Focused Passage

Jeremiah 2:29-37

The LORD Charges Judah with Forsaking the Fountain of Living Water

The chapter moves from remembered covenant devotion to shocking covenant betrayal, from the LORD's unmatched faithfulness to Judah's irrational exchange, and from exposed idolatry to the futility of self-defense before God.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

29 Why do you bring a case against Me? You have all rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD.

30 “I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.”

31 You 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’?

32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding sash? Yet My people have forgotten Me for days without number.

33 How skillfully you pursue love! Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways.

34 Moreover, 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

35 you say, ‘I am innocent. Surely His anger will turn from me.’ Behold, I will judge you, because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

36 How impulsive you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria.

37 Moreover, 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.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 29

Original words

Why לָ֥מָּה H4100 Interrogative do you bring a case תָרִ֖יבוּ H7378 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural against Me אֵלָ֑י H413 Preposition | first person common singular You have all כֻּלְּכֶ֛ם H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural rebelled פְּשַׁעְתֶּ֥ם H6586 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural against Me בִּ֖י Preposition | first person common singular declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 30

Original words

I have struck הִכֵּ֣יתִי H5221 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker your sons בְּנֵיכֶ֔ם H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural in vain לַשָּׁוְא֙ H7723 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular they accepted לָקָ֑חוּ H3947 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural no לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle discipline מוּסָ֖ר H4148 Noun - masculine singular Your own sword חַרְבְּכֶ֛ם H2719 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural has devoured אָכְלָ֧ה H398 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular your prophets נְבִֽיאֵיכֶ֖ם H5030 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural like a voracious מַשְׁחִֽית׃ H7843 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular lion כְּאַרְיֵ֥ה H738 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 31

Original words

You [people] אַתֶּם֙ H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural of this generation הַדּ֗וֹר H1755 Article | Noun - masculine singular consider רְא֣וּ H7200 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural the word דְבַר־ H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular Have I been הָיִ֙יתִי֙ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular a wilderness הֲמִדְבָּ֤ר H4057 Article | Noun - masculine singular to Israel לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular or אִ֛ם H518 Conjunction a land אֶ֥רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct of dense darkness מַאְפֵּ֖לְיָ֑ה H3991 Noun - feminine singular Why מַדּ֜וּעַ H4069 Interrogative do My people עַמִּי֙ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular say אָמְר֤וּ H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural We [are free to] roam רַ֔דְנוּ H7300 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural we will לֽוֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle come נָב֥וֹא H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural to You אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ H413 Preposition | second person masculine singular no more ע֖וֹד H5750 Adverb
Verse 32

Original words

Does a maiden בְּתוּלָה֙ H1330 Noun - feminine singular forget הֲתִשְׁכַּ֤ח H7911 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular her jewelry עֶדְיָ֔הּ H5716 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular or a bride כַּלָּ֖ה H3618 Noun - feminine singular her wedding sash קִשֻּׁרֶ֑יהָ H7196 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular Yet My people וְעַמִּ֣י H5971 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular have forgotten Me שְׁכֵח֔וּנִי H7911 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular for days יָמִ֖ים H3117 Noun - masculine plural without אֵ֥ין H369 Adverb number מִסְפָּֽר׃ H4557 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 33

Original words

How מַה־ H4100 Interrogative skillfully תֵּיטִ֥בִי H3190 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person feminine singular . . . דַּרְכֵּ֖ךְ H1870 Noun - common singular construct | second person feminine singular you pursue לְבַקֵּ֣שׁ H1245 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct love אַהֲבָ֑ה H160 Noun - feminine singular . . . לָכֵן֙ H3651 Adverb Even גַּ֣ם H1571 Conjunction - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the most immoral of women הָרָע֔וֹת H7451 Article | Noun - feminine plural could learn לִמַּדְתִּי H3925 Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker from your ways דְּרָכָֽיִךְ׃ H1870 Noun - common plural construct | second person feminine singular
Verse 34

Original words

Moreover גַּ֤ם H1571 Conjunction your skirts בִּכְנָפַ֙יִךְ֙ H3671 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular are stained נִמְצְא֔וּ H4672 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural with the blood דַּ֛ם H1818 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . נַפְשׁ֥וֹת H5315 Noun - feminine plural construct of the innocent נְקִיִּ֑ים H5355 Adjective - masculine plural poor אֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים H34 Noun - masculine plural though you did not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle find them מְצָאתִ֖ים H4672 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular | third person masculine plural breaking in בַמַּחְתֶּ֥רֶת H4290 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular But כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction in spite of עַל־ H5921 Preposition all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct these things אֵֽלֶּה׃ H428 Pronoun - common plural
Verse 35

Original words

you say וַתֹּֽאמְרִי֙ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular . . . כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction I am innocent נִקֵּ֔יתִי H5352 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular Surely אַ֛ךְ H389 Adverb His anger אַפּ֖וֹ H639 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular will turn שָׁ֥ב H7725 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular from me מִמֶּ֑נִּי H4480 Preposition | first person common singular Behold הִנְנִי֙ H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will judge נִשְׁפָּ֣ט H8199 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular you אוֹתָ֔ךְ H854 Preposition | second person feminine singular because עַל־ H5921 Preposition you say אָמְרֵ֖ךְ H559 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person feminine singular I have not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle sinned חָטָֽאתִי׃ H2398 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Verse 36

Original words

How מַה־ H4100 Interrogative impulsive you are תֵּזְלִ֥י H2151 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular constantly מְאֹ֖ד H3966 Adverb changing לְשַׁנּ֣וֹת H8138 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker your ways דַּרְכֵּ֑ךְ H1870 Noun - common singular construct | second person feminine singular . . . גַּ֤ם H1571 Conjunction You will be disappointed תֵּב֔וֹשִׁי H954 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular by Egypt מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ H4714 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular just as כַּאֲשֶׁר־ H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative you [were] בֹּ֖שְׁתְּ H954 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular by Assyria מֵאַשּֽׁוּר׃ H804 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 37

Original words

Moreover גַּ֣ם H1571 Conjunction . . . מֵאֵ֥ת H854 Preposition-m | Direct object marker you will leave תֵּֽצְאִ֔י H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular that place זֶה֙ H2088 Pronoun - masculine singular with your hands וְיָדַ֖יִךְ H3027 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine dual construct | second person feminine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition your head רֹאשֵׁ֑ךְ H7218 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the LORD יְהֹוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular has rejected מָאַ֤ס H3988 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular those you trust בְּמִבְטַחַ֔יִךְ H4009 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular you will not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle prosper תַצְלִ֖יחִי H6743 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person feminine singular by their help לָהֶֽם׃ Preposition | third person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.