“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,^(B)
    how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,^(C)
    through a land not sown.
³ Israel was holy^(D) to the Lord,^(E)
    the firstfruits^(F) of his harvest;
all who devoured^(G) her were held guilty,^(H)
    and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the Lord.

¹⁴ Is Israel a servant, a slave^(A) by birth?
    Why then has he become plunder?
¹⁵ Lions^(B) have roared;
    they have growled at him.
They have laid waste^(C) his land;
    his towns are burned^(D) and deserted.^(E)
16 Also, the men of Memphis^(F) and Tahpanhes^(G)
    have cracked your skull.
¹⁷ Have you not brought this on yourselves^(H)
    by forsaking^(I) the Lord your God
    when he led you in the way?
¹⁸ Now why go to Egypt^(J)
    to drink water from the Nile^[a]?^(K)
And why go to Assyria^(L)
    to drink water from the Euphrates?^(M)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
    your backsliding^(N) will rebuke^(O) you.
Consider then and realize
    how evil and bitter^(P) it is for you
when you forsake^(Q) the Lord your God
    and have no awe^(R) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

²⁰ “Long ago you broke off your yoke^(S)
    and tore off your bonds;^(T)
    you said, ‘I will not serve you!’^(U)
Indeed, on every high hill^(V)
    and under every spreading tree^(W)
    you lay down as a prostitute.^(X)
21 I had planted^(Y) you like a choice vine^(Z)
    of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
    into a corrupt,^(AA) wild vine?
²² Although you wash^(AB) yourself with soap^(AC)
    and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AD)