Judah's Apostasy
1
Now the
word of the
LORD came to me
saying,
2
"Go and
proclaim in the
ears of
Jerusalem,
saying,
'Thus says the
LORD, "I
remember concerning you the
devotion of your
youth, The
love of your
betrothals, Your
following after Me in the
wilderness, Through a
land not
sown.
3
"Israel was
holy to the
LORD, The
first of His
harvest.
All who
ate of it
became guilty ;
Evil came upon them,"
declares the
LORD.' "
4
Hear the
word of the
LORD, O
house of
Jacob, and
all the
families of the
house of
Israel.
6
"They did not
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 of
pits, Through a
land of
drought and of
deep darkness, Through a
land that
no one crossed And
where no man dwelt ?'
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8
"The
priests did not
say,
'Where is the
LORD ?' And those who
handle the
law did not
know Me; The
rulers also
transgressed against Me, And the
prophets prophesied by
Baal And
walked after things that did not
profit.
9
"Therefore I will
yet contend with you,"
declares the
LORD, "And with your
sons' sons I will
contend.
10
"For
cross to the
coastlands of
Kittim and
see, And
send to
Kedar and
observe closely And
see if there has
been such a thing as
this !
11
"Has a
nation changed gods When they were not
gods ? But My
people have
changed their
glory For that which does not
profit.
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14
"Is
Israel a
slave ?
Or is he a
homeborn * servant?
Why has he
become a
prey ?
15
"The
young lions have
roared at him, They have
roared * loudly *. And they have
made his
land a
waste ; His
cities have been
destroyed,
without inhabitant.
17
"Have you not
done this to yourself By your
forsaking the
LORD your
God When He
led you in the
way ?
18
"But
now what are you doing on the
road to
Egypt, To
drink the
waters of the
Nile ? Or
what are you doing on the
road to
Assyria, To
drink the
waters of the
Euphrates ?
19
" Your own
wickedness will
correct you, And your
apostasies will
reprove you;
Know therefore and
see that it is
evil and
bitter For you to
forsake the
LORD your
God, And the
dread of Me is not in you,"
declares the
Lord GOD of
hosts.
20
"For
long ago I
broke your
yoke And
tore off your
bonds ; But you
said, 'I will not
serve !' For on
every high hill And
under every green tree You have
lain down as a
harlot.
21
"Yet I
planted you a
choice vine, A
completely faithful seed.
How then have you
turned yourself before Me Into the
degenerate shoots of a
foreign vine ?
22
"Although * you
wash yourself with
lye And
use much soap, The
stain of your
iniquity is
before Me,"
declares the
Lord GOD.
23
"
How can you
say, 'I am not
defiled, I have not
gone after the
Baals '?
Look at your
way in the
valley !
Know what you have
done ! You are a
swift young camel entangling her
ways,
24
A
wild donkey accustomed to the
wilderness, That
sniffs the
wind in her
passion *. In the time of her
heat who can
turn her
away ?
All who
seek her will not
become weary ; In her
month they will
find her.
25
"Keep your
feet from being
unshod And your
throat from
thirst ; But you
said, ' It is
hopeless !
No ! For I have
loved strangers, And
after them I will
walk.'
26
"As the
thief is
shamed when he is
discovered,
So the
house of
Israel is
shamed ; They, their
kings, their
princes And 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 in the
time of their
trouble they will
say,
'Arise and
save us.'
28
"But
where are your
gods Which you
made for yourself? 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.
29
"Why do you
contend with Me? You have
all transgressed against Me,"
declares the
LORD.
31
"O
generation,
heed the
word of the
LORD. Have I
been a
wilderness to
Israel,
Or a
land of
thick darkness ?
Why do My
people say, ' We are free to
roam ; We will
no longer come to You'?
34
"Also on your
skirts is
found The
lifeblood * of the
innocent poor ; You did not
find them
breaking in. But in
spite of
all these things,
35
Yet you
said, 'I am
innocent ;
Surely His
anger is
turned away from me.'
Behold, I will
enter into
judgment with you
Because you
say, 'I have not
sinned.'
36
"Why do you
go around
so much Changing your
way ?
Also, you will be
put to
shame by
Egypt As you were
put to
shame by
Assyria.
37
"From
this place
also you will
go out With your
hands on your
head ; For the
LORD has
rejected those in
whom you
trust, And you will not
prosper with them."