| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 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 proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: "This is what the LORD says: "'I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through 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 devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook 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. | 4Hear the word of the LORD, you descendants of Jacob, all you clans 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 ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They 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 did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and 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. | 7I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and 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 did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?' Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless 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. | 9"Therefore I bring charges against you again," declares the LORD. "And I will bring charges 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 look, send to Kedar and observe closely; 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 changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. |
| 12Be amazed at this, O heavens! Be shocked and utterly dumbfounded," says the LORD. | 12Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror," 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"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, 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? | 14Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth? 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. | 15Lions have roared; they have growled at him. They have laid waste his land; his towns are burned and deserted. |
| 16Even the soldiers from Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked your skulls, people of Israel. | 16Also, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked 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 yourselves by forsaking the LORD your God when he led you in 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 why go to Egypt to drink water from the Nile? And why go to Assyria to drink water from 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 punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. |
| 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"Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, 'I will not serve you!' Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as 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 had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild 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. | 22Although you wash yourself with soap and use an abundance of cleansing powder, the stain of your guilt is still before me," declares the Sovereign LORD. |
| 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 am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals'? See how you behaved in the valley; consider what you have done. You are a swift she-camel running here and there, |
| 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 craving-- in her heat who can restrain her? Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will 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!' | 25Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, 'It's no use! I love foreign gods, and I must 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 is caught, so the people of Israel are disgraced-- they, their kings and 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!' | 27They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come 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. | 28Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns. |
| 29"Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me," says the LORD. | 29"Why do you bring charges against me? You have all 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"In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravenous 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 of this generation, consider the word of the LORD: "Have I been a desert to Israel or a land of great darkness? Why do my people say, 'We are free to roam; we will come to you no more'? |
| 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. | 32Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet 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 skilled you are at pursuing love! Even the worst of women can learn from 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, | 34On your clothes is found the lifeblood of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in spite of all this |
| 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 am innocent; he is not angry with me.' But I will pass judgment on you because you say, '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. | 36Why do you go about so much, changing your ways? You will be disappointed by Egypt as you were 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 leave that place with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not be helped by them. |
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