Jeremiah 2:2 - Easy To Read Version “Jeremiah, go and speak to the people of Jerusalem. Say to them: Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the Lord: I [earnestly] remember the kindness and devotion of your youth, your love after your betrothal [in Egypt] and marriage [at Sinai] when you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. American Standard Version (1901) 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; how thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Common English Bible Go and proclaim to the people of Jerusalem, The LORD proclaims: I remember your first love, your devotion as a young bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in an unplanted land. Catholic Public Domain Version "Go, and cry out to the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus says the Lord: I have remembered you, taking pity on your youth and on the charity of your betrothal, when you followed me into the desert, into a land which is not sown. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the Lord: I have remembered thee, pitying thy youth and the love of thy espousals, when thou followedst me in the desert, in a land that is not sown. |
The people of Israel saw the great power of the Lord when he defeated the Egyptians. So the people feared and respected the Lord. They began to trust the Lord and his servant Moses.
And Moses said, “You have been complaining, and the Lord has heard your complaints. So tonight the Lord will give you meat. And in the morning you will have all the bread you need. You have been complaining to Aaron and me. But now, maybe we will have a little rest. Remember, you are not complaining against Aaron and me. You are complaining against the Lord.”
Listen! Wisdom {\cf2\super [2]} is trying to teach people. She (Wisdom) is shouting in the streets and in the market place.
Shout as loud as you can!\par Don’t stop yourself!\par Shout loud like a trumpet!\par Tell the people about the wrong things\par they have done!\par Tell Jacob’s family about their sins!\par
The Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, preach this message in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. This is the message: Listen to the words of this Agreement. {\cf2\super [91]} And then obey those laws.
Go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the front of the Potsherd Gate. {\cf2\super [156]} Take some of the elders (leaders) of the people and some priests with you. At that place, tell them the things that I tell you.
Your ancestors did not say,\par ‘The Lord brought us from Egypt.\par The Lord led us through the desert.\par The Lord led us through a dry\par and rocky land.\par The Lord led us through a dark\par and dangerous land.\par No people live there.\par People don’t even travel through\par that land.\par But the Lord led us through that land.\par So where is the Lord now?’\par
But now you are calling me, ‘Father.’\par You said,\par ‘You have been my friend\par since I was a child.’\par
Jeremiah, stand at the gate of the Lord’s house. Preach this message at the gate:
You left me and did all those terrible things. And you never remembered the time when you were young. You did not remember that you were naked and kicking in blood \{when I found you\}.
I looked you over. I saw you were ready for love. So I spread my clothes over you {\cf2\super [118]} and covered your nakedness. I promised to marry you. I made the agreement {\cf2\super [119]} with you. And you became mine.’” The Lord my Master said these things.
Again and again Oholibah was unfaithful to me. And then she remembered the love affair she had as a young girl in Egypt.
They became prostitutes {\cf2\super [179]} in Egypt while they were still young girls. In Egypt, they first made love and let men touch their nipples and hold their young breasts.
Besides that, she never stopped her love affair with Egypt. Egypt made love to her when she was a young girl. Egypt was the first lover to touch her young breasts. Egypt poured his untrue love on her.
\{The Lord said,\}“I loved Israel when he was a child,\par and I called my son out of Egypt.\par
There I will give her fields of grapes. I will give her Achor Valley as a doorway of hope. Then she will answer like the time she came out of the land of Egypt.”
I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth. Then people will not use the Baals’ names again.
She will run after her lovers, but she will not be able to catch up with them. She will look for her lovers, but she will not be able to find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband (God). Life was better for me when I was with him. Life was better then than it is now.’
“Put the trumpet to your lips \{and give the warning\}. Be like an eagle over the Lord’s house. {\cf2\super [76]} The Israelites have broken my Agreement. They have not obeyed my law.
At the time I found Israel, they were like fresh grapes in the desert. They were like the first figs on a fig tree at the beginning of the season. But then they came to Baal-Peor. {\cf2\super [92]} And they changed—and I had to cut them off \{(destroy them) like rotten fruit. {\cf2\super [93]} They became like the terrible things \{(false gods) that they loved.
”Nineveh {\cf2\super [2]} is a big city. I have heard about the many evil things people are doing there. So go to that city and tell the people to stop doing those bad things.”
One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, \{our father just died\}. Tell my brother to share with me the things our father owned.”
Remember that the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He knows about your walking through this great desert. The Lord your God has been with you these 40 years. You have always had everything you needed.’
Yes, the Lord loves his people. All his holy people are in his hand. They sit at his feet and learn his teachings!
And you must remember the whole trip that the Lord your God has led you through these 40 years in the desert. The Lord was testing you. He wanted to make you humble. He wanted to know the things in your heart. He wanted to know if you would obey his commands.
So you people are not faithful to God! You should know that loving the world is the same as hating God. So if a person wants to be a part {\cf2\super [18]} of the world, then he makes himself God’s enemy.
“But I have this against you: You have left the love you had in the beginning.