| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1The word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 1The LORD spoke to me. He said: |
| 2“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the LORD, “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. | 2"Go and declare in the hearing of the people of Jerusalem: 'This is what the LORD says: "I have fond memories of you, how devoted you were to me in your early years. I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, through a land that had never been planted. |
| 3Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest. All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the LORD.” | 3Israel was set apart to the LORD; they were like the first fruits of a harvest to him. All who tried to devour them were punished; disaster came upon them," says the LORD.'" |
| 4Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. | 4Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants of Jacob, all you family groups from the nation of Israel. |
| 5Thus says the LORD: “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? | 5This is what the Lord says: "What fault could your ancestors have possibly found in me that they strayed so far from me? They paid allegiance to worthless idols, and so became worthless to me. |
| 6They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’ | 6They did not ask: 'Where is the LORD who delivered us out of Egypt, who brought us through the wilderness, through a land of desert sands and rift valleys, through a land of drought and deep darkness, through a land in which no one travels, and where no one lives?' |
| 7And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. | 7I brought you into a fertile land so you could enjoy its fruits and its rich bounty. But when you entered my land, you defiled it; you made the land I call my own loathsome to me. |
| 8The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. | 8Your priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?' Those responsible for teaching my law did not really know me. Your rulers rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied in the name of the god Baal. They all worshiped idols that could not help them. |
| 9“Therefore I still contend with you, declares the LORD, and with your children’s children I will contend. | 9"So, once more I will state my case against you," says the LORD. "I will also state it against your children and grandchildren. |
| 10For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. | 10Go west across the sea to the coasts of Cyprus and see. Send someone east to Kedar and have them look carefully. See if such a thing as this has ever happened: |
| 11Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. | 11Has a nation ever changed its gods (even though they are not really gods at all)? But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God, for a god that cannot help them at all! |
| 12Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, | 12Be amazed at this, O heavens! Be shocked and utterly dumbfounded," says the LORD. |
| 13for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. | 13"Do so because my people have committed a double wrong: they have rejected me, the fountain of life-giving water, and they have dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns which cannot even hold water." |
| 14“Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant? Why then has he become a prey? | 14"Israel is not a slave, is he? He was not born into slavery, was he? If not, why then is he being carried off? |
| 15The lions have roared against him; they have roared loudly. They have made his land a waste; his cities are in ruins, without inhabitant. | 15Like lions his enemies roar victoriously over him; they raise their voices in triumph. They have laid his land waste; his cities have been burned down and deserted. |
| 16Moreover, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head. | 16Even the soldiers from Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked your skulls, people of Israel. |
| 17Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the LORD your God, when he led you in the way? | 17You have brought all this on yourself, Israel, by deserting the LORD your God when he was leading you along the right path. |
| 18And now what do you gain by going to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates? | 18What good will it do you then to go down to Egypt to seek help from the Egyptians? What good will it do you to go over to Assyria to seek help from the Assyrians? |
| 19Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord GOD of hosts. | 19Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment. Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you. Know, then, and realize how utterly harmful it was for you to reject me, the LORD your God, to show no respect for me," says the Lord GOD who rules over all. |
| 20“For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; but you said, ‘I will not serve.’ Yes, on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore. | 20"Indeed, long ago you threw off my authority and refused to be subject to me. You said, 'I will not serve you.' Instead, you gave yourself to other gods on every high hill and under every green tree, like a prostitute sprawls out before her lovers. |
| 21Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine? | 21I planted you in the land like a special vine of the very best stock. Why in the world have you turned into something like a wild vine that produces rotten, foul-smelling grapes? |
| 22Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord GOD. | 22You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent. You can use as much soap as you want. But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see," says the Lord GOD. |
| 23How can you say, ‘I am not unclean, I have not gone after the Baals’? Look at your way in the valley; know what you have done— a restless young camel running here and there, | 23"How can you say, 'I have not made myself unclean. I have not paid allegiance to the gods called Baal.' Just look at the way you have behaved in the Valley of Hinnom! Think about the things you have done there! You are like a flighty, young female camel that rushes here and there, crisscrossing its path. |
| 24a wild donkey used to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her. | 24You are like a wild female donkey brought up in the wilderness. In her lust she sniffs the wind to get the scent of a male. No one can hold her back when she is in heat. None of the males need wear themselves out chasing after her. At mating time she is easy to find. |
| 25Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is hopeless, for I have loved foreigners, and after them I will go.’ | 25Do not chase after other gods until your shoes wear out and your throats become dry. But you say, 'It is useless for you to try and stop me because I love those foreign gods and want to pursue them!' |
| 26“As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed: they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, | 26Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught, so the people of Israel will suffer dishonor for what they have done. So will their kings and officials, their priests and their prophets. |
| 27who 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 say, ‘Arise and save us!’ | 27They say to a wooden idol, 'You are my father.' They say to a stone image, 'You gave birth to me.' Yes, they have turned away from me instead of turning to me. Yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!' |
| 28But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you, in your time of trouble; for as many as your cities are your gods, O Judah. | 28But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them save you when you are in trouble. The sad fact is that you have as many gods as you have towns, Judah. |
| 29“Why do you contend with me? You have all transgressed against me, declares the LORD. | 29"Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me," says the LORD. |
| 30In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction; your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion. | 30"It did no good for me to punish your people. They did not respond to such correction. You slaughtered your prophets like a voracious lion." |
| 31And you, O generation, behold the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘We are free, we will come no more to you’? | 31You people of this generation, listen to what the LORD says. "Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel? Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you? Why then do you say, 'We are free to wander. We will not come to you any more?' |
| 32Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. | 32Does a young woman forget to put on her jewels? Does a bride forget to put on her bridal attire? But my people have forgotten me for more days than can even be counted. |
| 33“How well you direct your course to seek love! So that even to wicked women you have taught your ways. | 33"My, how good you have become at chasing after your lovers! Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two! |
| 34Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of the guiltless poor; you did not find them breaking in. Yet in spite of all these things | 34Even your clothes are stained with the lifeblood of the poor who had not done anything wrong; you did not catch them breaking into your homes. Yet, in spite of all these things you have done, |
| 35you say, ‘I am innocent; surely his anger has turned from me.’ Behold, I will bring you to judgment for saying, ‘I have not sinned.’ | 35you say, 'I have not done anything wrong, so the LORD cannot really be angry with me any more.' But, watch out! I will bring down judgment on you because you say, 'I have not committed any sin.' |
| 36How much you go about, changing your way! You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria. | 36Why do you constantly go about changing your political allegiances? You will get no help from Egypt just as you got no help from Assyria. |
| 37From it too you will come away with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper by them. | 37Moreover, you will come away from Egypt with your hands covering your faces in sorrow and shame because the LORD will not allow your reliance on them to be successful and you will not gain any help from them. |
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