| NET Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The LORD spoke to me. He said: | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 2"Go and declare in the hearing of the people of Jerusalem: 'This is what the LORD says: "I have fond memories of you, how devoted you were to me in your early years. I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, through a land that had never been planted. | 2"Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: I remember the loyalty of your youth, your love as a bride--how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. |
| 3Israel was set apart to the LORD; they were like the first fruits of a harvest to him. All who tried to devour them were punished; disaster came upon them," says the LORD.'" | 3Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest. All who ate of it found themselves guilty; disaster came on them." This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 4Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants of Jacob, all you family groups from the nation of Israel. | 4Hear the word of the LORD, house of Jacob and all families of the house of Israel. |
| 5This is what the Lord says: "What fault could your ancestors have possibly found in me that they strayed so far from me? They paid allegiance to worthless idols, and so became worthless to me. | 5This is what the LORD says: What fault did your fathers find in me that they went so far from me, followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves? |
| 6They did not ask: 'Where is the LORD who delivered us out of Egypt, who brought us through the wilderness, through a land of desert sands and rift valleys, through a land of drought and deep darkness, through a land in which no one travels, and where no one lives?' | 6They stopped asking, "Where is the LORD who brought us 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 no one traveled through and where no one lived?" |
| 7I brought you into a fertile land so you could enjoy its fruits and its rich bounty. But when you entered my land, you defiled it; you made the land I call my own loathsome to me. | 7I brought you to a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but after you entered, you defiled my land; you made my inheritance detestable. |
| 8Your priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?' Those responsible for teaching my law did not really know me. Your rulers rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied in the name of the god Baal. They all worshiped idols that could not help them. | 8The priests quit asking, "Where is the LORD?" The experts in the law no longer knew me, and the rulers rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols. |
| 9"So, once more I will state my case against you," says the LORD. "I will also state it against your children and grandchildren. | 9Therefore, I will bring a case against you again. This is the LORD's declaration. I will bring a case against your children's children. |
| 10Go west across the sea to the coasts of Cyprus and see. Send someone east to Kedar and have them look carefully. See if such a thing as this has ever happened: | 10Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and take a look. Send someone to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this: |
| 11Has a nation ever changed its gods (even though they are not really gods at all)? But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God, for a god that cannot help them at all! | 11Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (But they were not gods!) Yet my people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. |
| 12Be amazed at this, O heavens! Be shocked and utterly dumbfounded," says the LORD. | 12Be appalled at this, heavens; be shocked and utterly desolated! This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 13"Do so because my people have committed a double wrong: they have rejected me, the fountain of life-giving water, and they have dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns which cannot even hold water." | 13For my people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves-- cracked cisterns that cannot hold water. |
| 14"Israel is not a slave, is he? He was not born into slavery, was he? If not, why then is he being carried off? | 14Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? Why else has he become a prey? |
| 15Like lions his enemies roar victoriously over him; they raise their voices in triumph. They have laid his land waste; his cities have been burned down and deserted. | 15The young lions have roared at him; they have roared loudly. They have laid waste his land. His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants. |
| 16Even the soldiers from Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked your skulls, people of Israel. | 16The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have also broken your skull. |
| 17You have brought all this on yourself, Israel, by deserting the LORD your God when he was leading you along the right path. | 17Have you not brought this on yourself by abandoning the LORD your God while he was leading you along the way? |
| 18What good will it do you then to go down to Egypt to seek help from the Egyptians? What good will it do you to go over to Assyria to seek help from the Assyrians? | 18Now what will you gain by traveling along the way to Egypt to drink the water of the Nile? What will you gain by traveling along the way to Assyria to drink the water of the Euphrates? |
| 19Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment. Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you. Know, then, and realize how utterly harmful it was for you to reject me, the LORD your God, to show no respect for me," says the Lord GOD who rules over all. | 19Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Recognize how evil and bitter it is for you to abandon the LORD your God and to have no fear of me. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD of Armies. |
| 20"Indeed, long ago you threw off my authority and refused to be subject to me. You said, 'I will not serve you.' Instead, you gave yourself to other gods on every high hill and under every green tree, like a prostitute sprawls out before her lovers. | 20For long ago I broke your yoke; I tore off your chains. You insisted, "I will not serve!" On every high hill and under every green tree you lay down like a prostitute. |
| 21I planted you in the land like a special vine of the very best stock. Why in the world have you turned into something like a wild vine that produces rotten, foul-smelling grapes? | 21I planted you, a choice vine from the very best seed. How then could you turn into a degenerate, foreign vine? |
| 22You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent. You can use as much soap as you want. But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see," says the Lord GOD. | 22Even if you wash with lye and use a great amount of bleach, the stain of your iniquity is still in front of me. This is the Lord GOD's declaration. |
| 23"How can you say, 'I have not made myself unclean. I have not paid allegiance to the gods called Baal.' Just look at the way you have behaved in the Valley of Hinnom! Think about the things you have done there! You are like a flighty, young female camel that rushes here and there, crisscrossing its path. | 23How can you protest, "I am not defiled; I have not followed the Baals"? Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. You are a swift young camel twisting and turning on her way, |
| 24You are like a wild female donkey brought up in the wilderness. In her lust she sniffs the wind to get the scent of a male. No one can hold her back when she is in heat. None of the males need wear themselves out chasing after her. At mating time she is easy to find. | 24a wild donkey at home in the wilderness. She sniffs the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can control her passion? All who look for her will not become weary; they will find her in her mating season. |
| 25Do not chase after other gods until your shoes wear out and your throats become dry. But you say, 'It is useless for you to try and stop me because I love those foreign gods and want to pursue them!' | 25Keep your feet from going bare and your throat from thirst. But you say, "It's hopeless; I love strangers, and I will continue to follow them." |
| 26Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught, so the people of Israel will suffer dishonor for what they have done. So will their kings and officials, their priests and their prophets. | 26Like the shame of a thief when he is caught, so the house of Israel has been put to shame. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets |
| 27They say to a wooden idol, 'You are my father.' They say to a stone image, 'You gave birth to me.' Yes, they have turned away from me instead of turning to me. Yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!' | 27say to a tree, "You are my father," and to a stone, "You gave birth to me." For they have turned their back to me and not their face, yet in their time of disaster they beg, "Rise up and save us!" |
| 28But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them save you when you are in trouble. The sad fact is that you have as many gods as you have towns, Judah. | 28But where are your gods you made for yourself? Let them rise up and save you in your time of disaster if they can, for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah. |
| 29"Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me," says the LORD. | 29Why do you bring a case against me? All of you have rebelled against me. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 30"It did no good for me to punish your people. They did not respond to such correction. You slaughtered your prophets like a voracious lion." | 30I have struck down your children in vain; they would not accept discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a ravaging lion. |
| 31You people of this generation, listen to what the LORD says. "Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel? Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you? Why then do you say, 'We are free to wander. We will not come to you any more?' | 31Evil generation, pay attention to the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do my people claim, "We will go where we want; we will no longer come to you"? |
| 32Does a young woman forget to put on her jewels? Does a bride forget to put on her bridal attire? But my people have forgotten me for more days than can even be counted. | 32Can a young woman forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet my people have forgotten me for countless days. |
| 33"My, how good you have become at chasing after your lovers! Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two! | 33How skillfully you pursue love; you also teach evil women your ways. |
| 34Even your clothes are stained with the lifeblood of the poor who had not done anything wrong; you did not catch them breaking into your homes. Yet, in spite of all these things you have done, | 34Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor. You did not catch them breaking and entering. But in spite of all these things |
| 35you say, 'I have not done anything wrong, so the LORD cannot really be angry with me any more.' But, watch out! I will bring down judgment on you because you say, 'I have not committed any sin.' | 35you claim, "I am innocent. His anger is sure to turn away from me." But I will certainly judge you because you have said, "I have not sinned." |
| 36Why do you constantly go about changing your political allegiances? You will get no help from Egypt just as you got no help from Assyria. | 36How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be put to shame by Egypt just as you were put to shame by Assyria. |
| 37Moreover, you will come away from Egypt with your hands covering your faces in sorrow and shame because the LORD will not allow your reliance on them to be successful and you will not gain any help from them. | 37Moreover, you will be led out from here with your hands on your head since the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not succeed even with their help. |
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