Unfaithful Israel

⁶ During the reign of King Josiah,^(A) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless^(B) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree^(C) and has committed adultery^(D) there. ⁷ I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(E) Judah saw it.^{(F) 8} I gave faithless Israel^(G) her certificate of divorce^(H) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(I) she also went out and committed adultery. ⁹ Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(J) and committed adultery^(K) with stone^(L) and wood.^{(M) 10} In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(N) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(O)” declares the Lord.^(P)

¹¹ The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous^(Q) than unfaithful^(R) Judah.^{(S) 12} Go, proclaim this message toward the north:^(T)

¹⁴ “Return,^(AC) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.^(AD) 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^(AE) after my own heart,^(AF) 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^(AG) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;^(AH) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. ¹⁷ At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne^(AI) of the Lord, and all nations^(AJ) will gather in Jerusalem to honor^(AK) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.^{(AL) 18} In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,^(AM) and together^(AN) they will come from a northern^(AO) land to the land^(AP) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.