14-17 “Isn’t Israel a valued servant,
    born into a family with place and position?
So how did she end up a piece of meat
    fought over by snarling and roaring lions?
There’s nothing left of her but a few old bones,
    her towns trashed and deserted.
Egyptians from the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes
    have broken your skulls.
And why do you think all this has happened?
    Isn’t it because you walked out on your God
    just as he was beginning to lead you in the right way?

18-19 “And now, what do you think you’ll get by going off to Egypt?
    Maybe a cool drink of Nile River water?
Or what do you think you’ll get by going off to Assyria?
    Maybe a long drink of Euphrates River water?
Your evil ways will get you a sound thrashing, that’s what you’ll get.
    You’ll pay dearly for your disloyal ways.
Take a long, hard look at what you’ve done and its bitter results.
    Was it worth it to have walked out on your God?”
        God’s Decree, Master God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

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17 Have you not brought this on yourselves(A)
    by forsaking(B) the Lord your God
    when he led you in the way?
18 Now why go to Egypt(C)
    to drink water from the Nile[a]?(D)
And why go to Assyria(E)
    to drink water from the Euphrates?(F)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
    your backsliding(G) will rebuke(H) you.
Consider then and realize
    how evil and bitter(I) it is for you
when you forsake(J) the Lord your God
    and have no awe(K) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:18 Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile