Jeremiah 3:11-22
English Standard Version
11 And the Lord said to me, (A)“Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward (B)the north, and say,
(C)“‘Return, faithless Israel,
declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
for (D)I am merciful,
declares the Lord;
(E)I will not be angry forever.
13 (F)Only acknowledge your guilt,
that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among foreigners under (G)every green tree,
and that you have not obeyed my voice,
declares the Lord.
14 (H)Return, O faithless children,
declares the Lord;
(I)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 (J)I will give you shepherds after my own heart, (K)who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares 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, (L)and all nations shall gather to it, (M)to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 18 (N)In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land (O)of the north to (P)the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.
19 “‘I said,
How I would set you among my sons,
and give you a pleasant land,
a heritage most beautiful of all nations.
And I thought you would (Q)call me, My Father,
and would not turn from following me.
20 (R)Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband,
so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel,
declares the Lord.’”
21 A voice on the (S)bare heights is heard,
(T)the weeping and pleading of Israel's sons
because they have perverted their way;
they have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 (U)“Return, O faithless sons;
(V)I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
Jeremiah 3:11-22
Common English Bible
11 Then the Lord said to me: Unfaithful Israel is less guilty[a] than disloyal Judah.
12 Go proclaim these words to the north and say:
Return, unfaithful Israel,
declares the Lord.
I won’t reject you,
for I’m faithful,
declares the Lord;
I won’t stay angry forever.
13 Only acknowledge your wrongdoing:
how you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
and given yourself to strangers
under every lush tree
and haven’t obeyed me,
declares the Lord.
14 Return, rebellious children,
declares the Lord,
for I’m your husband.
I’ll gather you—
one from a city and two from a tribe—
and bring you back to Zion.
15 I will appoint shepherds with whom I’m pleased, and they will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And in those days, when your numbers have greatly increased in the land, declares the Lord, people will no longer talk about the Lord’s covenant chest; they won’t recall or remember it; they won’t even miss it or try to build another one. 17 At that time, they will call Jerusalem the Lord’s throne, and all nations will gather there to honor the Lord’s name. No longer will they follow their own willful and evil hearts. 18 In those days the people of Judah and Israel will leave the north together for the land that I gave their ancestors as an inheritance.
19 I thought to myself, How wonderful it would be
to treat you like children
and give you a beautiful land,
an inheritance unrivaled among the nations.
And I thought, You will call me father,
and you won’t turn away from me.
20 But as a woman betrays her lover,
so you, people of Israel, have betrayed me,
declares the Lord.
21 A voice is heard on the well-traveled paths;[b]
it’s the crying and pleading of the people of Israel,
who have lost their way
and forgotten the Lord their God.
22 Return, rebellious children,
and I will heal your rebellion.
“Here we are; we come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 3:11 Or more righteous
- Jeremiah 3:21 Or bare heights
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible