Add parallel Print Page Options

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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 3:12 Or Return, O Israel, who has turned away
  2. Jeremiah 3:12 Lit cause My countenance to fall upon you
  3. Jeremiah 3:13 Lit know
  4. Jeremiah 3:14 Or Return, O sons, who have turned away
  5. Jeremiah 3:15 Or feed
  6. Jeremiah 3:19 Lit the
  7. Jeremiah 3:20 Or companion
  8. Jeremiah 3:22 Or Return, O sons, who have turned away

11 And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,

‘Return, faithless Israel,
                says the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
    for I am merciful,
                says the Lord;
I will not be angry for ever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt,
    that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree,
    and that you have not obeyed my voice,
                says the Lord.
14 Return, O faithless children,
                says the Lord;
    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 I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says 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. 17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.

19 “‘I thought
    how I would set you among my sons,
and give you a pleasant land,
    a heritage most beauteous of all nations.
And I thought you would call me, My Father,
    and would not turn from following me.
20 Surely, as a faithless wife leaves her husband,
    so have you been faithless to me, O house of Israel,
                says the Lord.’”

21 A voice on the bare heights is heard,
    the weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons
because they have perverted their way,
    they have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, O faithless sons,
    I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to thee;
    for thou art the Lord our God.

Read full chapter