| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, | 1The word of the LORD came to me: |
| 2“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. | 2"Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: I remember the loyalty of your youth, your love as a bride-- how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. |
| 3Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who devoured her found themselves guilty; disaster came upon them,’ ” declares the LORD. | 3Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who ate of it found themselves guilty; disaster came on them." This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 4Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all you families of the house of Israel. | 4Hear the word of the LORD, house of Jacob and all families of the house of Israel. |
| 5This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me, and followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves? | 5This is what the LORD says: What fault did your fathers find in Me that they went so far from Me, followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves? |
| 6They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’ | 6They stopped asking, "Where is the LORD who brought us from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, through a land of drought and darkness, a land no one traveled through and where no one lived?" |
| 7I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but you came and defiled My land, and made My inheritance detestable. | 7I brought you to a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but after you entered, you defiled My land; you made My inheritance detestable. |
| 8The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols. | 8The priests quit asking, "Where is the LORD?" The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the rulers rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols. |
| 9Therefore, I will contend with you again, declares the LORD, and I will bring a case against your children’s children. | 9Therefore, I will bring a case against you again. This is the LORD's declaration. I will bring a case against your children's children. |
| 10Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and take a look; send to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this: | 10Cross over to Cyprus and take a look. Send someone to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this: |
| 11Has a nation ever changed its gods, though they are no gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. | 11Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (But they were not gods!) Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. |
| 12Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,” declares the LORD. | 12Be horrified at this, heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 13“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water. | 13For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water. |
| 14Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? Why then has he become prey? | 14Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? Why else has he become a prey? |
| 15The young lions have roared at him; they have growled with a loud voice. They have laid waste his land; his cities lie in ruins, without inhabitant. | 15The young lions have roared at him; they have roared loudly. They have laid waste his land. His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants. |
| 16The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head. | 16The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have also broken your skull. |
| 17Have you not brought this on yourself by forsaking the LORD your God when He led you in the way? | 17Have you not brought this on yourself by abandoning the LORD your God while He was leading you along the way? |
| 18Now what will you gain on your way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates? | 18Now what will you gain by traveling along the way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain by traveling along the way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates? |
| 19Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Consider and realize how evil and bitter it is for you to forsake the LORD your God and to have no fear of Me,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts. | 19Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Think it over and see how evil and bitter it is for you to abandon the LORD your God and to have no fear of Me. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD of Hosts. |
| 20“For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute. | 20For long ago I broke your yoke; I tore off your chains. You insisted, "I will not serve!" On every high hill and under every green tree you lie down like a prostitute. |
| 21I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How could you turn yourself before Me into a rotten, wild vine? | 21I planted you, a choice vine from the very best seed. How then could you turn into a degenerate, foreign vine? |
| 22Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,” declares the Lord GOD. | 22Even if you wash with lye and use a great amount of soap, the stain of your sin is still in front of Me. This is the Lord GOD's declaration. |
| 23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’? Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. You are a swift young she-camel galloping here and there, | 23How can you protest, "I am not defiled; I have not followed the Baals"? Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. You are a swift young camel twisting and turning on her way, |
| 24a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her. | 24a wild donkey at home in the wilderness. She sniffs the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can control her passion? All who look for her will not become tired; they will find her in her mating season. |
| 25You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’ | 25Keep your feet from going bare and your throat from thirst. But you say, "It's hopeless; I love strangers, and I will continue to follow them." |
| 26As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets | 26Like the shame of a thief when he is caught, so the house of Israel has been put to shame. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets |
| 27say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me and not their faces, yet in the time of trouble they beg, ‘Rise up and save us!’ | 27say to a tree, "You are my father," and to a stone, "You gave birth to me." For they have turned their back to Me and not their face, yet in their time of disaster they beg, "Rise up and save us!" |
| 28But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah. | 28But where are your gods you made for yourself? Let them rise up and save you in your time of disaster if they can, for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah. |
| 29Why do you bring a case against Me? You have all rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD. | 29Why do you bring a case against Me? All of you have rebelled against Me. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 30“I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.” | 30I have struck down your children in vain; they would not accept discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a ravaging lion. |
| 31You people of this generation, consider the word of the LORD: “Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to You no more’? | 31Evil generation, pay attention to the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do My people claim, "We will go where we want; we will no longer come to You"? |
| 32Does a maiden forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me for days without number. | 32Can a young woman forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me for countless days. |
| 33How skillfully you pursue love! Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways. | 33How skillfully you pursue love; you also teach evil women your ways. |
| 34Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor, though you did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things | 34Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor. You did not catch them breaking and entering. But in spite of all these things |
| 35you say, ‘I am innocent. Surely His anger will turn from me.’ Behold, I will judge you, because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’ | 35you claim, "I am innocent. His anger is sure to turn away from me." But I will certainly judge you because you have said, "I have not sinned." |
| 36How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria. | 36How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be put to shame by Egypt just as you were put to shame by Assyria. |
| 37Moreover, you will leave that place with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not prosper by their help.” | 37Moreover, you will be led out from here with your hands on your head since the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not succeed even with their help. |
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