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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)

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Footnotes

  1. 3.21 Or the trails

11 And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah. 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 for ever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt,
    that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree,
    and that you have not obeyed my voice,
                says the Lord.
14 Return, O faithless children,
                says the Lord;
    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 I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says 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, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 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 fathers for a heritage.

19 “‘I thought
    how I would set you among my sons,
and give you a pleasant land,
    a heritage most beauteous of all nations.
And I thought you would call me, My Father,
    and would not turn from following me.
20 Surely, as a faithless wife leaves her husband,
    so have you been faithless to me, O house of Israel,
                says the Lord.’”

21 A voice on the bare heights is heard,
    the weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons
because they have perverted their way,
    they have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, O faithless sons,
    I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to thee;
    for thou art the Lord our God.

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