Jeremiah 3

1They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, will he return unto her again? will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith Jehovah.

1People say, ‘If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry someone else, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn't that land be completely defiled? But you have acted like a prostitute with many lovers; yet you can still return to me, says Jehovah.

2Lift up thine eyes unto the bare heights, and see; where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

2Look up to the high hills and see; is there any place where you have not had sex in worship to idols? You sat by the roads waiting for lovers like a nomad in the desert; you have defiled the land with your prostitution and your wickedness.

3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a harlot’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

3Because of this, the showers have been held back and the spring rains have not come; yet you have the bold face of a prostitute and refuse to feel any shame.

4Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?

4From now on, won't you cry out to me, ‘My Father, you have been my friend since I was young?’

5Will he retain his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.

5You think, ‘Will he stay angry forever? Will his rage last to the very end?’ This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can.

6Moreover Jehovah said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

6During the reign of King Josiah, Jehovah said to me, ‘Have you seen what unfaithful Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree to act like a prostitute.

7And I said after she had done all these things, She will return unto me; but she returned not: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

7I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me, but she did not. And her sister, treacherous Judah, saw what happened.

8And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot.

8Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away and gave her a divorce decree because of her adultery. Yet treacherous Judah was not afraid; she went out and acted like a prostitute too.

9And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

9Because she took her prostitution so lightly, she defiled the land and committed adultery by worshipping idols made of stone and wood.

10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith Jehovah.

10In spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but only pretended to, says Jehovah.

11And Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath showed herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

11Then Jehovah said to me, ‘Unfaithful Israel is more righteous than treacherous Judah.’

12Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; I will not look in anger upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah, I will not keep anger for ever.

12Go and announce this message toward the north: ‘Return, unfaithful Israel,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will not stay angry forever.’

13Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith Jehovah.

13‘Only acknowledge your guilt—that you have rebelled against Jehovah your God and have given your favors to strangers under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed me,’ says Jehovah.

14Return, O 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.

14‘Return, you unfaithful children,’ says Jehovah, ‘for I am your master. I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion.’

15And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

15‘Then I will give you leaders after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.’

16And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.

16‘In those days, when your numbers have increased in the land,’ says Jehovah, ‘people will no longer talk about the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah. It will not enter their minds or be remembered; they will not miss it, and another one will not be built.’

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: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

17‘At that time, Jerusalem will be called the Throne of Jehovah, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of Jehovah. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.’

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 that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers.

18‘In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel, and together they will come from the land of the north to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.’

19But I said, How I will put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.

19‘I thought to myself: I would love to treat you like my own children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me “Father” and never turn away from following me.’

20Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah.

20‘But like a woman who is unfaithful to her husband, you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel,’ says Jehovah.

21A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Jehovah their God.

21A noise is heard on the high hills—the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel. They have lost their way and forgotten Jehovah their God.

22Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God.

22‘Return, you unfaithful children, and I will heal your unfaithfulness.’ ‘Yes, we will come to you, for you are Jehovah our God.’

23Truly in vain is the help that is looked for from the hills, the tumult on the mountains: truly in Jehovah our God is the salvation of Israel.

23‘Surely it is a lie to look for help from the hills and the noise on the mountains. In Jehovah our God alone is the salvation of Israel.’

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

24‘But from the time we were young, that shameful god has swallowed up everything our ancestors worked for—their flocks and herds, and even their sons and daughters.’

25Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Jehovah our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day; and we have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God.

25‘Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. We and our ancestors have sinned against Jehovah our God from our youth until this very day; we have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God.’