| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1The LORD spoke to me. He said: | 1The LORD gave me another message. He said, |
| 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 shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the LORD says: “I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness. |
| 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.'" | 3In those days Israel was holy to the LORD, the first of his children. All who harmed his people were declared guilty, and disaster fell on them. I, the LORD, have spoken!” |
| 4Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants of Jacob, all you family groups from the nation of Israel. | 4Listen to the word of the LORD, people of Jacob—all you families 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 led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become 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 safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness— a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and death, where no one lives or even travels?’ |
| 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“And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the possession I had promised you. |
| 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 taught my word ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on 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. | 9Therefore, I will bring my case against you,” says the LORD. “I will even bring charges against your children’s children in the years to come. |
| 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“Go west and look in the land of Cyprus ; go east and search through the land of Kedar. Has anyone ever heard of anything as strange 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 any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! |
| 12Be amazed at this, O heavens! Be shocked and utterly dumbfounded," says the LORD. | 12The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says 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“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all! The Results of Israel’s Sin |
| 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“Why has Israel become a slave? Why has he been carried away as 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. | 15Strong lions have roared against him, and the land has been destroyed. The towns are now in ruins, and no one lives in them anymore. |
| 16Even the soldiers from Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked your skulls, people of Israel. | 16Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes, have destroyed Israel’s glory and power. |
| 17You have brought all this on yourself, Israel, by deserting the LORD your God when he was leading you along the right path. | 17And you have brought this upon yourselves by rebelling against the LORD your God, even though he was leading 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? | 18“What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt and your covenants with Assyria? What good to you are the streams of the Nile or the waters of the Euphrates River? |
| 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 bring its own punishment. Your turning from me will shame you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the LORD your God and not to fear him. I, the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken! |
| 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 I broke the yoke that oppressed you and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you said, ‘I will not serve you.’ On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols. |
| 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? | 21But I was the one who planted you, choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best. How did you grow into this 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. | 22No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! Israel, an Unfaithful Wife |
| 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“You say, ‘That’s not true! I haven’t worshiped the images of Baal!’ But how can you say that? Go and look in any valley in the land! Face the awful sins you have done. You are like a restless female camel desperately searching for a mate. |
| 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. | 24You are like a wild donkey, sniffing the wind at mating time. Who can restrain her lust? Those who desire her don’t need to search, for she goes running to them! |
| 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!' | 25When will you stop running? When will you stop panting after other gods? But you say, ‘Save your breath. I’m in love with these foreign gods, and I can’t stop loving them now!’ |
| 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“Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught. They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets— all are alike in this. |
| 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!' | 27To an image carved from a piece of wood they say, ‘You are my father.’ To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say, ‘You are my mother.’ They turn their backs on me, but in times of trouble they cry out to me, ‘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. | 28But why not call on these gods you have made? When trouble comes, let them save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are towns in Judah. |
| 29"Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me," says the LORD. | 29Why do you accuse me of doing wrong? You are the ones who have rebelled,” says 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 have punished your children, but they did not respond to my discipline. You yourselves have killed your prophets as a lion kills its prey. |
| 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“O my people, listen to the words of the LORD! Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been to them a land of darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God! We don’t need him 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. | 32Does a young woman forget her jewelry, or a bride her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me. |
| 33"My, how good you have become at chasing after your lovers! Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two! | 33“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you! |
| 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, | 34Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor, though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses! |
| 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.' | 35And yet you say, ‘I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn’t angry with me!’ But now I will punish you severely because you claim you 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. | 36First here, then there— you flit from one ally to another asking for help. But your new friends in Egypt will let you down, just as Assyria did before. |
| 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. | 37In despair, you will be led into exile with your hands on your heads, for the LORD has rejected the nations you trust. They will not help you at all. |
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