| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1The LORD spoke to me. He said: | 1This message from 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 to Jerusalem: 'This is what the LORD says: "I remember the loyal devotion of your youth, your love as a bride. You followed me in the desert, in a land that was not planted. |
| 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 consecrated to the LORD, she was the first fruits of his produce. All who devoured her became guilty and disaster came on them," declares the LORD.'" |
| 4Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants of Jacob, all you family groups from the nation of Israel. | 4Listen to this message from the LORD, you descendants of Jacob and all the families of the descendants 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 did your ancestors find wrong with me that they left me, and pursued worthless things, and so they became worthless? |
| 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?' | 6"They didn't ask, 'Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through the land of desert and pits, through the land of dryness and deep darkness, a land that people don't pass through, and where no one lives?' |
| 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. | 7"I brought you into the fruitful land to eat its fruit and its good things. But you came in, defiled my land, and made my inheritance into an abomination. |
| 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. | 8"The priests didn't say, 'Where is the LORD?' and those handling the Law didn't know me. The rulers transgressed against me, the prophets prophesied by Baal, and they followed that which does not profit. |
| 9"So, once more I will state my case against you," says the LORD. "I will also state it against your children and grandchildren. | 9"Therefore I'll again accuse you," declares the LORD, "and I'll accuse your grandchildren." |
| 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: | 10"Indeed, go over to the coasts of Cyprus and see, send to Kedar and pay very close attention. See if there has ever been such a thing as 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 changed gods when they aren't even gods? But my people have exchanged their glory for that which does not profit. |
| 12Be amazed at this, O heavens! Be shocked and utterly dumbfounded," says the LORD. | 12Heavens, be appalled at this, be shocked, be utterly devastated," declares the LORD. |
| 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." | 13"Indeed, my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug cisterns for themselves, broken 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? | 14"Is Israel a slave, or was he born a servant? Why then has he become plunder? |
| 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. | 15Young lions roar at him, they cry out loudly. They have made his land into a wasteland, and his cities are destroyed so they are without inhabitants. |
| 16Even the soldiers from Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked your skulls, people of Israel. | 16Also, people from Memphis and Tahpanhes have 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. | 17You have done this to yourselves, have you not, by forsaking the LORD your God, when he is the one who led you on 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 are you doing on the road to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Nile? And what are you doing on the road to Assyria, to drink the waters 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 wickedness will be punished, and you will be corrected due to your acts of apostasy. Know and see that it's evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God, but the fear of me is not in you," declares the Lord GOD of the Heavenly 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. | 20"For long ago I broke your yoke and tore off your bonds, But you said, 'I won't serve you!' Instead, on every high hill and under every green tree, you bend down to commit fornication. |
| 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 myself as a choice vine, from the very best seed. How did you turn against me into a degenerate and 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. | 22Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me," declares the Lord GOD. |
| 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. | 23"How can you say, 'I'm not defiled. I haven't gone after the Baals.'? Look at what you've done in the valley. Know what you have done. You are a swift young camel galloping aimlessly; |
| 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 accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her passion. When she's in heat, who can turn her away? None of the males who pursue her need to tire themselves out, for in her month they'll find her." |
| 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!' | 25"Don't run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you say, 'It's hopeless! Because I love foreign gods, I'll go after 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. | 26"As a thief is disgraced when he's caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced— they, their kings, their princes, 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!' | 27who say to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave birth to me.' They have turned their back to me, but not their faces. In the time of their trouble, they'll say, 'Rise up! Deliver 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. | 28"But where are your gods that you made for yourselves? Let them rise up, if they can deliver you in the time of your trouble. You have as many gods as you have towns, Judah. |
| 29"Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me," says the LORD. | 29Why do you contend with me? You have rebelled against me," declares the LORD. |
| 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." | 30"I've punished your children with no results, they have accepted no discipline. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying 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?' | 31"You, generation, pay attention to this message from the LORD! Am I the desert to Israel, or a land of gloom? Why do my people say, 'We're free to roam? We won't come to you anymore.' |
| 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. | 32Will a young woman forget her wedding ornaments, or a bride her attire? But my people have forgotten me days without number. |
| 33"My, how good you have become at chasing after your lovers! Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two! | 33How well you perfect your techniques for seeking love. Therefore you can teach even the most immoral women your techniques. |
| 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, | 34On your skirts is found the lifeblood of the innocent poor, even though you didn't catch them breaking in. Yet despite 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 say, 'I'm innocent. Surely his anger has turned away from me.'" "I'm about to bring charges against you because you say, 'I haven't 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. | 36Why do you go about changing your mind so much? You will also be disappointed by Egypt, just as you were disappointed 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. | 37You will also go out from this place with your hands over your heads. For the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you won't prosper through them." |
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