The people of Judah left me and have burned incense [274] to other gods. They made me very angry. They made many idols. [275] That is why I will show my anger against this place. My anger will be like a fire that can’t be stopped!’
Jeremiah 2:13 - Easy To Read Version “My people have done two evil things.\par They turned away from me\par (I am the spring of living water),\par and they dug their own water cisterns.\par (They turned to other gods.)\par But their cisterns are broken.\par Those cisterns can’t hold water.\par Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 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. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and they have hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns which cannot hold water. American Standard Version (1901) 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. Common English Bible My people have committed two crimes: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water. And they have dug wells, broken wells that can’t hold water. Catholic Public Domain Version For my people have done two evils. They have forsaken me, the Fountain of living water, and they have dug for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that are unable to hold water. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version For my people have done two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have digged to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. |
The people of Judah left me and have burned incense [274] to other gods. They made me very angry. They made many idols. [275] That is why I will show my anger against this place. My anger will be like a fire that can’t be stopped!’
Lord, the fountain of life flows from you!\par Your light lets us see light.\par
I looked at all the things done on earth, and I saw that it is all a waste of time. It is like trying to catch the wind. {\cf2\super [6]}
Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time! {\cf2\super [1]}
Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time! {\cf2\super [47]}
But then I looked at all the things I had done. I thought about all the hard work I did. I decided it was all a waste of time! It was like trying to catch the wind. {\cf2\super [8]} There is nothing to gain from all the things we do in this life.
A person can work hard using all his wisdom and knowledge and skill. But that person will die and other people will get the things he worked for. Those people did not do the work, but they will get everything. That makes me very sad. That is also not fair and is senseless.
If a person does good and pleases God, then God will give that person wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But a person that sins will get only the work of gathering and carrying things. God takes from the bad person and gives to the good person. But all this work is useless. It is like trying to catch the wind. {\cf2\super [14]}
Then I thought, “Why do people work so hard?” I saw people try to succeed and be better than other people. Why? Because people are jealous. They don’t want other people to have more than they have. This is senseless. It is like trying to catch the wind. {\cf2\super [21]}
A cow knows its master.\par And a donkey knows the place where its owner feeds it.\par But the people of Israel don’t know me.\par My people don’t understand.”\par
The nation of Israel is full of guilt. This guilt is like a heavy weight the people have to carry. Those people are like bad children from evil families. They left the Lord. They insulted the Holy One (God) of Israel. They left him and treated him like a stranger.
Get your water from the spring of salvation.\par Then you will be happy.\par
\{The Lord says,\} “My people will be captured and taken away. Why? Because they don’t really know \{me\}. Some of the people living in Israel are important now. They are happy with their easy lives. But all those great people will become very thirsty and very hungry.
Why waste your money on something\par that is not real food?\par Why should you work for something\par that does not really satisfy you?\par Listen very closely to me,\par and you will eat the good food.\par You will enjoy the food\par that satisfies your soul.\par
The Lord said,\par “These are my people.\par These are my real children.”\par So the Lord saved those people.\par
And I will announce my judgment\par against my people.\par I will do this because they are bad people\par and they have turned against me.\par My people left me.\par They offered sacrifices to other gods.\par They worshiped idols that they had made\par with their own hands.\par
The leaders of the people send their servants\par to get water.\par The servants go to the water storage places,\par but they don’t find any water.\par The servants come back with empty jars.\par So they are ashamed and embarrassed.\par They cover their heads from shame.\par
Jerusalem, you left me.”\par This message is from the Lord.\par “Again and again you left me!\par So I will punish and destroy you.\par I am tired of holding back your punishment.\par
Lord, you are the hope of Israel.\par Lord, you are like a spring of living water.\par If a person quits following the Lord,\par then his life will be very short. {\cf2\super [139]} \par
You know that rocks never leave the fields\par by themselves. {\cf2\super [152]} \par You know that the snow on the mountains\par of Lebanon never melts.\par You know that cool, flowing streams\par do not become dry.\par
I will do these things because the people of Judah quit following me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. The people of Judah have burned sacrifices in this place to other gods. The people did not worship those gods long ago. Their ancestors {\cf2\super [157]} did not worship those gods. These are new gods from other countries. The kings of Judah filled this place with the blood of the innocent children.
Has any nation ever stopped worshiping their old gods so they could worship\par new gods?\par No! And their gods are not really gods at all!\par But my people\par stopped worshiping their glorious God\par and started worshiping idols\par that are worth nothing.\par
This trouble is your own fault!\par The Lord your God\par was leading you the right way, {\cf2\super [10]} \par but you turned away from him.\par
“A thief is ashamed when people catch him.\par In the same way,\par the people of Israel are ashamed,\par the kings and leaders are ashamed,\par and the priests and prophets are ashamed.\par
\{God said,\} “My people are foolish.\par They don’t know me.\par They are stupid children.\par They don’t understand.\par They are skillful at doing evil,\par but they don’t know how to do good.”\par
There are evil men among my people.\par Those evil men are like men\par that make nets for catching birds. {\cf2\super [35]} \par These men set their traps,\par But they catch men instead of birds.\par
The prophets tell lies.\par The priests will not do\par what they were chosen to do. {\cf2\super [36]} \par And my people love it this way!\par But what will you people do\par when your punishment comes?”\par
Why? Because I want to touch their heart. I want to show them I love them, even though they left me for their filthy idols.’
The man led me back to the entrance of the temple. I saw water coming out from under the east gate of the temple. (The front of the temple is on the east side.) The water flowed down from under the south end of the temple and ran south of the altar. {\cf2\super [463]}
But to my people,\par they are like an enemy.\par You steal the clothes right off the backs\par of people walking by.\par Those people think they are safe.\par But you \{take things from them\}\par like they are prisoners of war. {\cf2\super [32]} \par
\{The Lord says\},\par “My people, tell me what I did!\par Did I do something wrong against you?\par Did I make life too hard for you?\par
But at that time, a new spring of water will be opened for David’s family and for the other people living in Jerusalem. That fountain will be to wash away their sins and to make the people pure.
Jesus answered, “You don’t know about the thing God gives. And you don’t know who I am that asked you for a drink. If you knew these things, you would have asked me and I would have given you living water.”
The woman said, “Sir, where will you get that living water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with.
But the person that drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. That water I give will become like a spring of water flowing inside that person. That water will bring that person life forever.”
The last day of the festival came. It was the most important day. On that day Jesus stood and said with a loud voice, “If a person is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
The Lord said to Moses, “You will die soon. And after you have gone to be with your ancestors, [205] these people will not continue to be faithful to me. They will break the Agreement I made with them. They will leave me and begin worshiping other gods—the false gods of the land where they are going.
Those false teachers are like rivers that have no water. They are like clouds that are blown by a storm. A place in the deepest darkness has been kept for them.
The One on the throne said to me: “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega, {\cf2\super [158]} the Beginning and the End. I will give free water from the spring of the water of life to any person that is thirsty.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. The river was bright like crystal. The river flows from the throne of God and the Lamb.
The Spirit {\cf2\super [178]} and the bride say, “Come!” Every person that hears this should also say, “Come!” If a person is thirsty, let him come; that person can have the water of life as a free gift if he wants it.
But you left me and started worshiping other gods. So I refuse to save you again.
But your ancestors cried to the Lord for help. They said, ‘We have sinned. We left the Lord, and we served the false gods Baal [115] and Ashtoreth. [116] But now save us from our enemies, and we will serve you.’