Unfaithful Israel, Treacherous Judah

⁶ In the days of King Josiah the Lord asked me, “Have you seen what unfaithful Israel has done? She has ascended every high hill and gone under every green tree to prostitute herself there.^{(A) 7} I thought, ‘After she has done all these things, she will return to me.’^(B) But she didn’t return, and her treacherous sister Judah^(C) saw it. ⁸ I^[a] observed that it was because unfaithful Israel had committed adultery that I had sent her away and had given her a certificate of divorce.^(D) Nevertheless, her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid but also went and prostituted herself.^{(E) 9} Indifferent to^[b] her prostitution, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones^(F) and trees.^{(G) 10} Yet in spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah didn’t return to me with all her heart^(H)—only in pretense.”

This is the Lord’s declaration.