1
They say[H559], If a man[H376] put away[H7971] his wife[H802], and she go[H1980] from him, and become another[H312]man[H376]'s, shall he return unto her again?[H7725] shall not that land[H776] be greatly[H2610]polluted?[H2610] but thou hast played the harlot[H2181] with many[H7227]lovers[H7453]; yet return again[H7725] to me, saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068].
2
Lift up[H5375] thine eyes[H5869] unto the high places[H8205], and see[H7200]where[H375] thou hast not been lien[H7693] with. In the ways[H1870] hast thou sat[H3427] for them, as the Arabian[H6163] in the wilderness[H4057]; and thou hast polluted[H2610] the land[H776] with thy whoredoms[H2184] and with thy wickedness[H7451].
3
Therefore the showers[H7241] have been withholden[H4513], and there hath been no latter rain[H4456]; and thou hadst a whore's forehead[H4696], thou refusedst[H3985] to be ashamed[H3637].
4
Wilt thou not from this time cry[H7121] unto me, My father[H1], thou art the guide[H441] of my youth?[H5271]
5
Will he reserve[H5201] his anger for ever?[H5769] will he keep[H8104] it to the end?[H5331] Behold, thou hast spoken[H1696] and done[H6213] evil things[H7451] as thou couldest[H3201].
6
The LORD[H3068]said[H559] also unto me in the days[H3117] of Josiah[H2977] the king[H4428], Hast thou seen[H7200] that which backsliding[H4878]Israel[H3478] hath done?[H6213] she is gone up[H1980] upon every high[H1364]mountain[H2022] and under[H8478] every green[H7488]tree[H6086], and there hath played the harlot[H2181].
7
And I said[H559]after[H310] she had done[H6213] all these things, Turn[H7725] thou unto me. But she returned[H7725] not. And her treacherous[H901]sister[H269]Judah[H3063]saw[H7200] it.
8
And I saw[H7200], when for all the causes[H182] whereby backsliding[H4878]Israel[H3478] committed adultery[H5003] I had put her away[H7971], and given[H5414] her a bill[H5612] of divorce[H3748]; yet her treacherous[H898]sister[H269]Judah[H3063]feared[H3372] not, but went[H3212] and played the harlot[H2181] also.
9
And it came to pass through the lightness[H6963] of her whoredom[H2184], that she defiled[H2610] the land[H776], and committed adultery[H5003] with stones[H68] and with stocks[H6086].
10
And yet for all this her treacherous[H901]sister[H269]Judah[H3063] hath not turned[H7725] unto me with her whole heart[H3820], but feignedly[H8267], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068].
11
And the LORD[H3068]said[H559] unto me, The backsliding[H4878]Israel[H3478] hath justified[H6663]herself[H5315] more than treacherous[H898]Judah[H3063].
12Go[H1980] and proclaim[H7121] these words[H1697] toward the north[H6828], and say[H559], Return[H7725], thou backsliding[H4878]Israel[H3478], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068]; and I will not cause mine anger[H6440] to fall[H5307] upon you: for I am merciful[H2623], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068], and I will not keep[H5201]anger[H6440] for ever[H5769].
13
Only acknowledge[H3045] thine iniquity[H5771], that thou hast transgressed[H6586] against the LORD[H3068] thy God[H430], and hast scattered[H6340] thy ways[H1870] to the strangers[H2114] under every green[H7488]tree[H6086], and ye have not obeyed[H8085] my voice[H6963], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068].
14Turn[H7725], O backsliding[H7726]children[H1121], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068]; for I am married[H1166] unto you: and I will take[H3947] you one[H259] of a city[H5892], and two[H8147] of a family[H4940], and I will bring[H935] you to Zion[H6726]:
15
And I will give[H5414] you pastors[H7462] according to mine heart[H3820], which shall feed[H7462] you with knowledge[H1844] and understanding[H7919].
16
And it shall come[H5927] to pass, when ye be multiplied[H7235] and increased[H6509] in the land[H776], in those days[H3117], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068], they shall say[H559] no more, The ark[H727] of the covenant[H1285] of the LORD[H3068]: neither shall it come[H5927] to mind[H3820]: neither shall they remember[H2142] it; neither shall they visit[H6485] it; neither shall that be done[H6213] any more.
17
At that time[H6256] they shall call[H7121]Jerusalem[H3389] the throne[H3678] of the LORD[H3068]; and all the nations[H1471] shall be gathered[H6960] unto it, to the name[H8034] of the LORD[H3068], to Jerusalem[H3389]: neither shall they walk[H3212] any more after[H310] the imagination[H8307] of their evil[H7451]heart[H3820].
18
In those days[H3117] the house[H1004] of Judah[H3063] shall walk[H3212] with the house[H1004] of Israel[H3478], and they shall come[H935]together[H3162] out of the land[H776] of the north[H6828] to the land[H776] that I have given for an inheritance[H5157] unto your fathers[H1].
19
But I said[H559], How shall I put[H7896] thee among the children[H1121], and give[H5414] thee a pleasant[H2532]land[H776], a goodly[H6643]heritage[H5159] of the hosts[H6635] of nations?[H1471] and I said[H559], Thou shalt call[H7121]me[H310], My father[H1]; and shalt not turn away[H7725] from me[H310].
20Surely[H403] as a wife[H802]treacherously[H898] departeth from her husband[H7453], so have ye dealt treacherously[H898] with me, O house[H1004] of Israel[H3478], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068].
21
A voice[H6963] was heard[H8085] upon the high places[H8205], weeping[H1065] and supplications[H8469] of the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]: for they have perverted[H5753] their way[H1870], and they have forgotten[H7911] the LORD[H3068] their God[H430].
22Return[H7725], ye backsliding[H7726]children[H1121], and I will heal[H7495] your backslidings[H4878]. Behold, we come[H857] unto thee; for thou art the LORD[H3068] our God[H430].
23Truly[H403] in vain[H8267] is salvation[H8668] hoped for from the hills[H1389], and from the multitude[H1995] of mountains[H2022]: truly[H403] in the LORD[H3068] our God[H430] is the salvation[H8668] of Israel[H3478].
24
For shame[H1322] hath devoured[H398] the labour[H3018] of our fathers[H1] from our youth[H5271]; their flocks[H6629] and their herds[H1241], their sons[H1121] and their daughters[H1323].
25
We lie down[H7901] in our shame[H1322], and our confusion[H3639]covereth[H3680] us: for we have sinned[H2398] against the LORD[H3068] our God[H430], we and our fathers[H1], from our youth[H5271] even unto this day[H3117], and have not obeyed[H8085] the voice[H6963] of the LORD[H3068] our God[H430].