Jeremiah 3:1-13 ▼

1 They say, “If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and becomes another man’s, can he return to her again? Shall not that land be completely defiled? And you have played the harlot with many lovers, and yet return to Me?” A declaration of YHWH.

2 “Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see; where have you not been violated? Along the pathway you have sat for them, like an Arabian in the desert, and you have defiled the land with your prostitution and with your evil.

3 And the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come; and yet you had a whorish woman’s forehead; you refuse to be ashamed.

4 Have you not from now called out to Me, ‘My Father, You are the companion of my youth?

5 ‘Will He keep it forever, or will He keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken, and have done the evils as you could.”

6 And YHWH said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.

7 And I said, after her doing all these things, she will return to Me. And she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

8 And she saw that, in spite of all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had sent her away, and had given a writ of divorce to her, and her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, and she went and also she prostituted herself.

9 And it came to pass from the thoughtlessness of her prostitution, that she even defiled the land, and she committed adultery with stones and with trees!

10 Yet in all this, her treacherous sister Judah has not turned back to Me with all her heart, but only falsely,” a declaration of YHWH.

11 And YHWH said to me, “Backsliding Israel has proven herself more righteous than treacheous Judah.

12 Go and proclaim these words to the north, and say: ‘Return, O backsliding Israel!’ A declaration of YHWH. ‘I will not cause My face to fall on you?, for I am merciful,’ a declaration of YHWH. ‘I will not keep it forever.

13 Only acknowledge your iniquity, that against YHWH your God you have transgressed, and you have scattered your ways to strangers under every green tree, and you? have not listened to My voice!’” A declaration of YHWH.