Jeremías 2

Israel abandona a Dios

1 La palabra del SEÑOR vino a mí:

2 «Ve y proclama a oídos de Jerusalén que así dice el SEÑOR:»“Recuerdo el amor de tu juventud,tu cariño de novia,cuando me seguías por el desierto,por tierras no cultivadas.

3 Israel estaba consagrada al SEÑOR,era las primicias de su cosecha;todo el que comía de ella sufría las consecuencias,les sobrevenía la calamidad”»,afirma el SEÑOR.

4 ¡Escuchen la palabra del SEÑOR, descendientes de Jacob,tribus todas del pueblo de Israel!

5 Así dice el SEÑOR:«¿Qué injusticia vieron en mí sus antepasados,que se alejaron tanto de mí?Se fueron tras lo que nada vale,y en nada se convirtieron.

6 Nunca preguntaron:“¿Dónde está el SEÑORque nos hizo subir de Egipto,que nos guió por el desierto,por tierra árida y accidentada,por tierra reseca y tenebrosa,por tierra que nadie transitay en la que nadie vive?”

7 Yo los traje a una tierra fértil,para que comieran de sus frutosy de su abundancia.Pero ustedes vinieron y contaminaron mi tierra;hicieron de mi heredad algo abominable.

8 Nunca preguntaron los sacerdotes:“¿Dónde está el SEÑOR?”Los expertos en la ley jamás me conocieron;los pastores se rebelaron contra mí,los profetas hablaron en nombre de Baaly se fueron tras dioses que para nada sirven.

9 Por eso, aún voy a entablar un litigio contra ustedes,y también litigaré contra los hijos de sus hijos—afirma el SEÑOR—.

10 »Crucen a las costas de Chipre, y miren;envíen mensajeros a Cedar,^[a] e infórmense bien;fíjense si ha sucedido algo semejante:

11 ¿Hay alguna nación que haya cambiado de dioses,a pesar de que no son dioses?¡Pues mi pueblo ha cambiado al que es su gloria,por lo que no sirve para nada!

12 ¡Espántense, cielos, ante esto!¡Tiemblen y queden horrorizados!—afirma el SEÑOR—.

13 »Dos son los pecadosque ha cometido mi pueblo:Me han abandonado a mí,fuente de agua viva,y han cavado sus propias cisternas,cisternas rotas que no retienen agua.

14 ¿Acaso es Israel un esclavo?¿Nació en la esclavitud?¿Por qué entonces lo saquean?

15 Los leones rugieron contra él,lanzaron fuertes gruñidos.Dejaron desolado su país,sus ciudades fueron incendiadas,y ya nadie las habita.

16 »Para colmo de males,los de Menfis^[b] y los de Tafneste raparon la cabeza.

17 ¿No te ha pasado todo estopor haber abandonado al SEÑOR tu Dios,mientras él te guiaba por el camino?

18 Y ahora, ¿qué sacas con ir a Egiptoa beber agua del Nilo?¿Qué sacas con ir a Asiriaa beber agua del Éufrates?

19 Tu maldad te castigará,tu infidelidad te recriminará.Ponte a pensar cuán malo y amargoes abandonar al SEÑOR tu Diosy no sentir temor de mí—afirma el Señor, el SEÑORTodopoderoso—.

20 »Desde hace mucho quebraste el yugo;te quitaste las atadurasy dijiste: “¡No quiero servirte!”Sobre toda colina alta,y bajo todo árbol frondoso,te entregaste a la prostitución.

21 Yo te planté, como vid selecta,con semilla genuina.¿Cómo es que te has convertidoen una vid degenerada y extraña?

22 Aunque te laves con lejía,y te frotes con mucho jabón,ante mí seguirá presentela mancha de tu iniquidad—afirma el SEÑOR omnipotente—.

23 »¿Cómo puedes decir:“No me he contaminado,ni me he ido tras los baales”?¡Considera tu conducta en el valle!¡Reconoce lo que has hecho!¡Camella ligera de cascos,que no puedes quedarte quieta!

24 ¡Asna salvaje que tiras al monte!Cuando ardes en deseos, olfateas el viento;cuando estás en celo, no hay quien te detenga.Ningún macho que te busque tiene que fatigarse:cuando estás en celo, fácilmente te encuentra.

25 »No andes con pies descalzos, que te lastimas,ni dejes que la garganta se te reseque.Pero tú insistes: “¡No tengo remedio!Amo a dioses extraños, y tras ellos me iré”.

26 »El pueblo de Israel se avergonzará,junto con sus reyes y autoridades,sacerdotes y profetas,como se avergüenza el ladrón cuando lo descubren.

27 A un trozo de madera le dicen:“Tú eres mi padre”,y a una piedra le repiten:“Tú me has dado a luz”.Me han vuelto la espalda;no quieren darme la cara.Pero les llega la desgracia y me dicen:“¡Levántate y sálvanos!”

28 ¿Dónde están, Judá, los dioses que te fabricaste?¡Tienes tantos dioses como ciudades!¡Diles que se levanten!¡A ver si te salvan cuando caigas en desgracia!

29 »¿Por qué litigan conmigo?Todos ustedes se han rebelado contra mí—afirma el SEÑOR—.

30 »En vano castigo a mi pueblo,pues rechaza mi corrección.Cual si fuera un león feroz,la espada de ustedes devoró a sus profetas.

31 »Pero ustedes, los de esta generación, presten atención a la palabra del SEÑOR:¿Acaso he sido para Israelun desierto o una tierra tenebrosa?¿Por qué dice mi pueblo:“Somos libres, nunca más volveremos a ti”?

32 ¿Acaso una joven se olvida de sus joyas,o una novia de su atavío?¡Pues hace muchísimo tiempoque mi pueblo se olvidó de mí!

33 ¡Qué mañosa erespara conseguir amantes!¡Hasta las malas mujereshan aprendido de ti!

34 Tienes la ropa manchada de sangre,de sangre de gente pobre e inocente,a los que nunca sorprendiste robando.Por todo esto

35 te voy a juzgar:por alegar que no has pecado,por insistir en tu inocencia,por afirmar: “¡Dios ya no está enojado conmigo!”

36 ¡Con qué ligereza cambias de parecer!^[c]Pues también Egipto te defraudará,como te defraudó Asiria.

37 Saldrás de allí con las manos en la nuca,porque el SEÑOR ha rechazadoa aquellos en quienes confías,y no prosperarás con ellos.

Jeremías 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

God expostulates with his people. (1-8) Their revolt beyond example. (9-13) Guilt the cause of sufferings. (14-19) The sins of Judah. (20-28) Their false confidence. (29-37)

Verses 1-8 Those who begin well, but do not persevere, will justly be upbraided with their hopeful and promising beginnings. Those who desert religion, commonly oppose it more than those who never knew it. For this they could have no excuse. God's spiritual Israel must own their obligations to him for safe conduct through the wilderness of this world, so dangerous to the soul. Alas, that many, who once appeared devoted to the Lord, so live that their professions aggravate their crimes! Let us be careful that we do not lose in zeal and fervency, as we gain knowledge.

Verses 9-13 Before God punishes sinners, he pleads with them, to bring them to repentance. He pleads with us, what we should plead with ourselves. Be afraid to think of the wrath and curse which will be the portion of those who throw themselves out of God's grace and favour. Grace in Christ is compared to water from a fountain, it being cooling and refreshing, cleansing and making fruitful: to living water, because it quickens dead sinners, revives drooping saints, supports and maintains spiritual life, and issues in eternal life, and is ever-flowing. To forsake this Fountain is the first evil; this is done when the people of God neglect his word and ordinances. They hewed them out broken cisterns, that could hold no water. Such are the world, and the things in it; such are the inventions of men when followed and depended on. Let us, with purpose of heart, cleave to the Lord only; whither else shall we go? How prone are we to forego the consolations of the Holy Spirit, for the worthless joys of the enthusiast and hypocrite!

Verses 14-19 Is Israel a servant? No, they are the seed of Abraham. We may apply this spiritually: Is the soul of man a slave? No, it is not; but has sold its own liberty, and enslaved itself to divers lusts and passions. The Assyrian princes, like lions, prevailed against Israel. People from Egypt destroyed their glory and strength. They brought these calamities on themselves by departing from the Lord. The use and application of this is, Repent of thy sin, that thy correction may not be thy ruin. What has a Christian to do in the ways of forbidden pleasure or vain sinful mirth, or with the pursuits of covetousness and ambition?

Verses 20-28 Notwithstanding all their advantages, Israel had become like the wild vine that bears poisonous fruit. Men are often as much under the power of their unbridled desires and their sinful lusts, as the brute beasts. But the Lord here warns them not to weary themselves in pursuits which could only bring distress and misery. As we must not despair of the mercy of God, but believe that to be sufficient for the pardon of our sins, so neither must we despair of the grace of God, but believe that it is able to subdue our corruptions, though ever so strong.

Verses 29-37 The nation had not been wrought upon by the judgements of God, but sought to justify themselves. The world is, to those who make it their home and their portion, a wilderness and a land of darkness; but those who dwell in God, have the lines fallen to them in pleasant places. Here is the language of presumptuous sinners. The Jews had long thrown off serious thoughts of God. How many days of our lives pass without suitable remembrance of him! The Lord was displeased with their confidences, and would not prosper them therein. Men employ all their ingenuity, but cannot find happiness in the way of sin, or excuse for it. They may shift from one sin to another, but none ever hardened himself against God, or turned from him, and prospered.

Footnotes

• [a] "Cedar" . Asentamiento de tribus beduinas en el desierto siro-arábigo.
• [b] "Menfis" . Lit. "Nof" .
• [c] "de parecer" . Alt. "de aliados" .

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 2

This chapter contains the prophet's message from the Lord to the people of the Jews; in which they are reminded of their former favours, in order to aggravate their sins and transgressions they were chargeable with; to show their ingratitude and unkindness, and to bring them to a conviction and acknowledgment of their iniquities, without which punishment would be inflicted on them. The preface to this message is in Jer 2:1,2, and the discourse begins with an account of their former state and condition when they came out of Egypt; what kindness was shown them by the Lord, and what was returned to him by them; what they were to him, and how much regarded by him, Jer 2:2,3 and so far were they from being injured by him, that might cause them to depart from him, which they are desired to give attention to, that they were followed with various instances of goodness, which are particularly enumerated; and yet no notice was taken of them, neither by people, priests, pastors, and prophets, who were guilty of the grossest ignorance and wickedness, Jer 2:4-8, wherefore the Lord determines to plead with them and theirs; and charges them with such idolatry as was not to be found among the Gentiles, Jer 1:9-11 the heavens are called upon to be astonished at it; and the reason given for it, the ingratitude and folly of this people, Jer 2:12,13 in order to reclaim them, the Lord by the prophet proceeds to observe to them the corrections and chastisement they had already endured, being brought into bondage, their land wasted, cities burnt, and their glory taken from them; all which were owing to their revoltings and backslidings, and by which they might see what an evil and bitter thing sin is in its effects, Jer 2:14-19 and again reminds them of former favours; how that he loosed them from their yoke and bonds, when they promised to transgress no more, and yet did more and more; how he had raised them from a right seed, and planted them a noble vine, and yet they were sadly degenerated, and were guilty of such crimes as were not to be removed by anything done by them, Jer 2:20-22, and notwithstanding all this, they had the impudence to deny that they were tainted with idolatry, when they had been so guilty of it in the valley of Hinnom, and elsewhere; and were comparable to the lustful dromedary and wild ass, and so fond of strange gods, that they thirsted after them, and were resolved to follow them, Jer 2:23-25 and yet the time would come when all ranks of men among them would be ashamed of their worship of stocks and stones, and in the time of their trouble call upon the Lord to save them, when they would be sent to their gods, who were as numerous as their cities, Jer 2:26-28 wherefore it was in vain to plead their innocence, when they were all so guilty, and had received correction without amendment, and had even slain the prophets of the Lord, Jer 2:29,30 and then the Lord again upbraids them with their ingratitude to him, who had been so good and kind to them; with their forgetfulness of him, illustrated by a maid's not forgetting her ornaments, and a bride her attire; with their artful methods to entice others to idolatry, and with their shedding of innocent blood; and yet, after all this, they asserted their innocence, and affirmed they had never sinned, Jer 2:31-35, for all which sentence is pronounced against them, and punishment is threatened them, Jer 2:36,37.