Jeremiah 3

1They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.footnote a

2Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

4Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?

5Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

6The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

7And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

8And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

9And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.footnote b

10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.footnote c

11And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

12Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

13Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

14Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

15And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.footnote dfootnote e

17At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.footnote f

18In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.footnote gfootnote h

19But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.footnote ifootnote jfootnote k

20Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.footnote l

21A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

22Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

23Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

24For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

25We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

The Wages of the Harlot

1“If a man divorces his wifeand she leaves him to marry another,can he ever return to her?Would not such a land be completely defiled?But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?”declares the LORD. 2“Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see.Is there any place where you have not been violated?You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers,like a nomad in the desert.You have defiled the landwith your prostitution and wickedness. 3Therefore the showers have been withheld,and no spring rains have fallen.Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute;you refuse to be ashamed.

4Have you not just called to Me,‘My Father, You are my friend from youth. 5Will He be angry forever?Will He be indignant to the end?’This you have spoken,but you keep doing all the evil you can.”

Judah Follows Israel’s Example

6Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there. 7I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.

8She sawfootnote a that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. 9Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.

A Call to Repentance

11And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah. 12Go, proclaim this message toward the north:‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD.‘I will no longer look on you with anger,for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD.‘I will not be angry forever. 13Only acknowledge your guilt,that you have rebelled against the LORD your God.You have scattered your favors to foreign godsunder every green treeand have not obeyed My voice,’”declares the LORD.

14“Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion. 15Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

16“In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer discuss the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made.

17At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. 18In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance.

19Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sonsand give you a desirable land,the most beautiful inheritanceof all the nations!’I thought you would call Me ‘Father’and never turn away from following Me. 20But as a woman may betray her husband,so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,”declares the LORD. 21A voice is heard on the barren heights,the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy,because they have perverted their waysand forgotten the LORD their God.

22“Return, O faithless children,and I will heal your faithlessness.”“Here we are. We come to You,for You are the LORD our God. 23Surely deception comes from the hills,and commotion from the mountains.Surely the salvation of Israelis in the LORD our God. 24From our youth, that shameful godhas consumed what our fathers have worked for—their flocks and herds,their sons and daughters. 25Let us lie down in our shame;let our disgrace cover us.We have sinned against the LORD our God,both we and our fathers;from our youth even to this daywe have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”