Jeremiah 3
3
Unfaithful Judah and Unfaithful Israel
1“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to be with another man, will he return to her again? Would not such a land be totally polluted? You are a prostitute with many lovers. Now are you returning to Me?” It is a declaration of Adonai.
2“Lift your eyes to the barren hills and see! Where have you not been violated? By the wayside you sat waiting for them like a nomad in the desert. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
3Therefore showers have been withheld and there has been no spring rain. You have a harlot’s brazen look; you refuse to be ashamed.
4Did you not just now call to Me: ‘Avi! You are a friend of my youth.
5Would He keep a grudge forever? Would He keep it to the end?’ So you said—yet you have done all the evil things you could.”
6Then Adonai said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel did? She went up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there she committed adultery.
7Yet I thought that after she had done all this she would return to Me. But she did not return. Even her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.
8I noted that when backsliding Israel committed adultery I sent her away and gave her a certificate of divorce. Yet, unfaithful Judah, her sister, did not fear. Instead she also went and committed adultery.
9It happened that through her frivolous prostitution, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and with wood.
10Yet after all this her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but only insincerely,” It is a declaration of Adonai.
11Then Adonai said to me, “Backsliding Israel has proved herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah.
12Go! Proclaim these words toward the north, saying: “Return backsliding Israel,” says Adonai. “I will no longer frown on you, for I am merciful,” says Adonai. “I will not keep a grudge forever.
13Only acknowledge your iniquity. For you sinned against Adonai your God and scattered your favors to foreign gods under every green tree. You have not obeyed My voice.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
Call to Backsliding Children
14“Return, O backsliding children,” declares Adonai. “For I am your Husband. I will choose you—one from a city and two from a clan— and will bring you to Zion.
15I will give you shepherds after My own heart who will feed you knowledge and understanding.
16It will be in those days when you multiply and become fruitful in the land.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “They will no longer talk about the ark of the covenant of Adonai, nor will it come to mind or be remembered. Neither will it be missed or another one made again.
17At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of Adonai and all the nations will gather into it, to Jerusalem, in the Name of Adonai. No longer will they walk according to the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel. They will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.”
19“Then I Myself said: ‘How gladly would I make you sons and give you a pleasant land— the most beautiful inheritance of the nations!’ I thought you would call Me—Avi!— and would not turn from following Me.
20Yet as a woman betrays her lover, so have you betrayed Me, O house of Israel.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
21A voice is heard on the barren hills —the weeping and supplication of the children of Israel— because they perverted their way and forgot Adonai their God.
22“Return, backsliding children! I will heal your backsliding.” “Yes, we will come to You for You are Adonai Eloheinu.
23Surely help from the hills is a delusion— the commotion of the mountains! Surely in Adonai Eloheinu is the salvation of Israel.
24But the shame has consumed the labor of our fathers since our youth— their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25Let’s lie down with our shame and let our disgrace cover us! For we have sinned against Adonai Eloheinu —both we and our fathers— from our youth even to this day. We have not paid attention to the voice of Adonai Eloheinu.”
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Jeremiah 3: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Jeremiah 3
3
1“Suppose a man divorces his wife.
What if she then marries another man?
Should her first husband return to her again?
If he does, won’t the land become completely ‘unclean’?
People of Israel, you have lived like a prostitute.
You have loved many other gods.
So do you think you can return to me now?”
announces the Lord.
2“Look up at the bare hilltops.
Is there any place where you have not worshiped other gods?
You have been unfaithful to me like a wife committing adultery.
By the side of the road you sat waiting for lovers.
You sat there like someone who wanders in the desert.
You have made the land impure.
You are like a sinful prostitute.
3So I have held back the showers.
I have kept the spring rains from falling.
But you still have the bold face of a prostitute.
You refuse to blush with shame.
4You have just now called out to me.
You said,
‘My Father, you have been my friend
ever since I was young.
5Will you always be angry with me?
Will your anger continue forever?’
This is how you talk.
But you do all the evil things you can.”
Israel Is Not Faithful to the Lord
6During the time Josiah was king, the Lord spoke to me. He said, “Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have not been faithful to me. They have committed adultery with other gods. They worshiped them on every high hill and under every green tree. 7I thought that after they had done all this, they would return to me. But they did not. Their sister nation Judah saw them doing this. And they were not faithful to me either. 8I gave Israel their letter of divorce. I sent them away because they were unfaithful to me so many times. But I saw that their sister nation Judah did not have any respect for me. They were not faithful to me either. They also went out and committed adultery with other gods. 9Israel was not faithful to me, but that did not bother them at all. They made the land ‘unclean.’ They worshiped gods that were made out of stone and wood. 10In spite of all this, their sister nation Judah did not come back to me. They were not faithful to me either. They did not return with all their heart. They only pretended to,” announces the Lord.
11The Lord said to me, “Israel and Judah have not been faithful to me. But Israel was not as bad as Judah was. 12Go. Announce this message to the people in the north. Tell them,
“ ‘Israel, you have not been faithful,’ announces the Lord.
‘Return to me. Then I will do good things for you again.
That’s because I am faithful,’ announces the Lord.
‘I will not be angry with you forever.
13Admit that you are guilty of doing what is wrong.
You have refused to obey me.
I am the Lord your God.
You have committed adultery with other gods.
You worshiped them under every green tree.
And you have not obeyed me,’ ”
announces the Lord.
14“You people have not been faithful,” announces the Lord. “Return to me. I am your husband. I will choose one of you from each town. I will choose two from each territory. And I will bring you to the city of Zion. 15Then I will give you shepherds who are dear to my heart. Their knowledge and understanding will help them lead you. 16In those days there will be many more of you in the land,” announces the Lord. “Then people will not talk about the ark of the covenant of the Lord anymore. It will never enter their minds. They will not remember it. The ark will not be missed. And another one will not be made. 17At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord. All the nations will gather together there. They will go there to honor me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts want them to do. 18In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel. Together they will come from a land in the north. They will come to the land I gave to your people of long ago. I wanted them to have it as their very own.
19“I myself said,
“ ‘I would gladly treat you like my children.
I would give you a pleasant land.
It is the most beautiful land any nation could have.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father.’
I hoped you would always obey me.
20But you people are like a woman who is not faithful to her husband.
Israel, you have not been faithful to me,”
announces the Lord.
21A cry is heard on the bare hilltops.
The people of Israel are weeping and begging for help.
That’s because their lives are so twisted.
They’ve forgotten the Lord their God.
22“You have not been faithful,”
says the Lord.
“Return to me. I will heal you.
Then you will not turn away from me anymore.”
“Yes,” the people say. “We will come to you.
You are the Lord our God.
23The gods we worship on the hills
and mountains are useless.
You are the Lord our God.
You are the only one who can save us.
24From our earliest years shameful gods have harmed us.
They have eaten up everything our people of long ago worked for.
They have eaten up our flocks and herds.
They’ve destroyed our sons and daughters.
25Let us lie down in our shame.
Let our dishonor cover us.
You are the Lord our God. But we have sinned against you.
We and our people of long ago have sinned.
We haven’t obeyed you
from our earliest years until now.”
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