Dual Panel1“If <02005> a man <0376> divorces <07971> his wife <0802> and she leaves <01980> him and becomes <01961> another <0312> man’s <0376> wife, he may not <03808> take her back <07725> again <05750>. Doing that would utterly <02610> defile <02610> the land <0776>. But you <0859>, Israel, have given yourself as a prostitute <02181> to many <07227> gods <07453>. So what makes you think you can return <07725> to <0413> me?” says <05002> the Lord <03068>.
2“Look <05869> up <05375> at <05921> the hilltops <08205> and consider <07200> this. You have had sex with other gods <07693> on <05921> every one of them. You waited for <03427> those gods like a thief lying in wait <06163> in the desert <04057>. You defiled <02610> the land <0776> by your wicked <07451> prostitution <02184> to other gods.
3That is why the rains <07241> have been withheld <04513>, and the spring rains <04456> have not <03808> come <01961>. Yet in spite of this you are <01961> obstinate <04696> as a prostitute <02181> <0802>. You refuse <03985> to be ashamed <03637> of what you have done.
4Even now <06258> you say <07121> to me, ‘You are my father <01>! You <0859> have been my faithful companion <0441> ever since I was young <05271>.
5You will not always <05769> be angry <05201> with me, will you? You will not be mad <08104> at me forever <05331>, will you?’ That is what you say <01696>, but you continually do <06213> all the evil <07451> that you can <03201>.”
6When <03117> Josiah <02977> was king <04428> of Judah, the Lord <03069> said <0559> to <0413> me, “Jeremiah, you have no doubt seen <07200> what <0834> wayward <04878> Israel <03478> has done <06213>. You <01931> have seen how she went up <01980> to <05921> every <03605> high <01364> hill <02022> and under <08478> every <03605> green <07488> tree <06086> to give <02181> herself like a prostitute <02181> to other gods.
7Yet even after <0310> she had done <06213> all <03605> that, I thought <0559> that she might come back <07725> to <0413> me. But she did not <03808>. Her sister <0269>, unfaithful <0901> Judah <03063>, saw <07200> what she did.
8She also saw <07200> that <03588> I gave <05414> wayward <04878> Israel <03478> her divorce <03748> papers <05612> and sent <07971> her away <07971> because <0182> of her adulterous <05003> worship of other gods. Even after her unfaithful <0898> sister <0269> Judah <03063> had seen this, she still was not <03808> afraid <03372>, and she too <01571> went <01980> and gave <02181> herself <01931> like a prostitute <02181> to other gods.
9Because she took her prostitution <02184> so lightly, she defiled <02610> the land <0776> through her adulterous <05003> worship of gods made of wood <06086> and stone <068>.
10In spite of <01571> all <03605> this <02063>, Israel’s sister <0269>, unfaithful <0901> Judah <03063>, has not <03808> turned back <07725> to <0413> me with any <03605> sincerity <03820>; she has only <0518> <03588> pretended <08267> to do so,” says <05002> the Lord <03068>.
11Then the Lord <03068> said <0559> to <0413> me, “Under the circumstances, wayward <04878> Israel <03478> could even be considered <06663> less guilty than unfaithful <0898> Judah <03063>.
12“Go <01980> and shout <07121> this <0428> message <01697> to my people in the countries in the north <06828>. Tell <0559> them, ‘Come back <07725> to me, wayward <04878> Israel <03478>,’ says <05002> the Lord <03068>. ‘I will not <03808> continue to look <06440> <05307> on you with displeasure <06440> <05307>. For <03588> I <0589> am merciful <02623>,’ says <05002> the Lord <03068>. ‘I will not <03808> be angry <05201> with you forever <05769>.
13However <0389>, you must confess <03045> that you have done wrong <05771>, and that <03588> you have rebelled <06586> against the Lord <03068> your God <0430>. You must confess <06340> that you have given yourself to foreign <02114> gods under <08478> every <03605> green <07488> tree <06086>, and have not <03808> obeyed <08085> <06963> my commands,’ says <05002> the Lord <03068>.
14“Come back <07725> to me, my wayward <07726> sons <01121>,” says <05002> the Lord <03068>, “for <03588> I <0595> am your true master <01166>. If you do, I will take <03947> one <0259> of you from each town <05892> and two <08147> of you from each family group <04940>, and I will bring <0935> you back <0935> to Zion <06726>.
15I will give <05414> you leaders <07462> who will be faithful <03820> to me. They will lead <07462> you with knowledge <07919> and insight <01844>.
16In those days, your population will greatly <07235> increase <06509> in the land <0776>. At that time <03117>,” says <05002> the Lord <03068>, “people <01992> will no <03808> longer <05750> talk <0559> about having the ark <0727> that contains the Lord’s <03068> covenant <01285> with us. They will not <03808> call <05927> it to <05921> mind <03820>, remember <02142> it, or <03808> miss <06485> it. No, that will not <03808> be done <06213> any more <05750>!
17At that time <06256> the city of Jerusalem <03389> will be called <07121> the Lord’s <03068> throne <03678>. All <03605> nations <01471> will gather <06960> there in <0413> Jerusalem <03389> to honor the Lord’s <03068> name <08034>. They will no <03808> longer <05750> follow <0310> the stubborn inclinations <08307> of their own evil <07451> hearts <03820>.
18At that time <03117> the nation <01004> of Judah <03063> and the nation <01004> of Israel <03478> will be reunited <01980>. Together <03162> they <01992> will come back <0935> from a land <0776> in the north <06828> to the land <0776> that <0834> I gave <05157> to your ancestors <01> as a permanent possession.”
19“I <0595> thought <0559> to myself, ‘Oh what <0349> a joy it would be for me to treat <07896> you like a son <01121>! What a joy it would be for me to give <05414> you a pleasant <02532> land <0776>, the most <06635> beautiful <06643> piece of property <05159> there is in all the world <01471>!’ I thought <0559> you would call <07121> me, ‘Father <01>’ and would never <03808> cease <07725> being loyal <0310> to me.
20But <0403>, you have been unfaithful <0898> to me, nation <01004> of Israel <03478>, like an unfaithful <0898> wife <0802> who has left her husband <07453>,” says <05002> the Lord <03068>.
21“A noise <06963> is heard <08085> on <05921> the hilltops <08205>. It is the sound of the people <01121> of Israel <03478> crying <01065> and pleading <08469> to their gods. Indeed <03588> they have followed sinful <05753> ways <01870>; they have forgotten <07911> to be true to the <0853> Lord <03068> their God <0430>.
22Come back <07725> to me, you wayward <07726> people <01121>. I want to cure <07495> your waywardness <04878>. Say, ‘Here <02005> we are. We come <0857> to you because <03588> you <0859> are the Lord <03068> our God <0430>.
23We know <0403> our noisy <01995> worship of false gods on the hills <01389> and mountains <02022> did not help us. We know <0403> that the Lord <03068> our God <0430> is the only one who can deliver <08668> Israel <03478>.
24From earliest times <05271> our worship of that shameful <01322> god, Baal, has taken away <0398> all that our ancestors <01> worked <03018> for. It has taken away our flocks <06629> and our herds <01241>, and even our sons <01121> and daughters <01323>.
25Let us acknowledge <07901> our shame <01322>. Let us bear <03680> the disgrace <03639> that <03588> we deserve. For we have sinned <02398> against the Lord <03068> our God <0430>, both we <0587> and our ancestors <01>. From earliest times <05271> to <05704> this <02088> very day <03117> we have not <03808> obeyed <06963> <08085> the Lord <03068> our God <0430>.’