Jeremiah 3:11-22
Legacy Standard Bible
11 And Yahweh said to me, “(A)Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and call out these words toward the north and say,
‘[a](B)Return, faithless Israel,’ declares Yahweh;
‘(C)I will not [b]look upon you in anger.
For I am (D)One of lovingkindness,’ declares Yahweh;
‘I will not be angry forever.
13 Only [c](E)acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against Yahweh your God
And have (F)scattered your ways of harlotry to the strangers (G)under every green tree,
And you have not listened to My voice,’ declares Yahweh.
14 ‘[d]Return, O faithless sons,’ declares Yahweh;
‘For I am a (H)master to you,
And I will take you one from a city and two from a family,
And (I)I will bring you to Zion.’
15 “Then I will give you (J)shepherds after My own heart, who will [e](K)shepherd you on knowledge and understanding. 16 It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and fruitful in the land,” declares Yahweh, “they will (L)no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of Yahweh.’ And it will not come upon the heart, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The (M)Throne of Yahweh,’ and (N)all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the (O)name of Yahweh; nor will they (P)walk anymore after 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 [f]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 Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her [g]lover,
So you have (V)dealt treacherously with Me,
O house of Israel,” declares Yahweh.
21 A voice is heard on the (W)bare heights,
The weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel;
Because they have perverted their way,
They have (X)forgotten Yahweh their God.
22 [h]“Return, O faithless sons;
(Y)I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to You,
For You are Yahweh our God.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 3:12 Or Return, O Israel, who has turned away
- Jeremiah 3:12 Lit cause My countenance to fall upon you
- Jeremiah 3:13 Lit know
- Jeremiah 3:14 Or Return, O sons, who have turned away
- Jeremiah 3:15 Or feed
- Jeremiah 3:19 Lit the
- Jeremiah 3:20 Or companion
- Jeremiah 3:22 Or Return, O sons, who have turned away
Jeremiah 3:11-22
International Standard Version
A Call for Repentance
11 Then the Lord told me, “Unfaithful Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say,
‘Return, unfaithful Israel,’
declares the Lord.
‘I won’t look on you in anger,
for I am gracious,’[a]
declares the Lord.
‘I won’t remain angry forever.
13 ‘Only acknowledge your iniquity,
that you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
and have scattered your favors to strangers
under every green tree.
But you haven’t obeyed me,’
declares the Lord.
14 “Return, unfaithful people,”[b] declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.[c] I’ll take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I’ll bring you to Zion. 15 I’ll give you shepherds[d] after my own heart, and they’ll shepherd you with knowledge and good sense.”
16 “And in those days when you increase in numbers and multiply in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord,’ and it won’t come to mind, and they won’t remember it or miss it, nor will it be made again. 17 At that time people will call Jerusalem, “The Throne of the Lord,” and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. They’ll no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires.[e] 18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and together they’ll come to the land that I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.”
God’s Desire for His People
19 “I said,
‘How I wanted to treat you like children,
and give you a pleasant land,
the most beautiful inheritance of the nations.’
I said, ‘You will call me, my father,
and won’t turn back from following me.’
20 Instead, like an unfaithful wife leaves her husband,
so you have been unfaithful to me, house of Israel,”
declares the Lord.
Israel Cries for Help
21 “A voice is heard on the barren heights,
the weeping and pleading of the children of Israel
because they have perverted their way.
They have forgotten the Lord their God.”
God Calls for Repentance
22 “Turn back, unfaithful people,[f]
and I’ll heal your unfaithfulness.”
Israel Replies
“Look, we’re coming to you
because you are the Lord our God.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 3:12 I.e. characterized by gracious love
- Jeremiah 3:14 Or sons
- Jeremiah 3:14 Or master
- Jeremiah 3:15 I.e. leaders
- Jeremiah 3:17 Lit. follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts
- Jeremiah 3:22 Or sons
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