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 methat 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?’