[2:14] “Israel is not a slave; he was not born into slavery. Why then do his enemies hunt him down?
[2:15] They have roared at him like lions; they have made his land a desert, and his towns lie in ruins, completely abandoned.
[2:16] Yes, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked his skull.
[2:17] Israel, you brought this on yourself! You deserted me, the Lord your God, while I was leading you along the way.
[2:18] What do you think you will gain by going to Egypt to drink water from the Nile? What do you think you will gain by going to Assyria to drink water from the Euphrates?
[2:19] Your own evil will punish you, and your turning from me will condemn you. You will learn how bitter and wrong it is to abandon me, the Lord your God, and no longer to remain faithful to me. I, the Sovereign Lord Almighty, have spoken.”