Jeremiah 3

1 It is commonly said: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and marry another man, shall he return to her any more? shall not that woman be polluted, and defiled? but thou hast prostituted thyself to many lovers: nevertheless return to me, saith the Lord, and I will receive thee.

"They say, 'If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and become another man's, will he return to her again?' Wouldn't that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me," says YHWH.

2 Lift up thy eyes on high: and see where thou hast not prostituted thyself: Thou didst sit in the ways, waiting for them as a robber in the wilderness: and thou hast polluted the land with thy fornications, and with thy wickedness.

"Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see. Where have you not been lain with? You have sat for them by the ways, as an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness.

3 Therefore the showers were withholden, and there was no lateward rain: thou hadst a harlot’s forehead, thou wouldst not blush.

Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain; yet you have a prostitute's forehead, you refused to be ashamed.

4 Therefore at least at this time call to me: Thou art my father, the guide of my virginity:

Will you not from this time cry to me, 'My Father, you are the guide of my youth?'

5 Wilt thou be angry for ever, or wilt thou continue until the end? Behold, thou hast spoken, and hast done evil things, and hast been able.

"'Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end?' Look, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way."

6 And the Lord said to me in the days of king Josias: Hast thou seen what rebellious Israel hast done? she hath gone out of herself upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and hath played the harlot there.

Moreover, YHWH said to me in the days of Josiah the king, "Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the prostitute.

7 And when she had done all these things, I said: Return to me, and she did not return. And her treacherous sister Juda saw,

I said after she had done all these things, 'She will return to me;' but she did not return; and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

8 That because the rebellious Israel had played the harlot, I had put her away, and had given her a bill of divorce: yet her treacherous sister Juda was not afraid, but went and played the harlot also herself.

She saw that for all the causes for which faithless Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, did not fear; but she also went and played the prostitute.

9 And by the facility of her fornication she defiled the land, and played the harlot with stones and with stocks.

And it came to pass, through her casual prostitution, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stone and wood.

10 And after all this, her treacherous sister Juda hath not returned to me with her whole heart, but with falsehood, saith the Lord.

Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense," says YHWH.

11 And the Lord said to me: The rebellious Israel hath justified her soul, in comparison of the treacherous Juda.

YHWH said to me, "Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and thou shalt say: Return, O rebellious Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not turn away my face from you: for I am holy, saith the Lord, and I will not be angry for ever.

Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, 'Return, you backsliding Israel,' says YHWH; 'I will not look in anger on you; for I am merciful,' says YHWH. 'I will not keep anger forever.

13 But yet acknowledge thy iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God: and thou hast scattered thy ways to strangers under every green tree, and hast not heard my voice, saith the Lord.

Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against YHWH your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,'" says YHWH.

14 Return, O ye revolting children, saith the Lord: for I am your husband: and I will take you, one of a city, and two of a kindred, and will bring you into Sion.

"Return, backsliding children," says YHWH; "for I am a husband to you. I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

15 And I will give you pastors according to my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine.

I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 And when you shall be multiplied, and increase 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 upon the heart, neither shall they remember it, neither shall it be visited, neither shall that be done any more.

It shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days," says YHWH, "they shall say no more, 'The ark of the covenant of YHWH.' neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.

17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the thrown of the Lord: and all the nations shall be gathered together to it, in the name of the Lord to Jerusalem, and they shall not walk after the perversity of their most wicked heart.

At that time they shall call Jerusalem 'The throne of YHWH;' and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of YHWH, to Jerusalem. Neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

18 In those days the house of Juda shall go to the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land which I gave to your fathers.

In 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 gave for an inheritance to your fathers.

19 But I said: How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a lovely land, the goodly inheritance of the armies of the Gentiles? And I said: Thou shalt call me father and shalt cease to walk after me.

"But I said, 'How I would put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations.' and I said, 'You shall call me "My Father," and shall not turn away from following me.'

20 But as a woman that despiseth her lover, so hath the house of Israel despised me, saith the Lord.

"Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel," says YHWH.

21 A voice was heard in the highways, weeping and howling of the children of Israel: because they have made their way wicked, they have forgotten the Lord their God.

A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten YHWH their God.

22 Return, you rebellious children, and I will heal your rebellions. Behold we come to thee: for thou art the Lord our God.

"Return, you backsliding children, I will heal your backsliding." "Look, we have come to you; for you are YHWH our God.

23 In very deed the hills were liars. and the multitude of the mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.

Truly the hills are a delusion, the tumult on the mountains. Truly the salvation of Israel is in YHWH our God.

24 Confusion hath devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

25 We shall sleep in our confusion, and our shame shall cover us, because we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers from our youth even to this day, and we have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God.

Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against YHWH our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the voice of YHWH our God."