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word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: ‘This is what the Lord says:
“I remember you,
the devotion of your youth,
your love as a bride—
how you followed Me through the wilderness,
through a land that was not sown.
3 Israel was holy to the Lord,
the firstfruits of His harvest.
All who devoured him were held guilty,
and disaster came upon them”,
‘declares the Lord.
4 ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob,
and all the families of the house of Israel.
5 ‘This is what the Lord says:
“What fault did your forefathers find in Me
that they strayed so far from Me?
For they followed after worthless idols,
and became worthless themselves.
6 They stopped asking, ‘Where is the Lord,
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us through the wilderness,
through a land of deserts and ravines,
through a land of drought and darkness—
a land that no one travelled through and no one lived?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and abundant produce.
But after you entered, you defiled My land,
and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
The custodians of the law did not know Me;
and the rulers rebelled against Me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
and followed after wothless idols.
9 “Therefore, I will again bring charges against you”,
‘declares the Lord.
“and I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the isles of Kittim and look,
send to Kedar and observe carefully;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods,
even though they are not gods?
But My people have exchanged their Glory
for something of no benefit.
12 Be horrified at this, O heavens;
be shocked and utterly appalled”,
‘declares the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
the fountain of living water,
and have dug cisterns for themselves—
cracked cisterns
that cannot hold water.
14 “Is Israel a slave?
Was he born into slavery?
Why then has he become plunder?
15 The young lions have roared;
they have growled ferociously at him.
They have laid waste his land;
his cities are in ruins, without inhabitants.
16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have broken the crown of your head.
17 Have you not brought this on yourself
by forsaking the Lord your God,
while He was leading you along the way?
18 Now, why take the road down to Egypt,
to drink the waters of the Nile?
Or, why take the road to Assyria,
to drink the waters of the Euphrates?
19 Your own wickedness will chastise you,
and your backslidings will rebuke you.
So think it through and understand
how evil and bitter it is for you
to forsake the Lord your God,
and not have the fear of God in you”,
‘declares the Lord God of Hosts.
20 “For long ago I broke your yoke,
and tore off your bonds;
but you said, ‘I will not serve!’
Instead, on every high hill
and under every luxuriant tree
you lay down as a prostitute.
21 Yet I planted you as a noble vine,
from the very best seed.
How then did you transform before Me
into a degenerate, wild vine?
22 “Although you wash yourself with lye
and use an abundance of soap,
yet the stain of your guilt is still before Me”,
‘declares the Lord God.
23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the Baals’?
Look at how you behaved in the valley;
acknowledge what you have done.
You are a lustful young she-camel
urgently running here and there,
24 a wild donkey at home in the wilderness,
sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire.
Who can restrain her in her time of season?
All who search for her will not grow weary;
at mating time they will promptly find her.
25 Keep your feet from wearing bare,
and your throat from thirst.
But you said, ‘No, the situation is hopeless,
for I love strangers,
and I will go after them’.
26 “As a thief is disgraced when he is caught,
so the house of Israel is disgraced—
they, their kings, their officials,
their priests, and their prophets.
27 They say to wood, ‘You are my father’,
and to stone, ‘You gave birth to me’.
For they have turned their back to Me
and not their face,
yet in their time of trouble, they say,
‘Come and save us!’
28 But where are your gods that you made for yourself?
Let them come and save you
in your time of trouble, if they can!
For you have as many gods
as you have cities, O Judah.
29 “Why then do you make a case against Me?
You have all rebelled against Me,”
‘declares the Lord.
30 “I have punished your children in vain;
they would not accept correction.
Your own sword has devoured your prophets
like a ravenous lion.
31 “O generation of people, behold, the word of the Lord:
“Have I been like a desert to Israel,
or a land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘We have broken free,
we will not be coming to You anymore’?
32 Can a young woman forget her jewellery,
or a bride her wedding adornments?
Yet My people have forgotten Me,
for days without number.
33 “How skilfully you plan out your path
in the active pursuit of love!
You are even capable of teaching your ways
to the most corrupt of women.
34 Moreover, on your skirts are found
the lifeblood of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.
Yet in spite of all this
35You say, ‘I am innocent,
surely His anger will turn away from me’!
But I will certainly bring you to judgment,
because you say, ‘I have not sinned’.
36 Why do you constantly gad about,
always changing your ways?
You will be put to shame by Egypt,
just as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37 Indeed you will be led from that place
with your hands on your head;
for the Lord has rejected those you trust,
and you will not succeed, even with their help.