God’s Case Against Israel

2 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:

“I remember you,

The kindness of your ayouth,

The love of your betrothal,

bWhen you 1went after Me in the wilderness,

In a land not sown.

3 cIsrael was holiness to the Lord,

dThe firstfruits of His increase.

eAll that devour him will offend;

Disaster will fcome upon them,” says the Lord.’ ”

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:

g“What injustice have your fathers found in Me,

That they have gone far from Me,

hHave followed 2idols,

And have become idolaters?

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

Who ibrought us up out of the land of Egypt,

Who led us through jthe 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 ka bountiful country,

To eat its fruit and its goodness.

But when you entered, you ldefiled My land

And made My heritage an abomination.

8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’

And those who handle the mlaw did not know Me;

The rulers also transgressed against Me;

nThe prophets prophesied by Baal,

And walked after things that do not profit.

9 “Therefore oI will yet 3bring charges against you,” says the Lord,

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

10 For pass beyond the coasts of 4Cyprus and see,

Send to 5Kedar and consider diligently,

And see if there has been such a pthing.

11 qHas a nation changed its gods,

Which are rnot gods?

sBut My people have changed their Glory

For what does not profit.

12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this,

And be horribly afraid;

Be very desolate,” says the Lord.

13 “For My people have committed two evils:

They have forsaken Me, the tfountain of living waters,

And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

14 “Is Israel ua servant?

Is he a homeborn slave?

Why is he plundered?

15 vThe young lions roared at him, and growled;

They made his land waste;

His cities are burned, without inhabitant.

16 Also the people of 6Noph and wTahpanhes

Have 7broken the crown of your head.

17 xHave you not brought this on yourself,

In that you have forsaken the Lord your God

When yHe led you in the way?

18 And now why take zthe road to Egypt,

To drink the waters of aSihor?

Or why take the road to bAssyria,

To drink the waters of 8the River?

19 Your own wickedness will ccorrect you,

And your backslidings will rebuke you.

Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing

That you have forsaken the Lord your God,

And the 9fear of Me is not in you,”

Says the Lord God of hosts.

20 “For of old I have dbroken your yoke and burst your bonds;

And eyou said, ‘I will not 1transgress,’

When fon every high hill and under every green tree

You lay down, gplaying the harlot.

21 Yet I had hplanted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality.

How then have you turned before Me

Into ithe degenerate plant of an alien vine?

22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap,

Yet your iniquity is jmarked 2before Me,” says the Lord God.

23 “How kcan you say, ‘I am not 3polluted,

I have not gone after the Baals’?

See your way in the valley;

Know what you have done:

You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways,

24 A wild donkey used to the wilderness,

That sniffs at the wind in her desire;

In her time of mating, who can turn her away?

All those who seek her will not weary themselves;

In her month they will find her.

25 Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst.

But you said, l‘There is no hope.

No! For I have loved maliens, and after them I will go.’

26 “As the thief is ashamed when he is found out,

So is the house of Israel ashamed;

They and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their nprophets,

27 Saying to a tree, ‘You are my father,’

And to a ostone, ‘You gave birth to me.’

For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face.

But in the time of their ptrouble

They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’

28 But qwhere are your gods that you have made for yourselves?

Let them arise,

If they rcan save you in the time of your 4trouble;

For saccording to the number of your cities

Are your gods, O Judah.

29 “Why will you plead with Me?

You all have transgressed against Me,” says the Lord.

30 “In vain I have tchastened your children;

They ureceived no correction.

Your sword has vdevoured your prophets

Like a destroying lion.

31 “O generation, see the word of the Lord!

Have I been a wilderness to Israel,

Or a land of darkness?

Why do My people say, ‘We 5are lords;

wWe will come no more to You’?

32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments,

Or a bride her attire?

Yet My people xhave forgotten Me days without number.

33 “Why do you beautify your way to seek love?

Therefore you have also taught

The wicked women your ways.

34 Also on your skirts is found

yThe blood of the lives of the poor innocents.

I have not found it by 6secret search,

But plainly on all these things.

35 zYet you say, ‘Because I am innocent,

Surely His anger shall turn from me.’

Behold, aI will plead My case against you,

bBecause you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

36 cWhy do you gad about so much to change your way?

Also dyou shall be ashamed of Egypt eas you were ashamed of Assyria.

37 Indeed you will go forth from him

With your hands on fyour head;

For the Lord has rejected your trusted allies,

And you will gnot prosper by them.