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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Jeremiah 2 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/jeremiah/2.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div 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frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../jeremiah/1.htm" title="Jeremiah 1">◄</a> Jeremiah 2 <a href="../jeremiah/3.htm" title="Jeremiah 3">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Israel's Unfaithfulness</h3>1The Lord told me 2to go to Jerusalem and tell everyone that he had said:When you were my young bride,you loved me and followed methrough the barren desert.3You belonged to me alone,like the first part of the harvest,and I severely punishedthose who mistreated you.4Listen, people of Israel,<a href="#fn" id="link_Jer.2.4!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> 5and I, the Lord, will speak.I was never unfairto your ancestors,but they left meand became worthlessby following worthless idols.6Your ancestors refusedto ask for my help,though I had rescued themfrom Egyptand led them througha treacherous, barren desert,where no one livesor dares to travel.7I brought you here to my land,where food is abundant,but you made my land filthywith your sins.8The priests who teach my lawsdon't care to know me.Your leaders rebel against me;your prophetsgive messages from Baaland worship false gods.<h3 class="s1">The Lord Accuses His People</h3>9I will take you to courtand accuse youand your descendants* 10of a crime that no nationhas ever committed before.Just ask anyone, anywhere,from the eastern desertsto the islands in the west.11You will find that no nationhas ever abandoned its godseven though they were false.I am the true and glorious God,but you have rejected meto worship idols.12Tell the heavensto tremble with fear!13You, my people, have sinnedin two ways—you have rejected me, the sourceof life-giving water,and you've tried to collect waterin cracked and leaking pitsdug in the ground.14People of Israel,you weren't born slaves;you were captured in war.15Enemies roared like lionsand destroyed your land;towns lie burned and empty.16Soldiers from the Egyptian townsof Memphis and Tahpanheshave cracked your skulls.17It's all your own fault!You stopped following me,the Lord your God,18and you trusted the powerof Egypt and Assyria.<a href="#fn" id="link_Jer.2.18!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> 19Your own sins will punish you,because it was a bitter mistakefor you to reject mewithout fear of punishment.I, the Lord All-Powerful,have spoken.20Long ago you left meand broke all ties between us,refusing to be my servant.Now you worship other godsby having sexon hilltops or in the shadeof large trees.<a href="#fn" id="link_Jer.2.20!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> 21You were a choice grapevine,but you have becomea wild, useless vine.<h3 class="s1">Israel Is Stained with Guilt</h3>22The Lord said:People of Israel,you are stained with guilt,and no soap or bleachcan wash it away.23You deny your sinsand say, “We aren't unclean.We haven't worshiped Baal.”<a href="#fn" id="link_Jer.2.23!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> But think about what you doin Hinnom Valley.<a href="#fn" id="link_Jer.2.23!f.2" class="notelink f-link">+</a> You run back and forthlike young camels,as you rush to worship one idolafter another.24You are a female donkeysniffing the desert air,wanting to matewith just anyone.You are an easy catch!25Your shoes are worn out,and your throat is parchedfrom running here and thereto worship foreign gods.“Stop!” I shouted,but you replied, “No!I love those gods too much.”26You and your leadersare more disgracefulthan thieves—you and your kings,your priests and prophets27worship stone idolsand sacred polesas if they had created youand had given you life.You have rejected me,but when you're in trouble,you cry to me for help.28Go cry to the gods you made!There should be enough of themto save you,because Judah has as many godsas it has towns.<h3 class="s1">Israel Rebels against the Lord</h3>29The Lord said to Israel:You accuse me of not saving you,but I say you have rebelled.30I tried punishing you,but you refusedto come back to me,and like fierce lionsyou killed my prophets.31Now listen to what I say!Did I abandon you in the desertor surround you with darkness?You are my people,yet you have told me,“We'll do what we want,and we refuseto worship you!”32A bride could not forgetto wear her jewelryto her wedding,but you have forgotten meday after day.33You are so cleverat finding loversthat you could give lessonsto a prostitute.34You killed innocent peoplefor no reason at all.And even though their bloodcan be seen on your clothes,35you claim to be innocent,and you want me to stopbeing angry with you.So I'll take you to court,and we'll see who is right.36When Assyria let you down,you quickly ran to Egypt,but you'll find no help there,37and you will leavein great sadness.<a href="#fn" id="link_Jer.2.37!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> I won't let you find helpfrom those you trust.</div> </div> <a name="fn"></a> Footnotes: <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">2.4 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Israel: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">After the nation was divided, the northern kingdom was called “Israel,” and the southern kingdom was called “Judah” (see 1 Kings 12.1-20). In 722 <char style="sc">b.c.</char> the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom, and Judah was all that was left. And so in the book of Jeremiah the name “Israel” is most often used of the southern kingdom.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">2.18 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">trusted … Assyria: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew “went to Egypt and drank from the Shihor River, and you went to Assyria and drank from the Euphrates River.”</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">2.20 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">having sex … trees: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">In some Canaanite religions, worshipers had sex with temple prostitutes, who represented their gods; many of the Canaanite places of worship were on hilltops or under large trees.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">2.23 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Baal: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Hebrew text has “the Baals,” probably because the god Baal was believed to be present in different forms at different places of worship.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">2.23 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Hinnom Valley: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew “the valley” (see 7.31-32; 19.1-6).</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">2.37 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">in great sadness: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “as prisoners.”</char></note></div></div> <div align="center">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. 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