Jeremiah 3
Open in the reader1“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— and you would return to Me?” declares the He-Who-Is.
2“Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a Arab in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
3Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.
4Have you not just called to Me, ‘My Father, You are my friend from youth.
5Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?’ This you have spoken, but you keep doing all the evil you can.”
6Now in the days of King He-Who-Is-Establishes, He-Who-Is said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Strives-with-God has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.
7I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Praised saw it.
8She saw that because faithless Strives-with-God had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Praised had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
9Indifferent to her own infidelity, Strives-with-God had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.
10Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Praised did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares He-Who-Is.
11And He-Who-Is said to me, “Faithless Strives-with-God has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Praised.
12Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Strives-with-God,’ declares He-Who-Is. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares He-Who-Is. ‘I will not be angry forever.
13Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against He-Who-Is your God. You have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice,’” declares He-Who-Is.
14“Return, O faithless children,” declares He-Who-Is, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Marker.
15Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
16“In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land,” declares He-Who-Is, “they will no longer discuss the Chest of the covenant of He-Who-Is. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made.
17At that time they will call Foundation-of-Peace The Throne of He-Who-Is, and all the nations will be gathered in Foundation-of-Peace to honor the name of He-Who-Is. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
18In those days the house of Praised will walk with the house of Strives-with-God, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance.
19Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me.
20But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Strives-with-God,” declares He-Who-Is.
21A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Strives-with-God weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten He-Who-Is their God.
22“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are He-Who-Is our God.
23Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Strives-with-God is in He-Who-Is our God.
24From our youth, that shameful god has consumed what our fathers have worked for— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
25Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against He-Who-Is our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of He-Who-Is our God.”