Jeremiah 3

King James Version

3 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.

²Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

³Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

⁴Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?

⁵Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

⁶The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

⁷And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

⁸And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

⁹And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

¹⁰And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.

¹¹And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

¹²Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever.

¹³Only 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.

¹⁴Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

¹⁵And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷At 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 imagination of their evil heart.

¹⁸In 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 have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

¹⁹But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

²⁰Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.

²¹A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God.

²²Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.

²³Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.

²⁴For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

²⁵We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.

Jeremiah 3

English Standard Version

3 ^(A)“If^[a] a man divorces his wife
    and she goes from him
and becomes another man's wife,
    will he return to her?
^(B)Would not that land be greatly polluted?
^(C)You have played the whore with many lovers;
    and would you return to me?
declares the Lord.
²Lift up your eyes to ^(D)the bare heights, and see!
    Where have you not been ravished?
^(E)By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers
    like an Arab in the wilderness.
^(F)You have polluted the land
    with your vile whoredom.
³^(G)Therefore the showers have been withheld,
    and the spring rain has not come;
yet you have ^(H)the forehead of a whore;
    you refuse to be ashamed.
⁴Have you not just now ^(I)called to me,
    ‘My father, you are the friend of my youth—
⁵^(J)will he be angry forever,
    will he be indignant to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken,
    but you have done all the evil that you could.”

Faithless Israel Called to Repentance

⁶The Lord said to me in the days of ^(K)King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, ^(L)how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there ^(M)played the whore? ⁷And I thought, ‘After she has done all this she will return to me,’ but she did not return, and her treacherous ^(N)sister Judah saw it. ⁸She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, ^(O)I had sent her away with ^(P)a decree of divorce. ^(Q)Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went ^(R)and played the whore. ⁹Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with ^(S)stone and tree. ¹⁰Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me ^(T)with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the Lord.”

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

^(W)“‘Return, faithless Israel,
declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
    for ^(X)I am merciful,
declares the Lord;
^(Y)I will not be angry forever.
¹³^(Z)Only acknowledge your guilt,
    that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among foreigners under ^(AA)every green tree,
    and that you have not obeyed my voice,
declares the Lord.
¹⁴^(AB)Return, O faithless children,
declares the Lord;
    ^(AC)for I am your master;
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
    and I will bring you to Zion.

¹⁵“‘And ^(AD)I will give you shepherds after my own heart, ^(AE)who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. ¹⁶And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. ¹⁷At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, ^(AF)and all nations shall gather to it, ^(AG)to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. ¹⁸^(AH)In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land ^(AI)of the north to ^(AJ)the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.

¹⁹“‘I said,
    How I would set you among my sons,
and give you a pleasant land,
    a heritage most beautiful of all nations.
And I thought you would ^(AK)call me, My Father,
    and would not turn from following me.
²⁰^(AL)Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband,
    so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel,
declares the Lord.’”

²¹A voice on the ^(AM)bare heights is heard,
    ^(AN)the weeping and pleading of Israel's sons
because they have perverted their way;
    they have forgotten the Lord their God.
²²^(AO)“Return, O faithless sons;
    ^(AP)I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to you,
    for you are the Lord our God.
²³Truly ^(AQ)the hills are a delusion,
    the orgies^[b] on the mountains.
^(AR)Truly in the Lord our God
    is the salvation of Israel.

²⁴“But from our youth the shameful thing has devoured all for which our fathers labored, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. ²⁵^(AS)Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For ^(AT)we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”

Footnotes

Jeremiah 3:1 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Saying, “If
Jeremiah 3:23 Hebrew commotion

Jeremiah 3

New International Version

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.
³Therefore 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)
⁴Have you not just called to me:
    ‘My Father,^(M) my friend from my youth,^(N)
⁵will you always be angry?^(O)
    Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
    but you do all the evil you can.”

Unfaithful Israel

⁶During the reign of King Josiah,^(P) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless^(Q) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree^(R) and has committed adultery^(S) there. ⁷I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(T) Judah saw it.^(U) ⁸I gave faithless Israel^(V) her certificate of divorce^(W) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(X) she also went out and committed adultery. ⁹Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(Y) and committed adultery^(Z) with stone^(AA) and wood.^(AB) ¹⁰In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(AC) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(AD)” declares the Lord.^(AE)

¹¹The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous^(AF) than unfaithful^(AG) Judah.^(AH) ¹²Go, proclaim this message toward the north:^(AI)

“‘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.
¹³Only 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.

¹⁴“Return,^(AR) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.^(AS) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. ¹⁵Then I will give you shepherds^(AT) after my own heart,^(AU) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. ¹⁶In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark^(AV) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;^(AW) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. ¹⁷At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne^(AX) of the Lord, and all nations^(AY) will gather in Jerusalem to honor^(AZ) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.^(BA) ¹⁸In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,^(BB) and together^(BC) they will come from a northern^(BD) land to the land^(BE) 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,^(BF)
    the most beautiful inheritance^(BG) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’^(BH)
    and not turn away from following me.
²⁰But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
    so you, Israel, have been unfaithful^(BI) to me,”
declares the Lord.

²¹A 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.
²³Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills^(BP)
    and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
    is the salvation^(BQ) of Israel.
²⁴From our youth shameful^(BR) gods have consumed
    the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
    their sons and daughters.
²⁵Let 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.”

Jeremías 3

Nueva Biblia de las Américas

3 Dios dice: «Si un hombre se divorcia de su mujer,
Y ella se va de su lado
Y llega a ser de otro hombre,
¿Volverá él a ella?
¿No quedará esa tierra totalmente profanada^(A)?
Pues tú eres una ramera con muchos amantes^[a]^(B),
Y, sin embargo, vuelves a Mí^(C)», declara el Señor.
²«Alza tus ojos a las alturas^(D) desoladas y mira;
¿Dónde no te has prostituido?
Junto a los caminos te sentabas para ellos^(E)
Como el árabe en el desierto.
Has profanado la tierra^(F)
Con tu prostitución y tu maldad.
³-»Por eso fueron detenidas las lluvias^(G),
Y no hubo lluvia de primavera;
Pero tú tenías frente de ramera,
No quisiste avergonzarte^(H).
⁴-»¿No acabas de llamarme:
“Padre Mío^(I), Tú eres el amigo^[b]^(J) de mi juventud^(K)”? pensando:
⁵“¿Guardará rencor para siempre^(L)?
¿Estará indignado^[c] hasta el fin?”.
Así has hablado,
Pero has hecho lo malo,
Y has hecho tu voluntad^[d]».

Infidelidad de Israel y de Judá

⁶El Señor me dijo en días del rey Josías: «¿Has visto lo que hizo la infiel Israel? Ella andaba sobre todo monte alto y bajo todo árbol frondoso, y allí se prostituía^[e]^(M). ⁷Y me dije: “Después que ella haya hecho todas estas cosas, volverá a Mí”; pero no regresó^(N), y lo vio su rebelde hermana Judá^(O). ⁸Y vio^[f] que a causa de todos los adulterios de la infiel Israel, Yo la había despedido, dándole carta de divorcio^(P). Con todo, su rebelde hermana Judá no tuvo temor, sino que ella también fue y se hizo ramera^(Q). ⁹A causa de la liviandad con que se prostituyó, profanó la tierra^(R), y cometió adulterio con la piedra y con el leño^(S). ¹⁰A pesar de todo esto, su rebelde hermana Judá tampoco se volvió a Mí de todo corazón^(T), sino con engaño», declara el Señor.

¹¹Y el Señor me dijo: «Más justa ha probado ser la infiel Israel que la rebelde Judá^(U).

¹²Ve y proclama estas palabras al norte, y di:
“Regresa, infiel Israel^(V)”, declara el Señor,
“No te miraré^[g] con ira^(W),
Porque soy misericordioso”, declara el Señor;
“No guardaré rencor para siempre^(X).
¹³-”Solo reconoce tu iniquidad,
Pues contra el Señor tu Dios te has rebelado^(Y),
Has repartido tus favores^[h] a los extraños^(Z) bajo todo árbol frondoso^(AA),
Y no has obedecido Mi voz”, declara el Señor.

¹⁴“Vuelvan, hijos infieles”, declara el Señor, “porque Yo soy su dueño^(AB), y los tomaré, uno de cada ciudad y dos de cada familia, y los llevaré a Sión^(AC)”. ¹⁵Entonces les daré pastores según Mi corazón, que los apacienten^(AD) con conocimiento y con inteligencia^(AE). ¹⁶En aquellos días, cuando ustedes se multipliquen y crezcan en la tierra», declara el Señor, «no se dirá más: “Arca del pacto del Señor”. No les vendrá a la mente ni la recordarán, no la echarán de menos ni será hecha de nuevo^(AF). ¹⁷En aquel tiempo llamarán a Jerusalén: “Trono del Señor^(AG)”; y todas las naciones acudirán a ella^(AH), a Jerusalén, a causa del nombre del Señor^(AI); y no andarán más tras la terquedad de su malvado corazón^(AJ). ¹⁸En aquellos días andará la casa de Judá con la casa de Israel^(AK), y vendrán juntas de la tierra del norte^(AL) a la tierra que di en heredad a sus padres^(AM).

¹⁹¶»Yo había dicho:
“¡Cómo quisiera ponerte entre Mis^[i] hijos,
Y darte una tierra deseable,
La más hermosa heredad de las naciones^(AN)!”.
Y decía: “Padre Mío^(AO) me llamarán,
Y no se apartarán de seguirme”.
²⁰-»Ciertamente, como una mujer se aparta en rebeldía de su amado^[j],
Así ustedes han obrado en rebeldía conmigo^(AP),
Oh casa de Israel», declara el Señor.
²¹¶Se oye una voz sobre las alturas desoladas,
El llanto de las súplicas de los israelitas;
Porque han pervertido su camino^(AQ),
Han olvidado al Señor su Dios^(AR).
²²Vuelvan, hijos infieles,
Yo sanaré su infidelidad^(AS).
Aquí estamos, venimos a Ti,
Porque Tú, el Señor, eres nuestro Dios.
²³Ciertamente un engaño son las colinas^(AT)
Y el tumulto sobre los montes.
Ciertamente, en el Señor nuestro Dios
Está la salvación de Israel^(AU).

²⁴«Pero lo vergonzoso consumió el trabajo de nuestros padres desde nuestra juventud: sus ovejas y sus vacas, sus hijos y sus hijas^(AV). ²⁵Acostémonos en nuestra vergüenza, y que nos cubra nuestra humillación, porque hemos pecado contra el Señor nuestro Dios, nosotros y nuestros padres desde nuestra juventud hasta hoy^(AW), y no hemos obedecido la voz del Señor nuestro Dios^(AX)».

Footnotes

3:1 Lit. compañeros.
3:4 Lit. guía.
3:5 Lit. Lo guardará.
3:5 Lit. y has podido.
3:6 O era ramera.
3:8 Así en un ms. y en versiones antiguas; en el T.M., vi.
3:12 Lit. no haré que mi rostro caiga sobre ustedes.
3:13 Lit. caminos.
3:19 Lit. los.
3:20 O compañero.

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain

English Standard Version (ESV)

New International Version (NIV)

Jeremiah 3

King James Version