Jeremiah 3
3
1 A saying:#Literally “to say” ‘Look, if a man divorces his wife,
and she goes from him and she becomes another man’s wife,#Literally “and she becomes to a man another”
will he return to her again?’
Will not that land be greatly defiled?
And you have prostituted yourself with many lovers,
would you now return to me?” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
2“Lift up your eyes at the barren heights,
and see where you have not been ravished.
Beside the roads you sat for them like an Arab in the desert,#Or “wilderness”
and you have defiled the land
with your fornication
and with your wickedness.
3Therefore rain showers have been withheld,
and the spring rain has not come.
Yet you have#Literally “it is for you” the forehead of a woman prostitute,
you refuse to be ashamed.
4Have you not just now called to me,
‘My father, you are the close friend of my youth?
5Will he be angry forever?#Literally “to eternity”
Will he maintain it always’?#Literally “to duration”
Look, you have spoken,
but you have done all the evil that you could.”#Literally “you have done the evil and you were able”
Yahweh Gives Israel a Letter of Divorce
6Then Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah, the king, “Have you seen what apostate#Or “unfaithful” Israel has done? She has gone on every high hill and under every leafy tree and she has prostituted herself there. 7And I thought, ‘After her doing all these things to me she will return,’ but she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.#Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation 8And I saw that for this very reason, that#Literally “because of all” on account of apostate#Or “unfaithful” Israel committing adultery I divorced her and gave the letter of divorce to her. Yet her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid and she went and prostituted herself also. 9And it was because of the frivolity of her fornication that she defiled the land and committed adultery with the stone and with the tree. 10Yet even in all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only#Literally “but if” in pretense,”#Or “deception” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
A Call for Repentance
11Then Yahweh said to me, “Apostate#Or “unfaithful” Israel has proved herself more upright#Or “righteous” than treacherous Judah. 12Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
‘Return, apostate#Or “unfaithful” Israel,’ declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
‘I will not cause my anger#Literally “faces” to fall on you.
For I am loyal,’ declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
‘I will not be angry forever.#Literally “to eternity”
13Only acknowledge your guilt,
that against Yahweh your God you have rebelled,
and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every leafy tree,
and you have not obeyed my voice,’ declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.”
14“Return, apostate#Or “unfaithful” children,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh. “For I am your master,#Literally “I rule over among you” and I will take you one from a city and two from a clan,#Or “family” and I will bring you to Zion. 15Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart and they will feed you knowledge and insight. 16And it will be when you have multiplied and become fruitful in the land in those days,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of Yahweh.’ And it will not come to mind,#Literally “it shall not go up on heart” nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it,#Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation nor will it be made again. 17At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of Yahweh,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem, and they will no longer go after the stubbornness of their evil heart. 18In those days the house of Judah will walk along with the house of Israel and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave as an inheritance to your ancestors.#Or “fathers”
19Then I thought, ‘How I would set you among the children,
and I would give you a land of desire,
an inheritance of the glory of the hosts of nations.’
And I thought, ‘You would call me, “My father,”
and you would not turn back from behind#Or “following” me.’
20However, as a wife departs treacherously from her lover,
so you have dealt treacherously with me,
O house of Israel,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
21“A voice is heard on the barren heights,
the weeping of the pleas for mercy of the children of Israel,
because they have perverted their way,
they have forgotten Yahweh their God.
22Return, O apostate#Or “unfaithful” children,
I will heal your backsliding.
‘Look, we come to you,
for you are Yahweh our God.
23Surely, an illusion comes from the hills,
the turmoil on the mountains.
Surely, in Yahweh our God
is the salvation of Israel.
24But the shameful thing has devoured
the labor of our ancestors#Or “fathers” from our youth,
their flocks, and their cattle,
their sons and their daughters.
25Let us lie down in our shame,
and let our disgrace cover us.
For against Yahweh our God we have sinned,
we and our ancestors,#Or “fathers”
from our youth and until this day.
and we have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God.’
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Jeremiah 3: LEB
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Jeremiah 3
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? Would not that land be utterly polluted? But thou hast committed fornication with many lovers; yet return to me, saith Jehovah. 2Lift up thine eyes unto the heights and see, where hast thou not been lain with? In the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arab in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy fornications and with thy wickedness. 3And the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; but thou hast a harlot's forehead, thou refusest to be ashamed. 4Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? 5Will he keep his anger for ever? Will he preserve it perpetually? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and thou art so determined.
6And Jehovah said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen what backsliding Israel hath done? She hath gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath committed fornication. 7And I said, After she hath done all these things, she will return unto me; but she returned not. And her sister Judah, the treacherous, saw it. 8And I saw that when for all the causes wherein backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce, yet the treacherous Judah, her sister, feared not, but went and committed fornication also. 9And it came to pass through the lightness of her fornication that she polluted the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. 10And even for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but with falsehood, saith Jehovah. 11And Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath shewn herself more just than treacherous Judah.
12Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah: I will not make my face dark upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah; I will not keep anger for ever. 13Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God#GodHebrew: Elohim and hast turned thy ways hither and thither to the strangers under every green tree; and ye have not hearkened to my voice, saith Jehovah. 14Return, backsliding children, saith Jehovah; for I am a husband 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 shepherds according to my heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied in the land and become fruitful, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, Ark of the covenant of Jehovah! neither shall it come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it; neither shall it be done any more. 17At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem; and they shall no more walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart. 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 which I caused your fathers to inherit. 19And as for me, I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee the pleasant land, the goodly inheritance of the hosts of the nations? And I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from following me.
20Surely as a woman treacherously departeth from her companion, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah. 21A voice is heard upon the heights, the weeping supplications of the children of Israel; for they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Jehovah their God#GodHebrew: Elohim 22— Return, backsliding children; I will heal your backslidings. ...Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God#GodHebrew: Elohim 23Truly in vain is salvation looked for from the hills, and the multitude of mountains; truly in Jehovah our God#GodHebrew: Elohim is the salvation of Israel. 24But 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 Jehovah our God#GodHebrew: Elohim we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah our God#GodHebrew: Elohim.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.