Jeremiah 3:1-13 ▼

1 “Saying, Behold, one sends his wife away, || And she has gone from him, || And she has been to another man, || Does he return to her again? Is that land not greatly defiled? And you have committed whoredom with many lovers, || And turn to Me again,” || A declaration of YHWH.

2 “Lift your eyes to the high places, and see, || Where have you not been lain with? You have sat for them on the ways, || As an Arab in a wilderness, || And you defile the land, || By your fornications, and by your wickedness.

3 And showers are withheld, and there has been no spring rain. You have the forehead of a whorish woman, || You have refused to be ashamed.

4 Have you not from now on called to Me, || My Father, You [are] the leader of my youth?

5 Does He keep for all time? Watch forever? Behold, you have spoken these things, || And you do evil, and prevail.”

6 And YHWH says to me, in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She is going on every high mountain, and to the place of every green tree, and commits fornication there.

7 And I say, after her doing all these, Return to Me, and she has not returned, and her treacherous sister Judah sees it.

8 And I see that for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I have sent her away, and I give the bill of her divorce to her; and her treacherous sister Judah has not feared, and goes and commits fornication—she also.

9 And it has come to pass, from the vileness of her fornication, that the land is defiled, and she commits fornication with stone and with wood.

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

11 And YHWH says to me: “Backsliding Israel has justified herself, || More than treacherous Judah.

12 Go, and you have proclaimed these words toward the north, and have said, Return, O backsliding Israel,” || A declaration of YHWH! “I do not cause My anger to fall on you, for I [am] kind,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “I do not watch for all time.

13 Only, know your iniquity, || For you have transgressed against your God YHWH, || And you scatter your ways to strangers, || Under every green tree, || And you have not listened to My voice,” || A declaration of YHWH.