Jeremiah 3:11-22
New King James Version
11 Then the Lord said to me, (A)“Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward (B)the north, and say:
‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord;
‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you.
For I am (C)merciful,’ says the Lord;
‘I will not remain angry forever.
13 (D)Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the Lord your God,
And have (E)scattered your [a]charms
To (F)alien deities (G)under every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord.
14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; (H)“for I am married to you. I will take you, (I)one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to (J)Zion. 15 And I will give you (K)shepherds according to My heart, who will (L)feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 “Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and (M)increased in the land in those days,” says the Lord, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ (N)It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.
17 “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, (O)to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they (P)follow[b] the dictates of their evil hearts.
18 “In those days (Q)the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of (R)the north to (S)the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers.
19 “But I said:
‘How can I put you among the children
And give you (T)a pleasant land,
A beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?’
“And I said:
‘You shall call Me, (U)“My Father,”
And not turn away from Me.’
20 Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her [c]husband,
So (V)have you dealt treacherously with Me,
O house of Israel,” says the Lord.
21 A voice was heard on (W)the desolate heights,
Weeping and supplications of the children of Israel.
For they have perverted their way;
They have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, you backsliding children,
And I will (X)heal your backslidings.”
“Indeed we do come to You,
For You are the Lord our God.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 3:13 Lit. ways
- Jeremiah 3:17 walk after the stubbornness or imagination
- Jeremiah 3:20 Lit. companion
Jeremiah 3:11-22
21st Century King James Version
11 And the Lord said unto me, “The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
12 Go 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.
13 Only 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.
14 ‘Turn, O backsliding children,’ saith the Lord, ‘for I am married unto you; and 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 pastors according to Mine heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.’
16 “And 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.
17 At 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.
18 In 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.
19 “But 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.’
20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” saith the Lord.
21 A 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.
22 “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.” “Behold, we come unto Thee, for Thou art the Lord our God.
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