1. The Lord said to the people of Israel:If a divorced woman marries,can her first husbandever marry her again?No, because thiswould pollute the land.But you have more godsthan a prostitute has lovers.Why should I take you back?
2. Just try to find one hilltopwhere you haven't goneto worship other godsby having sex.You sat beside the roadlike a robber in ambush,except you offered yourselfto every passer-by.Your sins of unfaithfulnesshave polluted the land.
3. So I, the Lord, refusedto let the spring rains fall.But just like a prostitute,you still have no shamefor what you have done.
4. You call me your fatheror your long-lost friend;
5. you beg me to stop being angry,but you won't stop sinning.
6. When Josiah was king, the Lord said:Jeremiah, the kingdom of Israel was like an unfaithful wife who became a prostitute on the hilltops and in the shade of large trees.
7-8. I knew that the kingdom of Israel had been unfaithful and committed many sins, yet I still hoped she might come back to me. But she didn't, so I divorced her and sent her away.Her sister, the kingdom of Judah, saw what happened, but she wasn't worried in the least, and I watched her become unfaithful like her sister.
9. The kingdom of Judah wasn't sorry for being a prostitute, and she didn't care that she had made both herself and the land unclean by worshipping idols of stone and wood.
10. And worst of all, the people of Judah pretended to come back to me.
11. Even the people of Israel were honest enough not to pretend.
12. Jeremiah, shout towards the north:Israel, I am your Lord—come back to me!You were unfaithfuland made me furious,but I am merciful,and so I will forgive you.
13. Just admit that you rebelledand worshipped foreign godsunder large trees everywhere.
14. You are unfaithful children,but you belong to me.Come home!I'll take one or two of youfrom each town and clanand bring you to Zion.
15. Then I'll appoint wise rulerswho will obey me,and they will care for youlike shepherds.
16. You will increase in numbers,and there will be no needto remember the sacred chestor to make a new one.
17. The whole city of Jerusalemwill be my throne.All nations will come hereto worship me,and they will no longer followtheir stubborn, evil hearts.
18. Then, in countries to the north,you people of Judah and Israelwill be reunited,and you will return to the landI gave your ancestors.
19. I have always wantedto treat you as my childrenand give you the best land,the most beautiful on earth.I wanted you to call me “Father”and not turn from me.
20. But instead, you are like a wifewho broke her wedding vows.You have been unfaithful to me.I, the Lord, have spoken.
21. Listen to the noiseon the hilltops!It's the people of Israel,weeping and begging meto answer their prayers.They forgot about meand chose the wrong path.
22. I will tell them, “Come back,and I will cure youof your unfaithfulness.”They will answer,“We will come back, because youare the Lord our God.
23. On hilltops, we worshipped idolsand made loud noises,but it was all for nothing—only you can save us.
24. Since the days of our ancestorswhen our nation was young,that shameful god Baal has takenour crops and livestock,our sons and daughters.
25. We have rebelled against youjust like our ancestors,and we are ashamed of our sins.”