Israel Has Forsaken God 1 DBY And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, BSB BSB: Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 DBY Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: I remember for thee the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. BSB BSB: “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.
3 DBY Israel was holiness unto Jehovah, the first-fruits of his increase: all that devour him are guilty; evil shall come upon them, saith Jehovah. BSB BSB: Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who devoured her were found guilty; disaster came upon them,’” declares the LORD.
4 DBY Hear the word of Jehovah, house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. BSB BSB: Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel.
5 DBY Thus saith Jehovah: What injustice have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and become vain? BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me? They followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves.
6 DBY And they said not, Where is Jehovah, that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and of pits, in a land of drought and of the shadow of death, in a land that no one passeth through, and where no man dwelleth? BSB BSB: They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
7 DBY And I brought you into a fruitful land, to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof; and ye entered and defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. BSB BSB: I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but you came and defiled My land and made My inheritance detestable.
8 DBY The priests said not, Where is Jehovah? and they that handled the law knew me not; and the shepherds transgressed against me; and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. BSB BSB: The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.
9 DBY Therefore will I yet plead with you, saith Jehovah, and with your children's children will I plead. BSB BSB: Therefore, I will contend with you again, declares the LORD, and I will bring a case against your children’s children.
10 DBY For pass over to the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there have been such a thing. BSB BSB: Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and take a look; send to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 DBY Hath a nation changed its gods? and they are no gods; — but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. BSB BSB: Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.
12 DBY Be astonished, ye heavens, at this, and shudder; be amazed very much, saith Jehovah. BSB BSB: Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,” declares the LORD.
The Consequence of Israel’s Sin 14 DBY Is Israel a bondman? Is he a home-born slave ? Why is he become a spoil? BSB BSB: Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? Why then has he become prey?
15 DBY The young lions roared against him, they gave forth their voice, and they made his land desolate: his cities are burned, without inhabitant. BSB BSB: The young lions have roared at him; they have sounded their voices. They have laid waste his land; his cities lie in ruins, without inhabitant.
16 DBY Even the children of Noph and Tahapanes have fed on the crown of thy head. BSB BSB: The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head.
17 DBY Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, at the time he was leading thee in the way? BSB BSB: Have you not brought this on yourself by forsaking the LORD your God when He led you in the way?
18 DBY And now, what hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the River? BSB BSB: Now what will you gain on your way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?
19 DBY Thine own wickedness chastiseth thee, and thy backslidings reprove thee: know then and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts. BSB BSB: Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Consider and realize how evil and bitter it is for you to forsake the LORD your God and to have no fear of Me,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.
20 DBY For of old thou hast broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not serve. For upon every high hill, and under every green tree, thou bowest down, playing the harlot. BSB BSB: “For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute.
21 DBY And I, — I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate shoots of a strange vine unto me? BSB BSB: I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How could you turn yourself before Me into a rotten, wild vine?
22 DBY For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much potash, thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord Jehovah. BSB BSB: Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,” declares the Lord GOD.
Israel’s Unfaithfulness (Judges 2:10–15; Isaiah 43:22–28)
23 DBY How sayest thou, I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baals? See thy way in the valley, acknowledge what thou hast done — a swift dromedary traversing her ways! BSB BSB: “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’? Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. You are a swift young she-camel galloping here and there,
24 DBY — a wild ass, used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind in her desire! In her ardour, who shall turn her away? All they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. BSB BSB: a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her.
25 DBY Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst, There is no hope; no, for I love strangers, and after them will I go. BSB BSB: You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’
26 DBY As a thief is ashamed when he is found, so shall the house of Israel be ashamed — they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets — BSB BSB: As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets
27 DBY saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth; for they have turned the back unto me, and not the face; and in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us! BSB BSB: say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Yet in the time of trouble, they say, ‘Rise up and save us!’
28 DBY Where then are thy gods that thou hast made for thyself? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for as the number of thy cities, are thy gods, O Judah. BSB BSB: But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.
29 DBY Wherefore would ye contend with me? Ye all have transgressed against me, saith Jehovah. BSB BSB: Why do you bring a case against Me? You have all rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD.
30 DBY In vain have I smitten your children: they received no correction. Your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. BSB BSB: “I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.”
31 DBY O generation, mark ye the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Wherefore say my people, We have dominion; we will come no more unto thee? BSB BSB: You people of this generation, consider the word of the LORD: “Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to You no more’?
32 DBY Doth a virgin forget her ornaments, a bride her attire? But my people have forgotten me days without number. BSB BSB: Does a maiden forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me for days without number.
33 DBY How dost thou trim thy way to seek love! Therefore hast thou also accustomed thy ways to wickedness. BSB BSB: How skillfully you pursue love! Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways.
34 DBY Yea, in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor, whom thou didst not encounter breaking in, but it is found upon all these. BSB BSB: Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor, though you did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things
35 DBY And thou sayest, Indeed I am innocent; his anger will turn from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee because thou sayest, I have not sinned. BSB BSB: you say, ‘I am innocent. Surely His anger will turn from me.’ Behold, I will judge you, because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 DBY Why dost thou gad about so much, and change thy way? Thou shalt also be brought to shame by Egypt, as thou wast brought to shame by Assyria. BSB BSB: How impulsive you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria.
37 DBY Thou shalt indeed go forth from her with thy hands upon thy head; for Jehovah hath rejected those thou confidest in, and thou shalt not prosper by them. BSB BSB: Moreover, you will leave that place with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not prosper by their help.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.