Jeremiah 2  Legacy Standard Bible

⁹ “Therefore I will yet ^(Q)contend with you,” declares Yahweh,
“And with your sons’ sons I will contend.
¹⁰ For ^(R)cross to the coastlands of ^[b]Kittim and see,
And send to ^(S)Kedar and perceive closely
And see if there has been such a thing as this!
¹¹ Has a nation changed gods
Though ^(T)they were not gods?
But My people have ^(U)changed their glory
For that which does not profit.
¹² Be appalled, ^(V)O heavens, at this,
And be horribly afraid, be very devastated,” declares Yahweh.
¹³ “For My people have done two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The ^(W)fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves ^(X)cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.

¹⁴ “Is Israel ^(Y)a slave? Or is he a homeborn slave?
Why has he become plunder?
¹⁵ The young ^(Z)lions have roared at him;
They have given forth their voice.
And they have ^(AA)made his land a desolation;
His cities have been turned into ruin, without inhabitant.
¹⁶ Also the ^[c]men of ^(AB)Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have ^[d]shaved the ^(AC)top of your head.
¹⁷ Have you not ^(AD)done this to yourself
By your forsaking Yahweh your God
When He ^(AE)led you in the way?
¹⁸ But now what are you doing ^(AF)on the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of the ^[e](AG)Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the ^[f]River?
^19 (AH)Your own evil will chastise you,
And your ^(AI)acts of faithlessness will reprove you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and ^(AJ)bitter
For you to forsake Yahweh your God,
And ^(AK)the dread of Me is not in you,” declares Lord Yahweh of hosts.

²⁰ “For long ago ^[g](AL)I broke your yoke
And tore off your bonds;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every ^(AM)high hill
And under every green tree
You have lain down as a harlot.
²¹ Yet I ^(AN)planted you a choice vine,
A completely true seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the ^(AO)degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
²² Although you ^(AP)wash yourself with lye
And ^[h]use much soap,
The ^(AQ)stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares Lord Yahweh.
²³ “^(AR)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;
I have not walked after the ^(AS)Baals’?
Look at your way in the ^(AT)valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel ^(AU)entangling her ways,
²⁴ A ^(AV)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her ^[i]heat who can turn her away?
All who seek her will not become weary;
In her month they will find her.
²⁵ Keep your feet from being barefoot
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘^(AW)It is ^[j]hopeless!
No! For I have ^(AX)loved strangers,
And after them I will walk.’

²⁶ “As the ^(AY)thief is shamed when he is found,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their princes,
And their priests and their prophets,
²⁷ Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their ^(AZ)back to Me
And not their face;
But in the ^(BA)time when their evil comes they will say,
‘Arise and save us.’
²⁸ But where are your ^(BB)gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can ^(BC)save you
In the time when your evil comes;
For ^(BD)according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.

²⁹ “Why do you contend with Me?
You have ^(BE)all transgressed against Me,” declares Yahweh.
³⁰ “^(BF)In vain I have struck your sons;
They received no discipline.
Your ^(BG)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
³¹ O generation, ^[k]behold the word of Yahweh.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel
Or a ^(BH)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘^(BI)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
³² Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have ^(BJ)forgotten Me
Days without number.
³³ How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even ^[l]the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
³⁴ Also on your skirts is found
The ^(BK)lifeblood of the innocent needy;
You did not find them ^(BL)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
³⁵ Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will ^(BM)enter into judgment with you
Because you ^(BN)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
³⁶ Why do you ^(BO)despise Him so much
In changing your way?
Also, ^(BP)you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by ^(BQ)Assyria.
³⁷ From this place also you will go out
With ^(BR)your hands on your head;
For Yahweh has rejected ^(BS)those in whom you trust,
And you will not succeed with them.”