Jeremiah 2

2 ¹Di word of our Papa come meet me, e talk say:

²Go, make you announce am for Jerusalem ear: our Papa talk say: I remember how you bin dey follow me well-well for your young days, di love wey you get like new bride, how you follow me waka through di wilderness, land wey dem no plant anytin. ^a a v2 Our Papa dey tenderly remember Israel early love, like husband wey dey remember im bride—na di same Covenant tenderness wey e long to bring back. ³Israel bin holy to our Papa, di first fruit of im harvest. All di people wey chop am, dem carry guilt; wahala come catch dem, na so our Papa talk.

⁴Hear di word of our Papa, house of Jacob, and all di family for di house of Israel.

⁵Na so our Papa talk: Which wrong tin your grandpapa dem see for me, wey make dem waka comot far from me, dey run after idol wey no get use, come turn to tin wey no get use?

⁶Dem no ask say, 'Where our Papa dey, di one wey bring us comot from di land of Egypt, wey lead us through di wilderness, through land of desert and pit, land wey dry and dark well-well, land wey nobody dey cross and where nobody dey live?' ⁷And I bring you enter land wey plenty with fruit make you chop im fruit and im good tins. But you come defile my land, come make my inheritance turn abomination. ⁸Di priest dem no ask say, 'Where our Papa dey?' Di people wey dey handle di law no know me; di shepherd dem rebel against me; di prophet dem prophesy by Baal come follow tin wey no get use. ⁹Naim make I still dey bring my case against you, na so our Papa talk, and against your pikin dem pikin I go press am. ¹⁰Cross go di shore of Cyprus make you look; send message go Kedar make you watch am well; see whether any tin like dis one don ever happen: ¹¹Any nation don ever change im gods, even though dem no be god at all? But my people don change dem glory for tin wey no get use. ¹²Make dis tin shock you, una heavens; make una fear, make una tremble well-well, na so our Papa talk. ¹³Bicos my people don do two evil tins: dem don abandon me, di fountain of living water, come dig dem own well—well wey break wey no fit hold water. ^b b v13 Our Papa call imsef di fountain of living water; later, Jesus come offer dis same living water to everybody wey come meet am (John 4:14; 7:38).

¹⁴Israel na slave? Dem born am as servant? Why now e come turn to tin wey dem dey loot? ¹⁵Di young lion dem roar against am; dem growl loud-loud. Dem turn im land to waste; dem don burn im cities, nobody dey there again. ¹⁶And more, di men of Memphis and Tahpanhes don shave di crown of your head. ^c c v16 For di ancient world, to shave person head or strip am na sign of complete defeat and shame. ¹⁷No be yousef bring dis tin come your head, bicos you abandon your Papa, di one wey bin dey lead you for di road? ¹⁸So now, why you go go Egypt go drink di water of Nile? Why you go go Assyria go drink di water of Euphrates? ¹⁹Na your own evil go discipline you; na your own backsliding go correct you. So know am and see how e bad and bitter to abandon your Papa; you no get any fear for me, na so di Papa wey be Oga of heaven army talk. ²⁰Long time ago I break your yoke come tear di rope wey tie you, but you talk say, 'I no go serve.' For true, for every high hill and under every tree wey spread, you lie down like ashawo. ²¹I bin plant you like better vine, from seed wey I fit trust well-well. How you come take turn against me come be spoil, wild vine? ²²Even if you wash yousef with strong soda come use plenty soap, di stain of your guilt still dey my front, na so di Sovereign Papa talk.

²³How you go take talk say, 'I no defile mysef; I no follow di Baals'? Look di way wey you dey for di valley; think wetin you don do—like young camel wey no fit rest, wey dey run here and there, ²⁴wild donkey wey dey at home for di wilderness, wey dey sniff di wind bicos of im crave—who fit hold am back wen im body dey hot for mating? Di ones wey want am no need tire demsef dey search; wen di season reach, dem go find am. ²⁵Stop am before your leg go bare and your throat go dry. But you talk say, 'E no get hope again! No, bicos I love strangers, and na dem I go follow.' ²⁶Just as shame dey catch thief wen dem catch am, na so shame catch di house of Israel—dem, dem kings, dem officials, dem priests, and dem prophets, ²⁷wey dey talk to tree say, 'Na you be my papa,' and to stone say, 'Na you born me.' Bicos dem don turn dem back give me, no be dem face wey dem turn give me. But for di time of dem trouble dem dey cry say, 'Rise up come save us!' ^d d v27 To call tree wey dem carve 'my papa' na di sad counterfeit of di real relationship—dem turn from di true Papa wey make dem, go meet dead tins wey no fit do am. ²⁸But where di gods wey you make for yousef dey? Make dem rise up, if dem fit save you for di time of your trouble; bicos di gods wey you get plenty reach di cities wey you get, Judah. ²⁹Why you dey bring case against me? Una all don rebel against me, na so our Papa talk. ³⁰For nothing I beat your pikin dem; dem no gree accept correction. Na your own sword chop your prophets like hungry lion. ³¹Una dis generation, consider di word of our Papa: I don ever be wilderness to Israel, or land of deep darkness? Why now my people dey talk say, 'We free to waka anyhow; we no go come meet you again'? ³²Young woman fit forget im jewelry, or bride fit forget im wedding sash? But my people don forget me for days wey nobody fit count. ³³See as you dey use sense arrange plan to run after love! You even don teach your ways give wicked women. ³⁴For di edge of your cloth dem find di blood of di innocent poor people—even though you no catch dem dey break in. But even with all dis tins, ³⁵you dey talk say, 'I innocent; for sure im anger don turn comot from me.' But I go bring you come judgment bicos you talk say, 'I no sin.' ³⁶See as you dey change your direction anyhow! Egypt go put you for shame just as Assyria put you for shame. ³⁷From there too, you go comot with your hand for your head, bicos our Papa don reject di ones wey you dey trust, and dem no go do you any good.