10. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.
11. And the Lord said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath shewn herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; I will not look in anger upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, I will not keep anger for ever.
13. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.
14. Return, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am a husband unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
15. and I will give you shepherds according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16. And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord; neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
17. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers.
19. But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations? and I said, Ye shall call me My father; and shall not turn away from following me.
20. Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.
21. A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the children of Israel; for that they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the Lord their God.
22. Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings, Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.
23. Truly in vain is the help that is looked for from the hills, the tumult on the mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.