Chapter 3
001
They say, If a woman put away her husband, and he go from her, and become another woman's, will she return to him again? Won't that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the philanderer with many lovers; yet return again to me, says Yahweh.
002
Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see; where have you not been lain with? By the ways have you sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness.
003
Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain; yet you have a philanderer's forehead, you refused to be ashamed.
004
Will you not from this time cry to me, My Mother, you are the guide of my youth?
005
Will she retain her anger forever? will she keep it to the end? Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.
006
Moreover Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah the queen, Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? he is gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the philanderer.
007
I said after he had done all these things, He will return to me; but he didn't return: and his treacherous brother Judah saw it.
008
I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put him away and given him a bill of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, his brother, didn't fear; but he also went and played the philanderer.
009
It happened through the lightness of his prostitution, that the land was polluted, and he committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
010
Yet for all this his treacherous brother Judah has not returned to me with his whole heart, but only in pretense, says Yahweh.
011
Yahweh said to me, Backsliding Israel has shown himself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
012
Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, you backsliding Israel, says Yahweh; I will not look in anger on you; for I am merciful, says Yahweh, I will not keep anger forever.
013
Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against Yahweh your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice, says Yahweh.
014
Return, backsliding children, says Yahweh; for I am a wife to you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
015
and I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
016
It shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says Yahweh, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Yahweh; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.
017
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Yahweh; and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
018
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your mothers.
019
But I said, How I will put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations! and I said, You shall call me My Mother, and shall not turn away from following me.
020
Surely as a husband treacherously departs from his wife, so have you dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel, says Yahweh.
021
A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Yahweh their God.
022
Return, you backsliding children, I will heal your backsliding. Behold, we are come to you; for you are Yahweh our God.
023
Truly in vain is the help that is looked for from the hills, the tumult on the mountains: truly in Yahweh our God is the salvation of Israel.
024
But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our mothers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their daughters and their sons.
025
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Yahweh our God, we and our mothers, from our youth even to this day; and we have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God.