Jeremiah 3:11-22
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
11 Then the Lord said to me: Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah.(A) 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 forever.(B)
13 Only acknowledge your guilt,
that you have rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree
and have not obeyed my voice,
says the Lord.(C)
14 Return, O faithless children,
says the Lord,
for I am your husband;
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
and I will bring you to Zion.(D)
15 I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.(E) 16 And when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says the Lord, they shall no longer say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed, nor shall another one be made.(F) 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 longer stubbornly follow their own evil will.(G) 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 ancestors for a heritage.(H)
19 I thought
how I would set you among my children
and give you a pleasant land,
the most beautiful heritage of all the nations.
And I thought you would call to me, “My Father,”
and would not turn from following me.(I)
20 Instead, as a faithless wife leaves her husband,
so you have been faithless to me, O house of Israel,
says the Lord.(J)
21 A voice on the bare heights[a] is heard,
the plaintive weeping of Israel’s children,
because they have perverted their way;
they have forgotten the Lord their God:(K)
22 Return, O faithless children,
I will heal your faithlessness.
“Here we come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.(L)
Footnotes
- 3.21 Or the trails
Jeremiah 3:11-22
Lexham English Bible
A Call for Repentance
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Apostate[a] Israel has proved herself more upright[b] than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
‘Return, apostate[c] Israel,’ declares[d] Yahweh.
‘I will not cause my anger[e] to fall on you.
For I am loyal,’ declares[f] Yahweh.
‘I will not be angry forever.[g]
13 Only acknowledge your guilt,
that against Yahweh your God you have rebelled,
and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every leafy tree,
and you have not obeyed my voice,’ declares[h] Yahweh.”
14 “Return, apostate[i] children,” declares[j] Yahweh. “For I am your master,[k] and I will take you one from a city and two from a clan,[l] and I will bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart and they will feed you knowledge and insight. 16 And it will be when you have multiplied and become fruitful in the land in those days,” declares[m] Yahweh, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of Yahweh.’ And it will not come to mind,[n] nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it,[o] nor will it be made again. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of Yahweh,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem, and they will no longer go after the stubbornness of their evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah will walk along with the house of Israel and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave as an inheritance to your ancestors.[p]
19 Then I thought, ‘How I would set you among the children,
and I would give you a land of desire,
an inheritance of the glory of the hosts of nations.’
And I thought, ‘You would call me, “My father,”
and you would not turn back from behind[q] me.’
20 However, as a wife departs treacherously from her lover,
so you have dealt treacherously with me,
O house of Israel,” declares[r] Yahweh.
21 “A voice is heard on the barren heights,
the weeping of the pleas for mercy of the children of Israel,
because they have perverted their way,
they have forgotten Yahweh their God.
22 Return, O apostate[s] children,
I will heal your backsliding.
‘Look, we come to you,
for you are Yahweh our God.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 3:11 Or “unfaithful”
- Jeremiah 3:11 Or “righteous”
- Jeremiah 3:12 Or “unfaithful”
- Jeremiah 3:12 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 3:12 Literally “faces”
- Jeremiah 3:12 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 3:12 Literally “to eternity”
- Jeremiah 3:13 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 3:14 Or “unfaithful”
- Jeremiah 3:14 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 3:14 Literally “I rule over among you”
- Jeremiah 3:14 Or “family”
- Jeremiah 3:16 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 3:16 Literally “it shall not go up on heart”
- Jeremiah 3:16 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Jeremiah 3:18 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 3:19 Or “following”
- Jeremiah 3:20 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 3:22 Or “unfaithful”
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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