Jeremiah 2

4Listen to the word of the LORD, people of Jacob—all you families of Israel!

5This is whatthe LORD says:“What did your ancestors find wrong with methat led them to stray so far from me?They worshiped worthless idols,only to become worthless themselves.

6They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORDwho brought us safely out of Egyptand led us through the barren wilderness—a land of deserts and pits,a Jand of drought and death,where no one lives or even travels?’

7“And when I brought you into a fruitful landto enjoy its bounty and goodness,you defiled my land andcorrupted the possession I had promised you.

8The priests did not ask,‘Where is the LORD?”Those who taught my word ignored me,the rulers turned against me,and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,wasting their time on worthless idols.

9Therefore, I will bring my case against you,”says the LORD.“{ will even bring charges against your children’s childrenin the years to come.

10“Go west and look in the land of Cyprus*;go east and search through the land of Kedar.Has anyone ever heard of anythingas strange as this?

11Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,even though they are not gods at all?Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God*for worthless idols!

12The heavens are shocked at such a thingand shrink back in horror and dismay,”says the LORD.

13“For my people have done two evil things:They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water.And they have dug for themselves cracked cisternsthat can hold no water at all!

The Results of Israel's Sin

1414 “Why has Israel become a slave?Why has he been carried away as plunder?

15Strong lions have roared against him,and the land has been destroyed.The towns are now in ruins,and no one lives in them anymore.

16Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis* and Tahpanhes,have destroyed Israel's glory and power.

17And you have brought this upon yourselvesby rebelling against the LORD your God,even though he was leading you on the way!

they turned from him, the fountain of living water, to the worshipof idols. Not only that, but the cisterns they chose were brokenand empty. The people had built religious systems in which tostore truth, but those systems were worthless. Why should wecling to the broken promises of unstable “cisterns” (money,power, religious systems, or whatever transitory thing we areputting in place of God) when God promises to constantly refreshus with living water (John 4:10)?2:16, 17 Memphis was near modern Cairo’s present location inlower Egypt, and Tahpanhes was in northeastern Egypt. Jeremiahcould be speaking of Pharach Shishak’s previous invasion ofJudah in 926 B.C. (1 Kings 14:25), or he may have been predictingPharaoh Neco’s invasion in 609 B.C. when King Josiah of Judahwould be killed (2 Kings 23:29, 30). Jeremiah’s point is that thepeople brought this on themselves by rebelling against God.

18“What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt and your covenants with Assyria? What good to you are the streams of the Nile* or the waters of the Euphrates River?* 19Your wickedness will bring its own punishment. Your turning from me will shame you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the LORD your God and not to fear him. I, the LORD, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken! 20“Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you said, ‘I will not serve you.’ On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols. 21But I was the one who planted you, choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine? 22No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. Istill see the stain of your guilt. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!

Israel, an Unfaithful Wife

2323 “You say, ‘That's not true![haven't worshiped the images of Baal!’But how can you say that?Go and look in any valley in the land!Face the awful sins you have done.You are like a restless female cameldesperately searching for a mate.

24You are like a wild donkey,sniffing the wind at mating time.Who can restrain her lust?Those who desire her don't need to search,for she goes running to them!2:18a Hebrew of Shihor, a branch of the Nile River. 2:18b Hebrew the river?KingJosiah

25When will you stop running?When will you stop panting after other gods?But you say, ‘Save your breath.I'm in love with these foreign gods,and I can’t stop loving them now!’

26“Israel is like a thiefwho feels shame only when he gets caught.They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets—all are alike in this.

27To an image carved from a piece of wood they say,‘You are my father.’To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say,‘You are my mother.’They turn their backs on me,but in times of trouble they cry out to me,‘Come and save us!’

28But why not call on these gods you have made?When trouble comes, let them save you if they can!For you have as many godsas there are towns in Judah.

29Why do you accuse me of doing wrong?You are the ones who have rebelled,”says the LORD.

30“I have punished your children,but they did not respond to my discipline.You yourselves have killed your prophetsas a lion kills its prey.

31“O my people, listen to the words of the LORD!Have I been like a desert to Israel?Have I been to them a land of darkness?Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God!We don’t need him anymore!’

32Does a young woman forget her jewelry?Does a bride hide her wedding dress?Yet for years on endmy people have forgotten me.

33“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers.Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!

34Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor,though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses!

35And yet you say,‘Thave done nothing wrong.Surely God isn’t angry with me!’But now I will punish you severelybecause you claim you have not sinned.

36First here, then there—you flit from one ally to another asking for help.

But your new friends in Egypt will let you down,just as Assyria did before.

37In despair, you will be led into exilewith your hands on your heads,for the LORD has rejected the nations you trust.They will not help you at all.3 1“If aman divorces a womanand she goes and marries someone else,he will not take her back again,for that would surely corrupt the land.But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers,so why are you trying to come back to me?”