Jeremiah 2 - Easy To Read Version

¹ The Lord’s message came to Jeremiah. This message was from the Lord:

² “Jeremiah, go and speak to the people of Jerusalem. Say to them:

³ The people of Israel were a holy gift\par to the Lord.\par They were the first fruit to be gathered\par by the Lord.\par Any people that tried to hurt them\par were judged guilty.\par Bad things happened to those\par wicked people.’”\par This message was from the Lord.\par

⁴ Family of Jacob, hear the Lord’s message.\par Family groups of Israel, hear the message.\par

⁵ This is what the Lord says:\par “Do you think that I was not fair\par to your ancestors {\cf2\super [4]} ?\par Is that why they turned away from me?\par Your ancestors worshiped worthless idols,\par and they became worthless themselves.\par

⁶ 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

⁷ \{The Lord says,\}\par “I brought you into a good land,\par a land filled with many good things.\par I did this so you could eat the fruit and crops\par that grow there.\par But you only made my land ‘dirty.’\par I gave that land to you,\par but you made it a bad place.\par

⁸ “The priests did not ask,\par ‘Where is the Lord?’\par The people that know the law\par did not want to know me.\par The leaders of the people of Israel\par turned against me.\par The prophets prophesied {\cf2\super [5]} in the name\par of the false god Baal. {\cf2\super [6]} \par They worshiped worthless idols.”\par

⁹ The Lord says,\par “So now I will accuse you again,\par And I will also accuse your grandchildren.\par

¹⁰ Go across the sea to the Islands\par of Kittim. {\cf2\super [7]} \par Send someone to the land of Kedar. {\cf2\super [8]} \par Look very carefully.\par See if any person has ever done\par something like this.\par

¹¹ 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

¹² “Skies, be shocked at the things\par that have happened!\par Shake with great fear!”\par This message was from the Lord.\par

¹³ “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

¹⁴ “Have the people of Israel become slaves?\par Have they become like a person\par that was born a slave?\par Why did people take the wealth\par from the people of Israel?\par

¹⁵ Young lions’ (enemies) roar at Israel.\par The lions growl.\par Lions have destroyed the land of Israel.\par The cities of Israel have been burned.\par There are no people left in them.\par

¹⁶ People from Memphis and Tahpanhes {\cf2\super [9]} \par have smashed the top of your head.\par

¹⁷ 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

¹⁸ People of Judah, think about this:\par Did it help to go to Egypt?\par Did it help to drink\par from the Nile River? No!\par Did it help to go to Assyria?\par Did it help to drink from\par the Euphrates River? No!\par

¹⁹ You did bad things,\par and those bad things will only\par bring punishment to you.\par Trouble will come to you.\par And that trouble will teach you a lesson.\par Think about it!\par Then you will understand how bad it is\par to turn away from your God.\par It is wrong not to fear and respect me!”\par This message was from my Master,\par the Lord All-Powerful.\par

²⁰ “Judah, a long time ago you threw off\par your yoke.\par You broke the ropes\par \{that I used to control you\}.\par You said to me,\par ‘I will not serve you!’\par You were like a prostitute\par on every high hill\par and under every green tree. {\cf2\super [11]} \par

²¹ Judah, I planted you like a special vine.\par All of you were like good seed.\par How did you turn into a different vine that grows bad fruit?\par

²² Even if you wash yourself with lye, {\cf2\super [12]} \par even if you use much soap,\par I can still see your guilt.”\par This message was from the Lord God.\par

²³ “Judah, how can you say to me,\par ‘I am not guilty;\par I have not worshiped the Baal {\cf2\super [13]} idols’?\par Think about the things you did in the valley.\par Think about what you have done.\par You are like a fast she-camel\par that runs from place to place.\par

²⁴ You are like a wild donkey\par that lives in the desert.\par At mating time, she sniffs (smells)\par the wind.\par No person can bring her back\par at the time she is in heat.\par At mating time, every male that wants her\par will get her.\par It is easy to find her.\par

²⁵ Judah, stop chasing after idols!\par Stop being thirsty for those other gods.\par But you say, ‘It is no use! I can’t quit!\par I love those other gods.\par I want to worship them.’\par

²⁶ “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

²⁷ Those people talk to pieces of wood!\par They say, ‘You are my father.’\par Those people speak to a rock.\par They say, ‘You gave birth to me.’\par All those people will be ashamed.\par Those people don’t look at me.\par They have turned their backs to me.\par But when the people of Judah\par get into trouble, they say to me,\par ‘Come and save us!’\par

²⁸ Let those idols come and save you!\par Where are the idols\par that you have made for yourselves?\par Let’s see if those idols come\par and save you when you are in trouble.\par Judah, you have as many idols as cities!\par

²⁹ “Why do you argue with me?\par All of you have turned against me.”\par This message was from the Lord.\par

³⁰ “I punished you people of Judah,\par but it did not help.\par You did not come back when you were punished.\par You killed with your swords the prophets that came to you.\par You were like a dangerous lion and you killed the prophets.”\par

³¹ People of this generation, pay attention\par to the Lord’s message!\par

³² A young woman doesn’t forget her jewelry.\par A bride doesn’t forget the sash for her dress.\par But my people have forgotten me\par too many times to count.\par

³³ “Judah, you really know how\par to chase after lovers (false gods).\par You have really learned to do evil things.\par

³⁴ You have blood on your hands!\par It is the blood of the poor, innocent people.\par You did not catch those people\par breaking into your house!\par You killed them for no reason!\par

³⁵ But still, you say,\par ‘I am innocent.\par God is not angry with me.’\par So I will also judge you guilty \{of lying\}.\par Why? Because you say,\par ‘I have done nothing wrong.’\par

³⁶ It is so easy for you to change your mind.\par Assyria disappointed you,\par \{so you left Assyria\par and went to Egypt for help.\}\par But Egypt will also disappoint you.\par

³⁷ So you will eventually leave Egypt, too.\par And you will hide your face in shame.\par You trusted those countries.\par But the Lord rejected those countries,\par