7. I 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.
8. The 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.
9. Therefore, I will bring a case against you again.This is the Lord’s declaration.I will bring a case against your children’s children.
10. Cross over to Cyprus and take a look.Send someone to Kedar and consider carefully;see if there has ever been anything like this:
11. Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (But they were not gods! )Yet My people have exchanged their Gloryfor useless idols.
12. Be horrified at this, heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled.This is the Lord’s declaration.
13. For 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.
14. Is Israel a slave?Was he born into slavery? Why else has he become a prey?
15. The young lions have roared at him; they have roared loudly.They have laid waste his land. His cities are in ruins, without inhabitants.
16. The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have also broken your skull.
17. Have you not brought this on yourself by abandoning the Lord your Godwhile He was leading you along the way?
18. Now what will you gainby traveling along the way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gainby traveling along the way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?
19. Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you.Think it over and see how evil and bitter it isfor you to abandon the Lord your Godand to have no fear of Me.This is the declarationof the Lord God of Hosts.
20. For long ago I broke your yoke; I tore off your chains.You insisted, “I will not serve! ”On every high hilland under every green tree you lie down like a prostitute.
21. I planted you, a choice vine from the very best seed.How then could you turn intoa degenerate, foreign vine?
22. Even if you wash with lyeand 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 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 cameltwisting and turning on her way,
24. a 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.