Jeremiah 3:11-22
New Living Translation
Hope for Wayward Israel
11 Then the Lord said to me, “Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah! 12 Therefore, go and give this message to Israel.[a] This is what the Lord says:
“O Israel, my faithless people,
come home to me again,
for I am merciful.
I will not be angry with you forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt.
Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and committed adultery against him
by worshiping idols under every green tree.
Confess that you refused to listen to my voice.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
14 “Return home, you wayward children,”
says the Lord,
“for I am your master.
I will bring you back to the land of Israel[b]—
one from this town and two from that family—
from wherever you are scattered.
15 And I will give you shepherds after my own heart,
who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.
16 “And when your land is once more filled with people,” says the Lord, “you will no longer wish for ‘the good old days’ when you possessed the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark. 17 In that day Jerusalem will be known as ‘The Throne of the Lord.’ All nations will come there to honor the Lord. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires. 18 In those days the people of Judah and Israel will return together from exile in the north. They will return to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance forever.
19 “I thought to myself,
‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’
I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land—
the finest possession in the world.
I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’
and I wanted you never to turn from me.
20 But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel!
You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
21 Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains,
the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people.
For they have chosen crooked paths
and have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “My wayward children,” says the Lord,
“come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”
“Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply,
“for you are the Lord our God.
Jeremiah 3:11-22
Christian Standard Bible
11 The Lord announced to me, “Unfaithful Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.(A) 12 Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say,
‘Return, unfaithful Israel.(B)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
I will not look on you with anger,[a]
for I am unfailing in my love.(C)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
I will not be angry forever.(D)
13 Only acknowledge your guilt(E)—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God.(F)
You have scattered your favors to strangers
under every green tree(G)
and have not obeyed me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
14 “‘Return, you faithless children(H)—this is the Lord’s declaration—for I am your master,[b](I) and I will take you,(J) one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. 15 I will give you shepherds who are loyal to me,[c](K) and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill. 16 When you multiply and increase in the land,(L) in those days—this is the Lord’s declaration—no one will say again, “The ark of the Lord’s covenant.”(M) It will never come to mind, and no one will remember or miss it. Another one will not be made.[d] 17 At that time Jerusalem will be called The Lord’s Throne,(N) and all the nations will be gathered to it,(O) to the name of the Lord in Jerusalem.(P) They will cease to follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. 18 In those days the house of Judah will join with the house of Israel,(Q) and they will come together from the land of the north to the land I have given your ancestors to inherit.’”(R)
True Repentance
19 I thought, “How I long to make you my sons
and give you a desirable land,
the most beautiful inheritance(S) of all the nations.”
I thought, “You will call me ‘My Father’
and never turn away from me.”
20 However, as a woman may betray her lover,[e]
so you have betrayed(T) me, house of Israel.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
21 A sound is heard on the barren heights:
the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy,
for they have perverted their way;
they have forgotten the Lord their God.(U)
22 Return, you faithless children.
I will heal your unfaithfulness.(V)
“Here we are, coming to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.