel has been put to shame. i

They, their kings, their officials,

their priests, and their prophets j

27 say to a tree, “You are my father,”

and to a stone, “You gave birth to me.”

For they have turned their back to Me

and not their face, k

yet in their time of disaster l they beg,

“Rise up and save us!”

28 But where are your gods you made for yourself?

Let them rise up and save you m

in your time of disaster if they can,

for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah.

Judgment Deserved

29 Why do you bring a case against Me? n

All of you have rebelled against Me.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

30 I have struck down your children in vain;

they would not accept discipline. o

Your own sword has devoured your prophets p

like a ravaging lion.

31 Evil generation,

pay attention to the word of the Lord!

Have I been a wilderness to Israel

or a land of dense darkness? q

Why do My people claim,

“We will go where we want; r

we will no longer come to You”?

32 Can a young woman forget her jewelry s

or a bride her wedding sash?

Yet My people have forgotten Me t

for countless days.

33 How skillfully you pursue love;

you also teach evil women your ways.

34 Moreover, your skirts are stained

with the blood of the innocent poor. u

You did not catch them breaking and entering. v

But in spite of all these things

35 you claim, “I am innocent. w

His anger is sure to turn away from me.”

But I will certainly judge you

because you have said, “I have not sinned.” x

36 How unstable you are, y

constantly changing your ways!

You will be put to shame by Egypt z

just as you were put to shame by Assyria.

37 Moreover, you will be led out from here

with your hands on your head a

since the Lord has rejected those you trust; b

you will not succeed even with their help. c