1 Moreover, the woorde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 2 Goe, and crie in the eares of Ierusalem, saying, Thus sayeth the Lord, I remember thee, with the kindenes of thy youth and the loue of thy marriage, when thou wentest after me in the wildernes in a lande that was not sowen. 3 Israel was as a thing halowed vnto the Lord, and his first fruits: all they that eat it, shall offend: euil shall come vpon them, saith the Lord. 4 Heare ye the word of the Lord, O house of Iaakob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus sayeth the Lord, What iniquitie haue your fathers founde in mee, that they are gone farre from mee, and haue walked after vanitie, and are become vaine? 6 For they saide not, Where is the Lord that brought vs vp out of the lande of Egypt? that led vs through the wildernesse, through a desert, and waste land, through a drie land, and by the shadow of death, by a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? 7 And I brought you into a plentifull countrey, to eat the fruit thereof, and the commodities of the same: but when yee entred, yee defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. 8 The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that should minister the Lawe, knewe me not: the pastours also offended against me, and the Prophets prophesied in Baal, and went after things that did not profite. 9 Wherefore I wil yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and I will pleade with your childrens children. 10 For goe ye to the yles of Chittim, and beholde, and sende vnto Kedar. and take diligent heede, and see whether there be such things. 11 Hath any nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but my people haue chaged their glorie, for that which doeth not profite. 12 O yee heauens, be astonied at this: bee afraid and vtterly confounded, sayeth the Lord. 13 For my people haue committed two euils: they haue forsaken mee the fountaine of liuing waters, to digge them pittes, euen broken pittes, that can holde no water. 14 Is Israel a seruaunt, or is hee borne in the house? why then is he spoiled? 15 The lions roared vpon him and yelled, and they haue made his land waste: his cities are burnt without an inhabitant. 16 Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes haue broken thine head. 17 Hast not thou procured this vnto thy selfe, because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way? 18 And what hast thou now to do in the way of Egypt? to drinke the water of Nilus? or what makest thou in the way of Asshur? to drinke the water of the Riuer? 19 Thine owne wickednes shall correct thee, and thy turnings backe shall reprooue thee: know therefore and beholde, that it is an euil thing, and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my feare is not in thee, sayeth the Lord God of hostes. 20 For of olde time I haue broken thy yoke, and burst thy bondes, and thou saidest, I will no more transgresse, but like an harlot thou runnest about vpon al hie hilles, and vnder all greene trees. 21 Yet I had planted thee, a noble vine, whose plants were all natural: howe then art thou turned vnto me into the plants of a strange vine? 22 Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much sope, yet thine iniquitie is marked before me, sayeth the Lord God. 23 Howe canst thou say, I am not polluted, neither haue I followed Baalim? beholde thy waies in the valley, and know, what thou hast done: thou art like a swift dromedarie, that runneth by his waies. 24 And as a wilde asse, vsed to the wildernesse, that snuffeth vp the winde by occasion at her pleasure: who can turne her backe? all they that seeke her, will not wearie themselues, but wil finde her in her moneth. 25 Keepe thou thy feete from barenes, and thy throte from thirst: but thou saidest desperately, No, for I haue loued strangers, and them will I follow. 26 As the theefe is ashamed, when he is foud, so is the house of Israel ashamed, they, their kings, their princes and their Priests, and their Prophets, 27 Saying to a tree, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou hast begotten me: for they haue turned their back vnto me, and not their face: but in ye time of their troble they wil say, Arise, and help vs. 28 But where are thy gods, that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can helpe thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the nomber of thy cities, are thy gods, O Iudah. 29 Wherefore wil ye pleade with me? ye all haue rebelled against me, sayeth the Lord. 30 I haue smitten your children in vaine, they receiued no correction: your owne sworde hath deuoured your Prophets like a destroying lyon. 31 O generation, take heede to the worde of the Lord: haue I bene as a wildernesse vnto Israel? or a lande of darkenesse? Wherefore sayeth my people then, We are lordes, we will come no more vnto thee? 32 Can a maid forget her ornament, or a bride her attire? yet my people haue forgotten me, daies without number. 33 Why doest thou prepare thy way, to seeke amitie? euen therefore will I teach thee, that thy waies are wickednesse. 34 Also in thy wings is founde the bloud of the soules of ye poore innocents: I haue not found it in holes, but vpon all these places. 35 Yet thou saiest, Because I am giltles, surely his wrath shall turne from mee: beholde, I will enter with thee into iudgement, because thou saiest, I haue not sinned. 36 Why runnest thou about so much to change thy waies? for thou shalt be confounded of Egypt, as thou art confounded of Asshur. 37 For thou shalt goe foorth from thence, and thine hands vpon thine head, because the Lord hath reiected thy confidence, and thou shalt not prosper thereby.
Jeremiah · Geneva Bible (1599)
Jeremiah 2 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
Cross references (37)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Jeremiah 23:28; Hebrews 1:1; Jeremiah 7:1; Jeremiah 1:11; Ezekiel 7:1
- 2 Ezekiel 16:60; Ezekiel 16:8; Jeremiah 11:6; Deuteronomy 2:7; Isaiah 63:7–14
- 3 Revelation 14:4; James 1:18; Isaiah 41:11; Deuteronomy 7:6; Romans 11:16
- 4 Jeremiah 31:1; Micah 6:1; Jeremiah 44:24–26; Isaiah 51:1–4; Jeremiah 34:4
- 5 2 Kings 17:15; Romans 1:21; Jonah 2:8; Jeremiah 10:14–15; Psalm 115:8
- 6 Deuteronomy 32:10; Deuteronomy 8:14–16; Hosea 13:4; Isaiah 63:11–13; Jeremiah 2:8
- 7 Deuteronomy 8:7–9; Jeremiah 16:18; Numbers 13:27; Ezekiel 36:17; Jeremiah 3:9
- 8 Habakkuk 2:18; Jeremiah 10:21; Jeremiah 5:31; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Romans 2:17–24
- 9 Ezekiel 20:35–36; Exodus 20:5; Jeremiah 2:35; Micah 6:2; Leviticus 20:5
- 10 Psalm 120:5; Numbers 24:24; Genesis 10:4–5; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Chronicles 23:1
- 11 Romans 1:23; Isaiah 37:19; Psalm 106:20; Jeremiah 16:20; Micah 4:5
- 12 Isaiah 1:2; Deuteronomy 32:1; Micah 6:2; Jeremiah 6:19; Jeremiah 22:29
- 13 John 4:14; John 7:37; Revelation 21:6; Jeremiah 17:13; Psalm 36:9
- 14 Exodus 4:22; Genesis 15:3; Isaiah 50:1; Ecclesiastes 2:7
- 15 Jeremiah 4:7; Jeremiah 50:17; Jeremiah 9:11; Isaiah 5:29; Isaiah 1:7
- 16 Jeremiah 46:14; Jeremiah 43:7–9; Isaiah 19:13; Jeremiah 44:1; Deuteronomy 33:20
- 17 Jeremiah 4:18; Jeremiah 2:19; Jeremiah 2:13; Deuteronomy 28:15–68; Leviticus 26:15–46
- 18 Joshua 13:3; Jeremiah 2:36; Isaiah 31:1; Hosea 7:11; 2 Chronicles 28:20–21
- 19 Isaiah 3:9; Jeremiah 4:18; Jeremiah 2:17; Psalm 36:1; Hosea 5:5
- 20 Deuteronomy 12:2; Leviticus 26:13; Jeremiah 17:2; Hosea 3:3; Jeremiah 30:8
- 21 Isaiah 5:4; Exodus 15:17; John 15:1; Psalm 80:8; Psalm 44:2
- 22 Jeremiah 17:1; Job 14:17; Hosea 13:12; Psalm 130:3; Job 9:30–31
- 23 Jeremiah 7:31; Proverbs 30:12; Jeremiah 3:2; Proverbs 30:20; Romans 3:19
- 24 Jeremiah 14:6; Hosea 5:15; Job 39:5–8; Jeremiah 2:27; Job 11:12
- 25 Deuteronomy 32:16; Jeremiah 18:12; Jeremiah 3:13; Romans 8:24; Lamentations 4:4
- 26 Ezra 9:7; Nehemiah 9:32–34; Jeremiah 32:32; Proverbs 6:30–31; Daniel 9:6–8
- 27 Isaiah 26:16; Hosea 7:14; Isaiah 46:6–8; Habakkuk 2:18–19; Ezekiel 8:16
- 28 Deuteronomy 32:37; Jeremiah 11:13; Isaiah 45:20; Judges 10:14; 2 Kings 17:30–31
- 29 Daniel 9:11; Jeremiah 6:13; Jeremiah 5:1; Jeremiah 2:35; Jeremiah 3:2
- 30 Nehemiah 9:26; 1 Thessalonians 2:15; Acts 7:52; Jeremiah 5:3; Jeremiah 26:20–24
- 31 2 Samuel 12:7–9; Deuteronomy 32:15; Isaiah 45:19; Micah 6:9; Hosea 13:6
- 32 Psalm 106:21; Jeremiah 13:25; Jeremiah 2:11; Jeremiah 3:21; Isaiah 17:10
- 33 Isaiah 57:7–10; Ezekiel 16:47; Hosea 2:5–7; Jeremiah 2:23; Jeremiah 3:1–2
- 34 2 Kings 21:16; 2 Kings 24:4; Jeremiah 19:4; Exodus 22:2; Isaiah 57:5
- 35 Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:8–10; Romans 7:9; Isaiah 58:3; Jeremiah 2:9
- 36 Jeremiah 31:22; Hosea 5:13; 2 Chronicles 28:16; Hosea 12:1; 2 Chronicles 28:20–21
- 37 2 Samuel 13:19; Jeremiah 37:7–10; Ezekiel 17:15–20; Jeremiah 17:5; Jeremiah 2:36
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Those, therefore, who do not partake of Him, are neither nourished into life from the mother's breasts, nor do they enjoy that most limpid fountain which issues from the body of Christ; but they dig for themselves broken cisterns out of earthly trenches, and drink putrid water out of the mire, fleeing from the faith of the Church lest they …
She then started up with a pious fear and trembling; and, although I had not yet been baptized, she feared those crooked ways in which they walk who turn their back to Thee, and not their face.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
This God also did unto the Jews, when He said, "Go ye forth unto the Isles of Chittim, and send unto Kedar, and know if nations will change their gods; which yet are no gods." And to the brutes likewise He sends us oftentimes, saying on this wise, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard, and emulate her ways:" and "go …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For that we sin of our own free will the Prophet says plainly in a certain place: Yet I planted thee a fruitful vine, wholly true: how art thou turned to bitterness, (and become) the strange vine?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… of my mouth;" and Isaiah, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;" and Jeremiah describes astonishment in heaven at the tidings of the unholy deeds of the people: "The heaven was astonished at this, and was horribly afraid, because my people committed two evils." And so the apostle, knowing the angels to be set over men as tutors and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)