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The NET Bible®

Jeremiah 2:5

This is what the Lord says: "What fault could your ancestors have possibly found in me that they strayed so far from me? They paid allegiance to worthless idols, and so became worthless to me.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Church;   God Continued...;   Vanity;   Thompson Chain Reference - Estrangement;   Fellowship-Estrangement;   Vanities;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Forsaking God;   Ingratitude to God;   Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Vanity;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pentateuch;   Sin (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Sin;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jeremiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jeremiah (2);  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Judges, Period of;   Monotheism;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for December 30;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
This is what the Lord says:What fault did your fathers find in methat they went so far from me,followed worthless idols,and became worthless themselves?
Hebrew Names Version
thus says the LORD, What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
King James Version
Thus saith the Lord , What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
English Standard Version
Thus says the Lord : "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?
New American Standard Bible
This is what the LORD says: "What injustice did your fathers find in Me, That they went far from Me, And walked after emptiness and became empty?
New Century Version
This is what the Lord says: "I was fair to your ancestors, so why did they turn away from me? Your ancestors worshiped useless idols and became useless themselves.
Amplified Bible
Thus says the LORD, "What injustice or unrighteousness did your fathers find in Me, That they have wandered far from Me And [habitually] walked after emptiness and futility and became empty?
World English Bible
thus says Yahweh, What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
Geneva Bible (1587)
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?
Legacy Standard Bible
Thus says Yahweh,"What injustice did your fathers find in Me,That they went far from MeAnd walked after vanity and became vain?
Berean Standard Bible
This 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?
Contemporary English Version
and I, the Lord , will speak. I was never unfair to your ancestors, but they left me and became worthless by following worthless idols.
Complete Jewish Bible
here is what Adonai says: "What did your ancestors find wrong with me to make them go so far away from me, to make them go after nothings and become themselves nothings?
Darby Translation
Thus saith Jehovah: What injustice have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and become vain?
Easy-to-Read Version
This is what the Lord says: "Do you think that I was not fair to your ancestors? Is that why they turned away from me? Your ancestors worshiped worthless idols, and they became worthless themselves.
George Lamsa Translation
Thus says the LORD: What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and have profited nothing?
Good News Translation
The Lord says: "What accusation did your ancestors bring against me? What made them turn away from me? They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
Lexham English Bible
Thus says Yahweh: "What injustice did your ancestors find in me that they were far from me, and they went after the vanity, and they became vain?
Literal Translation
So says Jehovah, What iniquity have your fathers found in Me, that they went far from Me and have walked after vanity, and have become vain?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus saieth ye LORDE vnto you: What vnfaithfulnesse founde youre fathers in me, that they wente so farre awaye fro me, fallinge to lightnesse, and beinge so vayne?
American Standard Version
Thus saith Jehovah, What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
Bible in Basic English
These are the words of the Lord: What evil have your fathers seen in me that they have gone far from me, and, walking after what is false, have become false?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thus saith the LORD: what unrighteousness have your fathers found in Me, that they are gone far from Me, and have walked after things of nought, and are become nought?
King James Version (1611)
Thus sayth the Lord, What iniquitie haue your fathers found in me, that they are gone farre from mee, and haue walked after vanitie, and are become vaine?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thus saith the Lorde, What vnfaithfulnesse founde your fathers in me, that they went so farre away fro me, fallyng to lightnesse, and beyng so vayne?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thus saith the Lord, What trespass have your fathers found in me, that they have revolted far from me, and gone after vanities, and become vain?
English Revised Version
thus saith the LORD, What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The Lord seith these thingis, What of wickidnesse foundun youre fadris in me, for thei yeden fer awey fro me, and yeden after vanyte, and weren maad veyn?
Update Bible Version
thus says Yahweh, What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and have become vain?
Webster's Bible Translation
Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and have become vain?
New King James Version
Thus says the LORD: "What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters?
New Living Translation
This is what the Lord says: "What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves.
New Life Bible
The Lord says, "What wrong did your fathers find in Me, that they turned so far from Me and followed false gods?
New Revised Standard
Thus says the Lord : What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thus, saith Yahweh, - What did your fathers find in me by way of perversity, that they removed far from me, - and went after vanity, and became vain?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thus saith the Lord: What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
Revised Standard Version
Thus says the LORD: "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?
Young's Literal Translation
Thus said Jehovah: What -- have your fathers found in Me perversity, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after the vanity, and become vain,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Thus says the LORD, "What injustice did your fathers find in Me, That they went far from Me And walked after emptiness and became empty?

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord spoke to me. He said: 2 "Go and declare in the hearing of the people of Jerusalem: ‘This is what the Lord says: "I have fond memories of you, how devoted you were to me in your early years. I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, through a land that had never been planted. 3 Israel was set apart to the Lord ; they were like the first fruits of a harvest to him. All who tried to devour them were punished; disaster came upon them," says the Lord .'" 4 Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants of Jacob, all you family groups from the nation of Israel. 5 This is what the Lord says: "What fault could your ancestors have possibly found in me that they strayed so far from me? They paid allegiance to worthless idols, and so became worthless to me. 6 They did not ask: ‘Where is the Lord who delivered us out of Egypt, who brought us through the wilderness, through a land of desert sands and rift valleys, through a land of drought and deep darkness, through a land in which no one travels, and where no one lives?' 7 I brought you into a fertile land so you could enjoy its fruits and its rich bounty. But when you entered my land, you defiled it; you made the land I call my own loathsome to me. 8 Your priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord ?' Those responsible for teaching my law did not really know me. Your rulers rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied in the name of the god Baal. They all worshiped idols that could not help them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What: Jeremiah 2:31, Isaiah 5:3, Isaiah 5:4, Isaiah 43:22, Isaiah 43:23, Micah 6:2, Micah 6:3

are gone: Jeremiah 12:2, Isaiah 29:13, Ezekiel 11:15, Matthew 15:8

walked: Jeremiah 10:8, Jeremiah 10:14, Jeremiah 10:15, Jeremiah 14:22, Deuteronomy 32:21, 1 Samuel 12:21, 2 Kings 17:15, Jonah 2:8, Acts 14:15

and are: Jeremiah 51:17, Jeremiah 51:18, Psalms 115:8, Isaiah 44:9, Romans 1:21

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:6 - General Deuteronomy 32:15 - then he Judges 2:2 - why have 2 Chronicles 25:15 - Why hast thou sought Job 31:5 - walked Job 34:23 - that he Psalms 4:2 - love Psalms 50:7 - Hear Proverbs 27:10 - own Isaiah 1:2 - they have Isaiah 1:4 - gone away backward Isaiah 1:18 - and let us Isaiah 46:12 - that Jeremiah 2:11 - a nation Jeremiah 10:3 - customs Jeremiah 23:16 - they make Ezekiel 14:5 - estranged Amos 2:11 - Is it Malachi 1:2 - Wherein Luke 15:13 - and took Acts 22:7 - why James 2:20 - O vain

Cross-References

Genesis 2:9
The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food. (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard.)
Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon; it runs through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Genesis 2:12
(The gold of that land is pure; pearls and lapis lazuli are also there).
Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.
Genesis 4:2
Then she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground.
Genesis 4:12
When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth."
Job 5:10
he gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields;
Psalms 104:14
He provides grass for the cattle, and crops for people to cultivate, so they can produce food from the ground,
Psalms 135:7
He causes the clouds to arise from the end of the earth, makes lightning bolts accompany the rain, and brings the wind out of his storehouses.
Jeremiah 14:22
Do any of the worthless idols of the nations cause rain to fall? Do the skies themselves send showers? Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this? So we put our hopes in you because you alone do all this."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thus saith the Lord, what iniquity have your fathers found in me,.... What injustice or injury has been done them? there is no unrighteousness in God, nor can any be done by him; or what unfaithfulness, or want of truth and integrity in performing promises, had they found in him? he never suffers his faithfulness to fail, or any of the good things he has promised. So the Targum,

"what falsehood have your fathers found in my word?''

none at all; God is a covenant keeping God:

that they are gone far from me; from my fear, as the Chaldee paraphrase; from the word and worship, and ways of God:

and have walked after vanity; after idols, the vanities of the Gentiles, Jeremiah 14:22:

and are become vain? in their imaginations and in their actions, in their knowledge and in their practice, worshipping idols, as well as guilty of many other sins.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 2:5. What iniquity have your fathers found in me — Have they ever discovered any thing cruel, unjust, oppressive in my laws? Any thing unkind or tyrannical in my government? Why then have they become idolaters?


 
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