A Call to Repentance

The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what (A)backsliding Israel has done? She has (B)gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. (C)And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous (D)sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that (E)for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had (F)put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; (G)yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she (H)defiled the land and committed adultery with (I)stones and trees. 10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me (J)with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.

11 Then the Lord said to me, (K)“Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward (L)the north, and say:

‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord;
‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you.
For I am (M)merciful,’ says the Lord;
‘I will not remain angry forever.
13 (N)Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the Lord your God,
And have (O)scattered your [a]charms
To (P)alien deities (Q)under every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord.

14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; (R)“for I am married to you. I will take you, (S)one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to (T)Zion.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 3:13 Lit. ways

Unfaithful Israel

During the reign of King Josiah,(A) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless(B) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree(C) and has committed adultery(D) there. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister(E) Judah saw it.(F) I gave faithless Israel(G) her certificate of divorce(H) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;(I) she also went out and committed adultery. Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land(J) and committed adultery(K) with stone(L) and wood.(M) 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return(N) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,(O)” declares the Lord.(P)

11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous(Q) than unfaithful(R) Judah.(S) 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:(T)

“‘Return,(U) faithless(V) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’(W) declares the Lord,
    ‘I will not be angry(X) forever.
13 Only acknowledge(Y) your guilt—
    you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods(Z)
    under every spreading tree,(AA)
    and have not obeyed(AB) me,’”
declares the Lord.

14 “Return,(AC) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.(AD) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion.

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