3 “If a man divorces^(A) his wife
    and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
    Would not the land be completely defiled?^(B)
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers^(C)—
    would you now return to me?”^(D)
declares the Lord.
² “Look up to the barren heights^(E) and see.
    Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside^(F) you sat waiting for lovers,
    sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land^(G)
    with your prostitution^(H) and wickedness.
³ Therefore the showers have been withheld,^(I)
    and no spring rains^(J) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen^(K) look of a prostitute;
    you refuse to blush with shame.^(L)
4 Have you not just called to me:
    ‘My Father,^(M) my friend from my youth,^(N)
5 will you always be angry?^(O)
    Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
    but you do all the evil you can.”

“‘Return,^(AJ) faithless^(AK) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’^(AL) declares the Lord,
    ‘I will not be angry^(AM) forever.
¹³ Only acknowledge^(AN) your guilt—
    you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods^(AO)
    under every spreading tree,^(AP)
    and have not obeyed^(AQ) me,’”
declares the Lord.

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

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

²² “Return,^(BM) faithless people;
    I will cure^(BN) you of backsliding.”^(BO)

“Yes, we will come to you,
    for you are the Lord our God.
²³ Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills^(BP)
    and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
    is the salvation^(BQ) of Israel.
²⁴ From our youth shameful^(BR) gods have consumed
    the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
    their sons and daughters.
²⁵ Let us lie down in our shame,^(BS)
    and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned^(BT) against the Lord our God,
    both we and our ancestors;^(BU)
from our youth^(BV) till this day
    we have not obeyed^(BW) the Lord our God.”

³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;^(F)
    you are the one Israel praises.^[c](G)
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.^(H)
5 To you they cried out^(I) and were saved;
    in you they trusted^(J) and were not put to shame.^(K)

⁶ But I am a worm^(L) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,^(M) despised^(N) by the people.
⁷ All who see me mock me;^(O)
    they hurl insults,^(P) shaking their heads.^(Q)
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.^(R)
Let him deliver him,^(S)
    since he delights^(T) in him.”

⁹ Yet you brought me out of the womb;^(U)
    you made me trust^(V) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
¹⁰ From birth^(W) I was cast on you;
    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

¹¹ Do not be far from me,^(X)
    for trouble is near^(Y)
    and there is no one to help.^(Z)

¹² Many bulls^(AA) surround me;^(AB)
    strong bulls of Bashan^(AC) encircle me.
¹³ Roaring lions^(AD) that tear their prey^(AE)
    open their mouths wide^(AF) against me.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.^(AG)
My heart has turned to wax;^(AH)
    it has melted^(AI) within me.
¹⁵ My mouth^[d] is dried up like a potsherd,^(AJ)
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;^(AK)
    you lay me in the dust^(AL) of death.

¹⁶ Dogs^(AM) surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce^[e](AN) my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ All my bones are on display;
    people stare^(AO) and gloat over me.^(AP)
18 They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots^(AQ) for my garment.^(AR)

¹⁹ But you, Lord, do not be far from me.^(AS)
    You are my strength;^(AT) come quickly^(AU) to help me.^(AV)
20 Deliver me from the sword,^(AW)
    my precious life^(AX) from the power of the dogs.^(AY)
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;^(AZ)
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.^(BA)

²² I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly^(BB) I will praise you.^(BC)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!^(BD)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!^(BE)
    Revere him,^(BF) all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised^(BG) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;^(BH)
he has not hidden his face^(BI) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.^(BJ)

²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;^(BK)
    before those who fear you^[f] I will fulfill my vows.^(BL)
26 The poor will eat^(BM) and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—^(BN)
    may your hearts live forever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth^(BO)
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,^(BP)
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord^(BQ)
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All the rich^(BR) of the earth will feast and worship;^(BS)
    all who go down to the dust^(BT) will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.^(BU)
30 Posterity^(BV) will serve him;
    future generations^(BW) will be told about the Lord.
³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness,^(BX)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:^(BY)
    He has done it!^(BZ)