II.
Israel's sin against Jehovah and Jehovah's punishment upon Israel
2:1—45:5
A.
Israel's two evils—forsaking Jehovah, the fountain of living waters, and hewing out for themselves broken cisterns
2:1—3:5
Jer. 2
:1
2:1
And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
Jer. 2
:2
2:2
Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Jehovah:
I remember concerning you the kindness of your
ayouth,
The
blove of your
1bridal days,
When you
cfollowed after Me in the wilderness,
In a land that was not sown.
Jer. 2
:3
2:3
Israel was
aholiness to Jehovah,
The
bfirstfruits of His
1increase;
All who ate of it were guilty;
Evil came upon them,
Declares Jehovah.
Jer. 2
:4
2:4
Hear the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel.
Jer. 2
:5
2:5
Thus says Jehovah:
What iniquity did your fathers find in Me
That they went far away from Me
And walked after
1avanity And became vain?
Jer. 2
:6
2:6
And they did not say, Where is Jehovah,
Who
abrought us up from the land of Egypt,
Who brought us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and pits,
Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,
Through a land that no one passes through
And where no man dwells?
Jer. 2
:7
2:7
And I brought you into the
aland of the fruited field,
To eat its fruit and its goodness.
But you came and defiled My land
And made My inheritance an abomination.
Jer. 2
:8
2:8
The priests did not say,
Where is Jehovah?
And those who handle the law did not know Me,
And the shepherds transgressed against Me,
And the prophets prophesied by Baal
And followed after things that did not benefit
them.
Jer. 2
:9
2:9
Therefore I will yet contend with you, declares Jehovah;
And with your children’s children I will contend.
Jer. 2
:10
2:10
For pass over to the coastlands of Kittim and see,
And send
someone to Kedar and consider carefully,
And see if there has
ever been
anything like this.
Jer. 2
:11
2:11
Has a nation
ever exchanged
its gods,
Even though they are
ano gods?
But My people have exchanged their
1bglory For that which does not benefit
them.
Jer. 2
:12
2:12
Be appalled at this, O heavens,
And be horrified; be very desolate,
Declares Jehovah.
Jer. 2
:13
2:13
For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The
1afountain of living waters,
To hew out for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns,
Which hold no water.
Jer. 2
:14
2:14
Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn
slave?
Why has he become a prey?
Jer. 2
:15
2:15
The young lions roared over him;
They sounded their voices.
And they have made his land a waste;
His cities are burned, without inhabitant.
Jer. 2
:16
2:16
Also the children of Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have shaved the crown of your head.
Jer. 2
:17
2:17
Have you not done this to yourself
By your forsaking Jehovah your God
When He was leading you in the way?
Jer. 2
:18
2:18
And now what do you have on the road to
1aEgypt,
To drink the waters of the
2Shihor?
And what do you have on the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the
3River?
Jer. 2
:19
2:19
Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your
1apostasies will reprove you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing,
That you have forsaken Jehovah your God
And that My fear is not in you,
Declares the Lord Jehovah of hosts.
Jer. 2
:20
2:20
For long ago you broke your yoke;
You tore off your bonds;
And you said, I will not serve!
Indeed upon every high hill
And under every flourishing tree
You have lain down,
you have committed
1fornication.
Jer. 2
:21
2:21
Yet I, I had
aplanted you as a choice
bvine,
Wholly a faithful seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
Jer. 2
:22
2:22
For though you wash yourself with lye
And make use of much soap,
Your iniquity remains as a stain before Me,
Declares the Lord Jehovah.
Jer. 2
:23
2:23
How can you say, I am not defiled;
I have not gone after the Baals?
Look at your way in the valley;
Know what you have done.
You are like a swift young camel entangling her ways,
Jer. 2
:24
2:24
Like a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
Panting after the wind in her desire.
In her passion who can turn her away?
None that seek her will weary themselves:
They will find her in her month.
Jer. 2
:25
2:25
Keep your foot from being unshod
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, It is hopeless.
No! For I have loved strangers,
And I will go after them.
Jer. 2
:26
2:26
As the thief is ashamed when he is found,
So the house of Israel is ashamed —
They, their kings, their princes,
And their priests and their prophets,
Jer. 2
:27
2:27
Who say to a tree, You are my father;
And to a stone, You have brought me forth —
For they have turned
their back to Me,
And not
their faces.
Yet in a time of their trouble they will say,
Arise and save us.
Jer. 2
:28
2:28
But where are your
agods, whom you made for yourselves?
Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble;
For
baccording to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.
Jer. 2
:29
2:29
Why do you contend with Me?
You have all transgressed against Me,
Declares Jehovah.
Jer. 2
:30
2:30
In vain I have stricken your children:
They have taken no correction.
Your own sword has devoured your
aprophets Like a destroying lion.
Jer. 2
:31
2:31
O generation, attend to the word of Jehovah:
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a land of deep darkness?
Why do My people say, We roam about;
We will no longer come to You?
Jer. 2
:32
2:32
Can the virgin forget her
1ornaments,
Or the bride her
aattire?
But My people have
bforgotten Me
For days
2without number.
Jer. 2
:33
2:33
How you prepare your ways
To seek love!
Therefore you have even taught
Wicked women your ways.
Jer. 2
:34
2:34
Also on your skirts is found
The lifeblood of the innocent poor.
You did not find them breaking in,
But
killed them because of all these things.
Jer. 2
:35
2:35
But you said, I am innocent;
Surely His anger will turn from me.
I am about to enter into judgment with you,
Because you say, I have not sinned.
Jer. 2
:36
2:36
Why do you go about so much
To change your way?
You will be put to shame by Egypt also,
Even as you were put to shame by Assyria.
Jer. 2
:37
2:37
Indeed, from it you will go forth
With your hands upon your head;
For Jehovah has rejected those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper by them.
