Jeremiah 2:11

Complete Jewish Bible

has a nation ever exchanged its gods (and theirs are not gods at all!)? Yet my people have exchanged their Glory for something without value.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Has a nation ever exchanged its gods?(But they were not gods!)Yet my people have exchanged their Gloryfor useless idols.

Hebrew Names Version
Has a nation changed [its] gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

King James Version
Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

English Standard Version
Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

New American Standard Bible
"Has a nation changed gods, When they were not gods? But My people have exchanged their glory For that which is of no benefit.

New Century Version
Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (Of course, its gods are not really gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for idols worth nothing.

Amplified Bible
"Has a nation [ever] changed gods Even though they were not gods [but merely man-made objects]? But My people have exchanged their Glory (the true God) For that [man-made idol] which does not benefit [them].

World English Bible
Has a nation changed [its] gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Hath any nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but my people haue chaged their glorie, for that which doeth not profite.

Legacy Standard Bible
Has a nation changed godsThough they were not gods?But My people have changed their gloryFor that which does not profit.

Berean Standard Bible
Has a nation ever changed its gods? (though they were no gods at all!) Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for idols that are useless.

Contemporary English Version
You will find that no nation has ever abandoned its gods even though they were false. I am the true and glorious God, but you have rejected me to worship idols.

Darby Translation
Hath a nation changed [its] gods? and they are no gods;—but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

Easy-to-Read Version
Has any nation ever stopped worshiping their old gods so that they could worship new gods? No! And their gods are not really gods at all! But my people stopped worshiping their glorious God and started worshiping idols that are worth nothing.

George Lamsa Translation
Have the Gentiles changed their gods, which are not gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

Good News Translation
No other nation has ever changed its gods, even though they were not real. But my people have exchanged me, the God who has brought them honor, for gods that can do nothing for them.

Lexham English Bible
Has a nation exchanged gods? And they are not gods! But my people have exchanged their glory for that which does not profit.

Literal Translation
Has a nation changed its gods, and they were not gods? But My people have changed their Glory without profiting.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
whether the Gentiles themselues deale so falsly & vntruly with their goddes (which yet are no goddes in dede.) But my people hath geuen ouer their hie honoure, for a thinge that maye not helpe them.

American Standard Version
Hath a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

Bible in Basic English
Has any nation ever made a change in their gods, though they are no gods? but my people have given up their glory in exchange for what is of no profit.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Hath a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? But My people hath changed its glory for that which doth not profit.

King James Version (1611)
Hath a nation changed their Gods, which are yet no Gods? but my people haue changed their glory, for that which doth not profit.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whether the gentiles them selues haue chaunged their gods which yet are no gods in deede? but my people hath chaunged their honour for a thyng that may not helpe them.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
if the nations will change their gods, though they are not gods: but my people have changed their glory, for that from which they shall not be profited.

English Revised Version
Hath a nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
if siche a thing is doon, if a folk chaungide hise goddis; and certeynli thei ben no goddis; but my puple chaungide hise glorie in to an ydol.

Update Bible Version
Has a nation changed [its] gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

Webster's Bible Translation
Hath a nation changed [their] gods, which [are] yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for [that which] doth not profit.

New English Translation
Has a nation ever changed its gods (even though they are not really gods at all)? But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God, for a god that cannot help them at all!

New King James Version
Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.

New Living Translation
Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!

New Life Bible
Has a nation changed its gods, even when they are not gods? But My people have changed their greatness for that which does not help them.

New Revised Standard
Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Hath a nation, changed gods, although they were No-gods? Yet my people have changed my glory for that which could not profit!

Douay-Rheims Bible
If a nation hath changed their gods, and indeed they are not gods: but my people have changed their glory into an idol.

Revised Standard Version
Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

Young's Literal Translation
Hath a nation changed gods? (And they [are] no gods!) And My people hath changed its honour For that which doth not profit.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Has a nation changed gods When they were not gods? But My people have changed their glory For that which does not profit.

Contextual Overview

⁹ "So again I state my case against you," says Adonai , "and state it against your grandchildren too. ¹⁰ Cross to the coasts of the Kitti'im and look; send to Kedar and observe closely; see if anything like this has happened before: ¹¹ has a nation ever exchanged its gods (and theirs are not gods at all!)? Yet my people have exchanged their Glory for something without value. ¹² Be aghast at this, you heavens! Shudder in absolute horror!" says Adonai . ¹³ "For my people have committed two evils: they have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a nation: Jeremiah 2:5, Micah 4:5, 1 Peter 1:18

no gods: Jeremiah 16:20, Psalms 115:4, Isaiah 37:19, 1 Corinthians 8:4

changed their glory: Jeremiah 2:8, Deuteronomy 33:29, Psalms 3:3, Psalms 106:20, Romans 1:23

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 31:16 - forsake me Judges 16:23 - Dagon 1 Samuel 4:21 - The glory 2 Kings 1:3 - ye go 2 Kings 22:17 - have forsaken 2 Chronicles 13:9 - no gods Psalms 4:2 - my glory Psalms 81:11 - people Isaiah 43:22 - thou hast been Isaiah 44:9 - and their Jeremiah 2:13 - broken cisterns Jeremiah 2:32 - a maid Jeremiah 5:7 - no gods Jeremiah 16:19 - wherein Ezekiel 5:7 - neither have done Ezekiel 14:5 - estranged Amos 3:9 - Publish Amos 6:2 - Pass Mark 6:6 - marvelled Luke 2:32 - and 1 Corinthians 8:5 - that Ephesians 1:17 - the Father 2 Timothy 2:14 - to no

Cross-References

Genesis 10:7
The sons of Kush were S'va, Havilah, Savta, Ra‘mah and Savt'kha. The sons of Ra‘mah were Sh'va and D'dan.

Genesis 10:29
Ofir, Havilah and Yovav — all these were the sons of Yoktan.

Genesis 25:18
Yishma‘el's sons lived between Havilah and Shur, near Egypt as you go toward Ashur; he settled near all his kinsmen. Haftarah Hayyei-Sarah: M'lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 1:1–31 B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Hayyei-Sarah: Mattityahu (Matthew) 8:19–22; 27:3–10; Luke 9:57–62 Here is the history of Yitz'chak, Avraham's son. Avraham fathered Yitz'chak. Yitz'chak was forty years old when he took Rivkah, the daughter of B'tu'el the Arami from Paddan-Aram and sister of Lavan the Arami, to be his wife. Yitz'chak prayed to Adonai on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. Adonai heeded his prayer, and Rivkah became pregnant. The children fought with each other inside her so much that she said, "If it's going to be like this, why go on living?" So she went to inquire of Adonai , who answered her, "There are two nations in your womb. From birth they will be two rival peoples. One of these peoples will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." When the time for her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. The first to come out was reddish and covered all over with hair, like a coat; so they named him ‘Esav [completely formed, that is, having hair already]. Then his brother emerged, with his hand holding ‘Esav's heel, so he was called Ya‘akov [he catches by the heel, he supplants]. Yitz'chak was sixty years old when she bore them. The boys grew; and ‘Esav became a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman; while Ya‘akov was a quiet man who stayed in the tents. Yitz'chak favored ‘Esav, because he had a taste for game; Rivkah favored Ya‘akov. One day when Ya‘akov had cooked some stew, ‘Esav came in from the open country, exhausted, and said to Ya‘akov, "Please! Let me gulp down some of that red stuff — that red stuff! I'm exhausted!" (This is why he was called Edom [red].) Ya‘akov answered, "First sell me your rights as the firstborn." "Look, I'm about to die!" said ‘Esav. "What use to me are my rights as the firstborn?" Ya‘akov said, "First, swear to me!" So he swore to him, thus selling his birthright to Ya‘akov. Then Ya‘akov gave him bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, got up and went on his way. Thus ‘Esav showed how little he valued his birthright.

1 Samuel 15:7
Then Sha'ul attacked ‘Amalek, starting at Havilah and continuing toward Shur, at the border of Egypt.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods?.... Though they are not by nature gods which they worship, only nominal and fictitious deities, yet they did not change them for others; but when they once embraced the worship of them, continued therein; so did the Chittim, the inhabitants of the isles, who though they traded to distant countries, from place to place; and so the Kedarenes, who dwelt in tents, and fed cattle, and moved from one desert to another, and from one pasture to another, as Jarchi observes; yet they carried their gods with them, and did not exchange them for new ones where they came. The Jewish writers say b, that the Kedarenes worshipped water, and the Chittim fire; and though they knew that water would quench fire, yet the latter would not change their gods. Kimchi and Abendana relate it just the reverse, and say the Kedarenes worshipped fire, and the Chittim water, which is most likely; and so it is said elsewhere c.

But my people have changed their glory; the true God, who is glorious in himself, and whom they should have glorified, and have counted it their highest honour and glory that they knew him, and were the worshippers of him; yet they changed him, their glory, into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass, Psalms 106:20, wherefore it is justly added,

for that which doth not profit; meaning Baal, and such like idols; see the note on Jeremiah 2:8.

b T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 5. 2. c Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 60. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A nation - A Gentile nation, in strong antithesis to people, the appellation of Israel.

Their glory - Though the worship of the one true God is a nation’s greatest glory, yet it is irksome because it puts a constraint on human passions.

That which doth not profit - Israel had exchanged the prosperity which was God’s reward of obedience for the calamities which resulted from idol-worship.