God Invites Repentance

11 And the Lord said to me, “(A)Faithless Israel has proved herself to be more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say,

(B)Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord;
(C)I will not [a]look at you in anger.
For I am (D)gracious,’ declares the Lord;
‘I will not be angry forever.
13 Only [b](E)acknowledge your wrongdoing,
That you have revolted against the Lord your God,
And have (F)scattered your [c]favors to the strangers (G)under every leafy tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the Lord.
14 ‘Return, you faithless sons,’ declares the Lord;
‘For I am a (H)master to you,
And I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
And (I)bring you to Zion.’

15 “Then I will give you (J)shepherds [d]after My own heart, who will (K)feed you knowledge and understanding. 16 And it shall be in those days when you become numerous and are fruitful in the land,” declares the Lord, “they will (L)no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor miss it, nor will it be made again. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The (M)Throne of the Lord,’ and (N)all the nations will assemble at it, at Jerusalem, for the (O)name of the Lord; and they will no longer (P)follow the stubbornness of their evil heart. 18 (Q)In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together (R)from the land of the north to the (S)land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.

19 “Then I said,

‘How I would set you among [e]My sons
And give you a pleasant land,
The most (T)beautiful inheritance of the nations!’
And I said, ‘You shall call Me, (U)My Father,
And not turn away from following Me.’
20 However, as a woman treacherously leaves her lover,
So you have (V)dealt treacherously with Me,
House of Israel,” declares the Lord.

21 A voice is heard on the (W)bare heights,
The weeping, the pleading of the sons of Israel.
Because they have perverted their way,
They have (X)forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, you faithless sons,
(Y)I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to You;
For You are the Lord our God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 3:12 Lit make My face fall
  2. Jeremiah 3:13 Lit know
  3. Jeremiah 3:13 Lit ways
  4. Jeremiah 3:15 I.e., with hearts like Mine
  5. Jeremiah 3:19 Lit the

11 And Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath showed herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; I will not [a]look in anger upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah, I will not keep anger for ever. 13 Only [b]acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith Jehovah. 14 Return, O backsliding children, saith Jehovah; 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 my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they [c]miss it; neither [d]shall it be made any more. 17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of Jehovah, 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 [e]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 [f]I will put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, [g]a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, [h]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 Jehovah. 21 A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Jehovah their God. 22 Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings.

Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 3:12 Hebrew cause my countenance to fall upon you.
  2. Jeremiah 3:13 Or, know
  3. Jeremiah 3:16 Or, visit
  4. Jeremiah 3:16 Or, shall that be done any more
  5. Jeremiah 3:18 Or, to
  6. Jeremiah 3:19 Or, shall I . . . nations?
  7. Jeremiah 3:19 Or, the goodliest heritage of the nations
  8. Jeremiah 3:19 Another reading is, Thou shalt . . . and shalt not etc.

11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous(A) than unfaithful(B) Judah.(C) 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:(D)

“‘Return,(E) faithless(F) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’(G) declares the Lord,
    ‘I will not be angry(H) forever.
13 Only acknowledge(I) your guilt—
    you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods(J)
    under every spreading tree,(K)
    and have not obeyed(L) me,’”
declares the Lord.

14 “Return,(M) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.(N) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds(O) after my own heart,(P) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark(Q) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;(R) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne(S) of the Lord, and all nations(T) will gather in Jerusalem to honor(U) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(V) 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,(W) and together(X) they will come from a northern(Y) land to the land(Z) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.

19 “I myself said,

“‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
    and give you a pleasant land,(AA)
    the most beautiful inheritance(AB) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’(AC)
    and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
    so you, Israel, have been unfaithful(AD) to me,”
declares the Lord.

21 A cry is heard on the barren heights,(AE)
    the weeping(AF) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
    and have forgotten(AG) the Lord their God.

22 “Return,(AH) faithless people;
    I will cure(AI) you of backsliding.”(AJ)

“Yes, we will come to you,
    for you are the Lord our God.

Read full chapter