| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 1The LORD spoke to me. He said: |
| 2“Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown. | 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. |
| 3Israel was holiness to the LORD, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the LORD.’ ” | 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.'" |
| 4Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. | 4Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants of Jacob, all you family groups from the nation of Israel. |
| 5Thus says the LORD: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters? | 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. |
| 6Neither did they say, ‘Where is the LORD, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led 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 crossed And where no one dwelt?’ | 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?' |
| 7I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination. | 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. |
| 8The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit. | 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. |
| 9“Therefore I will yet bring charges against you,” says the LORD, “And against your children’s children I will bring charges. | 9"So, once more I will state my case against you," says the LORD. "I will also state it against your children and grandchildren. |
| 10For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see, Send to Kedar and consider diligently, And see if there has been such a thing. | 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: |
| 11Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit. | 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! |
| 12Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the LORD. | 12Be amazed at this, O heavens! Be shocked and utterly dumbfounded," says the LORD. |
| 13“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. | 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." |
| 14“Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he plundered? | 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? |
| 15The young lions roared at him, and growled; They made his land waste; His cities are burned, without inhabitant. | 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. |
| 16Also the people of Noph and Tahpanhes Have broken the crown of your head. | 16Even the soldiers from Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked your skulls, people of Israel. |
| 17Have you not brought this on yourself, In that you have forsaken the LORD your God When He led you in the way? | 17You have brought all this on yourself, Israel, by deserting the LORD your God when he was leading you along the right path. |
| 18And now why take the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the River? | 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? |
| 19Your own wickedness will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing That you have forsaken the LORD your God, And the fear of Me is not in you,” Says the Lord GOD of hosts. | 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. |
| 20“For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; And you said, ‘I will not transgress,’ When on every high hill and under every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot. | 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. |
| 21Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine? | 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? |
| 22For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me,” says the Lord GOD. | 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. |
| 23“How can you say, ‘I am not polluted, I have not gone after the Baals’? See your way in the valley; Know what you have done: You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways, | 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. |
| 24A wild donkey used to the wilderness, That sniffs at the wind in her desire; In her time of mating, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves; In her month they will find her. | 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. |
| 25Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘There is no hope. No! For I have loved aliens, and after them I will go.’ | 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!' |
| 26“As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, So is the house of Israel ashamed; They and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets, | 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. |
| 27Saying 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. But in the time of their trouble They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’ | 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!' |
| 28But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, If they can save you in the time of your trouble; For according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah. | 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. |
| 29“Why will you plead with Me? You all have transgressed against Me,” says the LORD. | 29"Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me," says the LORD. |
| 30“In vain I have chastened your children; They received no correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion. | 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." |
| 31“O generation, see the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; We will come no more to You’? | 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?' |
| 32Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number. | 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. |
| 33“Why do you beautify your way to seek love? Therefore you have also taught The wicked women your ways. | 33"My, how good you have become at chasing after your lovers! Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two! |
| 34Also on your skirts is found The blood of the lives of the poor innocents. I have not found it by secret search, But plainly on all these things. | 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, |
| 35Yet you say, ‘Because I am innocent, Surely His anger shall turn from me.’ Behold, I will plead My case against you, Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’ | 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.' |
| 36Why do you gad about so much to change your way? Also you shall be ashamed of Egypt as you were ashamed of Assyria. | 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. |
| 37Indeed you will go forth from him With your hands on your head; For the LORD has rejected your trusted allies, And you will not prosper by them. | 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. |
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