Jeremiah 2:12-27

12Be appalled, 1O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.13“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The 2fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves 3cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.

14“Is Israel 4a slave? Or is he a homeborn servant? Why has he become a prey?15The young 5lions have roared at him, They have 6roared loudly. And they have 7made his land a waste; His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.16Also the 8men of 9Memphis and Tahpanhes Have 10shaved the 11crown of your head.17Have you not 12done this to yourself By your forsaking the Lord your God When He 13led you in the way?18But now what are you doing 14on the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of the 1516Nile? Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the 17Euphrates?1918Your own wickedness will correct you, And your 19apostasies will reprove you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and 20bitter For you to forsake the Lord your God, And 21the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord 22God of hosts.

20“For long ago 2324I broke your yoke And tore off your bonds; But you said, ‘I will not serve!’ For on every 25high hill And under every green tree You have lain down as a harlot.21Yet I 26planted you a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the 27degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?22Although you 28wash yourself with lye And 29use much soap, The 30stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares the Lord 31God.23“32How can you say, ‘I am not defiled, I have not gone after the 33Baals’? Look at your way in the 34valley! Know what you have done! You are a swift young camel 35entangling her ways,24A 36wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion. In the time of her 37heat who can turn her away? All who seek her will not become weary; In her month they will find her.25Keep your feet from being unshod And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘38It is 39hopeless! No! For I have 40loved strangers, And after them I will walk.’

26“As the 41thief is shamed when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their princes And 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 42back to Me, And not their face; But in the 43time of their 44trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us.’