9. Because she took her prostitution lightly, the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with wood.
10. Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense,” says the Lord.
11. The Lord said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not look in anger on you; for I am merciful,’ says the Lord. ‘I will not keep anger forever.
13. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,’ says the Lord.”
14. “Return, backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am a husband to you. I will take one of you from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
15. I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16. It will come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days,” says the Lord, “they will no longer say, ‘the ark of the Lord’s covenant!’ It will not come to mind. They won’t remember it. They won’t miss it, nor will another be made.
17. At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘the Lord’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the Lord’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18. In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers.
19. “But I said, ‘How I desire to put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me “My Father”, and shall not turn away from following me.’
20. “Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says the Lord.
21. A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the Lord their God.
22. Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding.“Behold, we have come to you; for you are the Lord our God.