Israel Forsakes the Lord
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord,
“I remember the devotion of ayour youth,
your love bas a bride,
chow you followed me in the wilderness,
din a land not sown.
3 aIsrael was holy to the Lord,
bthe firstfruits of his harvest.
cAll who ate of it incurred guilt;
disaster came upon them,
declares the Lord.”
4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:
a“What wrong did your fathers find in me
that they went far from me,
band went after cworthlessness, and became worthless?
6 They did not say, a‘Where is the Lord
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us bin the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
in a land that none passes through,
where no man dwells?’
7 aAnd I brought you into a plentiful land
to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, byou defiled my land
and made my heritage an abomination.
8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
aThose who handle the law did not know me;
bthe shepherds transgressed against me;
cthe prophets prophesied by Baal
and went after dthings that do not profit.
9 “Therefore aI still contend with you,
declares the Lord,
and bwith your children’s children I will contend.
10 For cross to the coasts of aCyprus and see,
or send to bKedar and examine with care;
see if there has been such a thing.
11 aHas a nation changed its gods,
beven though they are no gods?
But my people chave changed their glory
for dthat which does not profit.
12 Be appalled, aO heavens, at this;
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,
13 for my people have committed two evils:
athey have forsaken bme,
the fountain of cliving waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.
14 a“Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant?
Why then has he become a prey?
15 aThe lions have roared against him;
they have roared loudly.
They have made his land a waste;
his cities are in ruins, bwithout inhabitant.
16 Moreover, the men of aMemphis and bTahpanhes
chave shaved the crown of your head.
17 aHave you not brought this upon yourself
by forsaking the Lord your God,
when bhe led you in the way?
18 aAnd now what do you gain by going to Egypt
to drink the waters of bthe Nile?
cOr what do you gain by going to Assyria
to drink the waters of dthe Euphrates?
19 aYour evil will chastise you,
and byour apostasy will reprove you.
Know and see that it is evil and cbitter
for dyou to forsake the Lord your God;
the fear of me is not in you,
declares the Lord God of hosts.
20 “For long ago I abroke your yoke
and burst your bonds;
but you said, b‘I will not serve.’
Yes, con every high hill
and under every green tree
you bowed down dlike a whore.
21 aYet I planted you a choice vine,
wholly of pure seed.
bHow then have you turned degenerate
and become a wild vine?
22 Though you wash yourself with lye
and use much soap,
athe stain of your guilt is still before me,
declares the Lord God.
23 aHow can you say, ‘I am not unclean,
I have not gone after the Baals’?
Look at your way bin the valley;
know what you have done—
a restless young camel running here and there,
24 aa wild donkey used to the wilderness,
in her heat sniffing the wind!
Who can restrain her lust?
None who seek her need weary themselves;
in her month they will find her.
25 Keep ayour feet from going unshod
and byour throat from thirst.
But you said, ‘It is hopeless,
cfor I have loved foreigners,
and after them I will go.’
26 “As a thief is shamed when caught,
so the house of Israel shall be shamed:
athey, their kings, their officials,
their priests, and their prophets,
27 who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their back to me,
and not their face.
But ain the time of their trouble they say,
‘Arise and save us!’
28 But awhere are your gods
that you made for yourself?
Let them arise, bif they can save you,
in your time of trouble;
for cas many as your cities
are your gods, O Judah.
29 “Why do you contend with me?
You have all transgressed against me,
declares the Lord.
30 In vain have I astruck your children;
they took no correction;
byour own sword devoured your prophets
like a ravening lion.
31 And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
or a land of thick darkness?
Why then do my people say, ‘We are free,
we will come no more to you’?
32 aCan a virgin forget her ornaments,
or a bride her attire?
Yet bmy people have forgotten me
days without number.
33 “How well you direct your course
to seek love!
So that even to wicked women
you have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
athe lifeblood of the guiltless poor;
you did not find them bbreaking in.
Yet in spite of all these things
35 you say, ‘I am innocent;
surely his anger has turned from me.’
aBehold, I will bring you to judgment
for bsaying, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 aHow much you go about,
changing your way!
You shall be bput to shame by Egypt
as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37 From it too you will come away
with ayour hands on your head,
for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
and you will not prosper by them.