Israel abandona a Dios
1La palabra del Señor vino a mí: 2«Ve y proclama a oídos de Jerusalén que así dice el Señor:
»“Recuerdo el amor de tu juventud,
tu cariño de novia,
cuando me seguías por el desierto,
por tierras no cultivadas.
3Israel estaba consagrada al Señor,
era las primicias de su cosecha;
todo el que comía de ella sufría las consecuencias,
les sobrevenía la calamidad”»,
afirma el Señor.
4¡Escuchad la palabra del Señor, descendientes de Jacob,
tribus todas del pueblo de Israel!
5Así dice el Señor:
«¿Qué injusticia vieron en mí vuestros antepasados,
que se alejaron tanto de mí?
Se fueron tras lo que nada vale,
y en nada se convirtieron.
6Nunca preguntaron:
“¿Dónde está el Señor
que nos hizo subir de Egipto,
que nos guio por el desierto,
por tierra árida y accidentada,
por tierra reseca y tenebrosa,
por tierra que nadie transita
y en la que nadie vive?”
7Yo os traje a una tierra fértil,
para que comierais de sus frutos
y de su abundancia.
Pero vinisteis y contaminasteis mi tierra;
hicisteis de mi heredad algo abominable.
8Nunca preguntaron los sacerdotes:
“¿Dónde está el Señor?”
Los expertos en la ley jamás me conocieron;
los pastores se rebelaron contra mí,
los profetas hablaron en nombre de Baal
y se fueron tras dioses que para nada sirven.
9Por eso, aún voy a litigar contra vosotros,
y también litigaré contra los hijos de vuestros hijos
—afirma el Señor—.
10»Cruzad a las costas de Chipre, y mirad;
enviad mensajeros a Cedar,2:10 Cedar. Asentamiento de tribus beduinas en el desierto siro-arábigo. e informaos bien;
fijaos si ha sucedido algo semejante:
11¿Hay alguna nación que haya cambiado de dioses,
a pesar de que no son dioses?
¡Pues mi pueblo ha cambiado al que es su gloria,
por lo que no sirve para nada!
12¡Espantaos, cielos, ante esto!
¡Temblad y quedad horrorizados!
—afirma el Señor—.
13»Dos son los pecados
que ha cometido mi pueblo:
Me han abandonado a mí,
fuente de agua viva,
y han cavado sus propias cisternas,
cisternas rotas que no retienen agua.
14¿Acaso es Israel un esclavo?
¿Nació en la esclavitud?
¿Por qué entonces lo saquean?
15Los leones rugieron contra él,
lanzaron fuertes gruñidos.
Dejaron desolado su país,
sus ciudades fueron incendiadas,
y ya nadie las habita.
16»Para colmo de males,
los de Menfis2:16 Menfis. Lit. Nof. y los de Tafnes
te raparon la cabeza.
17¿No te ha pasado todo esto
por haber abandonado al Señor tu Dios,
mientras él te guiaba por el camino?
18Y ahora, ¿qué sacas con ir a Egipto
a beber agua del Nilo?
¿Qué sacas con ir a Asiria
a beber agua del Éufrates?
19Tu maldad te castigará,
tu infidelidad te recriminará.
Ponte a pensar cuán malo y amargo
es abandonar al Señor tu Dios
y no sentir temor de mí
—afirma el Señor, el Señor Todopoderoso—.
20»Desde hace mucho quebraste el yugo;
te quitaste las ataduras
y dijiste: “¡No quiero servirte!”
Sobre toda colina alta,
y bajo todo árbol frondoso,
te entregaste a la prostitución.
21Yo te planté, como vid selecta,
con semilla genuina.
¿Cómo es que te has convertido
en una vid degenerada y extraña?
22Aunque te laves con lejía,
y te frotes con mucho jabón,
ante mí seguirá presente
la mancha de tu iniquidad
—afirma el Señor omnipotente—.
23»¿Cómo puedes decir:
“No me he contaminado,
ni me he ido tras los baales”?
¡Considera tu conducta en el valle!
¡Reconoce lo que has hecho!
¡Camella ligera de cascos,
que no puedes quedarte quieta!
24¡Asna salvaje que tiras al monte!
Cuando ardes en deseos, olfateas el viento;
cuando estás en celo, no hay quien te detenga.
Ningún macho que te busque tiene que fatigarse:
cuando estás en celo, fácilmente te encuentra.
25»No andes con pies descalzos, que te lastimas,
ni dejes que la garganta se te reseque.
Pero tú insistes: “¡No tengo remedio!
Amo a dioses extraños, y tras ellos me iré”.
26»El pueblo de Israel se avergonzará,
junto con sus reyes y autoridades,
sacerdotes y profetas,
como se avergüenza el ladrón cuando lo descubren.
27A un trozo de madera le dicen:
“Tú eres mi padre”,
y a una piedra le repiten:
“Tú me has dado a luz”.
Me han vuelto la espalda;
no quieren darme la cara.
Pero les llega la desgracia y me dicen:
“¡Levántate y sálvanos!”
28¿Dónde están, Judá, los dioses que te fabricaste?
¡Tienes tantos dioses como ciudades!
¡Diles que se levanten!
¡A ver si te salvan cuando caigas en desgracia!
29»¿Por qué litigáis conmigo?
Todos vosotros os habéis rebelado contra mí
—afirma el Señor—.
30»En vano castigo a mi pueblo,
pues rechaza mi corrección.
Cual si fuera un león feroz,
vuestra espada devoró a vuestros profetas.
31»Pero vosotros, los de esta generación,
prestad atención a la palabra del Señor:
¿Acaso he sido para Israel
un desierto o una tierra tenebrosa?
¿Por qué dice mi pueblo:
“Somos libres, nunca más volveremos a ti”?
32¿Acaso una joven se olvida de sus joyas,
o una novia de su atavío?
¡Pues hace muchísimo tiempo
que mi pueblo se olvidó de mí!
33¡Qué mañosa eres
para conseguir amantes!
¡Hasta las malas mujeres
han aprendido de ti!
34Tienes la ropa manchada de sangre,
de sangre de gente pobre e inocente,
a los que nunca sorprendiste robando.
Por todo esto 35te voy a juzgar:
por alegar que no has pecado,
por insistir en tu inocencia,
por afirmar: “¡Dios ya no está enojado conmigo!”
36¡Con qué ligereza cambias de parecer!2:36 de parecer. Alt. de aliados.
Pues también Egipto te defraudará,
como te defraudó Asiria.
37Saldrás de allí con las manos en la nuca,
porque el Señor ha rechazado
a aquellos en quienes confías,
y no prosperarás con ellos.
Israel Deserts the Lord
1A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2“Go. Announce my message to the people in Jerusalem. I want everyone to hear it. Tell them,
“Here is what the Lord says.
“ ‘I remember how faithful you were to me when you were young.
You loved me as if you were my bride.
You followed me through the desert.
Nothing had been planted there.
3Your people were holy to me.
They were the first share of my harvest.
All those who destroyed them were held guilty.
And trouble came to their enemies,’ ”
announces the Lord.
4People of Jacob, hear the Lord’s message.
Listen, all you tribes of Israel.
5The Lord says,
“What did your people of long ago find wrong with me?
Why did they wander so far away from me?
They worshiped worthless statues of gods.
Then they themselves became worthless.
6They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?
He brought us up out of Egypt.
He led us through a dry and empty land.
He guided us through deserts and deep valleys.
It was a land of total darkness where there wasn’t any rain.
No one lived or traveled there.’
7But I brought you into a land that has rich soil.
I gave you its fruit and its finest food.
In spite of that, you made my land impure.
You turned it into something I hate.
8The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who taught my law did not know me.
The leaders refused to obey me.
The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal.
They worshiped worthless statues of gods.
9“So I am bringing charges against you again,”
announces the Lord.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10Go over to the coasts of Cyprus and look.
Send people to the land of Kedar and have them look closely.
See if there has ever been anything like this.
11Has a nation ever changed its gods?
Actually, they are not even gods at all.
But my people have traded away their glorious God.
They have traded me for worthless statues of gods.
12Sky above, be shocked over this.
Tremble with horror,”
announces the Lord.
13“My people have sinned twice.
They have deserted me,
even though I am the spring of water that gives life.
And they have dug their own wells.
But those wells are broken.
They can’t hold any water.
14Are you people of Israel servants?
You were not born as slaves, were you?
Then why have you been carried off like stolen goods?
15Lions have roared.
They have growled at you.
They have destroyed your land.
Your towns are burned and deserted.
16The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have cracked your skulls.
17Haven’t you brought this on yourselves?
I am the Lord your God, but you deserted me.
You left me even while I was leading you.
18Why do you go to Egypt
to drink water from the Nile River?
Why do you go to Assyria
to drink from the Euphrates River?
19You will be punished because you have sinned.
You will be corrected for turning away from me.
I am the Lord your God.
If you desert me, bad things will happen to you.
If you do not respect me, you will suffer bitterly.
I want you to understand that,”
announces the Lord who rules over all.
20“Long ago you broke off the yoke I put on you.
You tore off the ropes I tied you up with.
You said, ‘I won’t serve you!’
In fact, on every high hill
you lay down like a prostitute.
You worshiped other gods under every green tree.
21You were like a good vine when I planted you.
You were a healthy plant.
Then how did you turn against me?
How did you become a bad, wild vine?
22You might wash yourself with soap.
You might use plenty of strong soap.
But I can still see the stains your guilt covers you with,”
announces the Lord and King.
23“You say, ‘I am “clean.”
I haven’t followed the gods that are named Baal.’
How can you say that?
Remember how you acted in the valley.
Consider what you have done.
You are like a female camel running quickly here and there.
24You are like a wild donkey that lives in the desert.
She smells the wind when she longs for a mate.
Who can hold her back?
The males that run after her do not need to wear themselves out.
At mating time they will easily find her.
25Do not run after other gods
until your sandals are worn out and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!
I love those gods.
I must go after them.’
26“A thief is dishonored when he is caught.
And you people of Israel are filled with shame.
Your kings and officials are dishonored.
So are your priests and your prophets.
27You say to a piece of wood, ‘You are my father.’
You say to a stone, ‘You are my mother.’
You have turned your backs to me.
You refuse to look at me.
But when you are in trouble, you say,
‘Come and save us!’
28Then where are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them come when you are in trouble!
Let them save you if they can!
Judah, you have as many gods
as you have towns.
29“Why do you bring charges against me?
All of you have refused to obey me,”
announces the Lord.
30“I punished your people. But it did not do them any good.
They did not pay attention when they were corrected.
You have killed your prophets by swords.
You have swallowed them up like a hungry lion.
31“You who are now living, consider my message. I am saying,
“Have I been like a desert to Israel?
Have I been like a land of deep darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to wander.
We won’t come to you anymore’?
32Does a young woman forget all about her jewelry?
Does a bride forget her wedding jewels?
But my people have forgotten me
more days than anyone can count.
33You are very skilled at chasing after love!
Even the worst of women can learn from how you act.
34The blood of those you have killed is on your clothes.
You have destroyed poor people who were not guilty.
You did not catch them in the act of breaking in.
In spite of all this,
35you say, ‘I’m not guilty of doing anything wrong.
The Lord isn’t angry with me.’
But I will judge you.
That’s because you say, ‘I haven’t sinned.’
36Why do you keep on
changing your ways so much?
Assyria did not help you.
And Egypt will not help you either.
37So you will also leave Egypt
with your hands tied together above your heads.
I have turned my back on those you trust.
They will not help you.
