2 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, ² Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, I remember ^[a]for thee the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; how thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. ³ Israel was holiness unto Jehovah, the first-fruits of his increase: all that devour him shall be held guilty; evil shall come upon them, saith Jehovah.

⁴ Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: ⁵ Thus saith Jehovah, What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? ⁶ Neither said they, Where is Jehovah that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of ^[b]the shadow of death, through a land that none passed through, and where no man dwelt? ⁷ And I brought you into a plentiful land, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. ⁸ The priests said not, Where is Jehovah? and they that handle the law knew me not: the ^[c]rulers also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

⁹ Wherefore I will yet contend with you, saith Jehovah, and with your children’s children will I contend. ¹⁰ For pass over to the isles of Kittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently; and see if there hath been such a thing. ¹¹ Hath a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. ¹² Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith Jehovah. ¹³ For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

¹⁴ Is Israel a servant? is he a home-born slave? why is he become a prey? ¹⁵ The young lions have roared upon him, and ^[d]yelled; and they have made his land waste: his cities are burned up, without inhabitant. ¹⁶ The children also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have ^[e]broken the crown of thy head. ¹⁷ Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, when he led thee by the way? ¹⁸ And now what hast thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the ^[f]Shihor? or what hast thou to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of ^[g]the River? ¹⁹ Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and a bitter, that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

²⁰ For of old time ^[h]I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bonds; and thou saidst, I will not ^[i]serve; for upon every high hill and under every green tree thou didst bow thyself, playing the harlot. ²¹ Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine unto me? ²² For though thou wash thee with lye, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord Jehovah. ²³ How canst thou say, I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift ^[j]dromedary traversing her ways; ²⁴ a wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind in her desire; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. ²⁵ Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst, It is in vain; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

²⁶ As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets; ²⁷ who say to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast ^[k]brought ^[l]me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. ²⁸ But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

²⁹ Wherefore will ye contend with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith Jehovah. ³⁰ In vain have I smitten your children; they received no ^[m]correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. ³¹ O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? or a land of ^[n]thick darkness? wherefore say my people, We are broken loose; we will come no more unto thee? ³² Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. ³³ How trimmest thou thy way to seek love! therefore even the wicked women hast thou taught thy ways. ³⁴ Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor: ^[o]thou didst not find them breaking in; but it is because of all these things. ³⁵ Yet thou saidst, I am innocent; surely his anger is turned away from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned. ³⁶ Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. ³⁷ From thence also shalt thou go forth, with thy hands upon thy head: for Jehovah hath rejected those in whom thou trustest, and thou shalt not prosper with them.