They say, If a man
put away
his wife
, and she go
from him, and become another
man's
, shall he return unto her again
? shall not that land
be greatly
polluted
? but thou hast played the harlot
with many
lovers
; yet return again
to me, saith
the LORD
.
Lift up thine eyes
unto the high places
, and see
where
thou hast not been lien
with. In the ways
hast thou sat
for them, as the Arabian
in the wilderness
; and thou hast polluted
the land
with thy whoredoms
and with thy wickedness
.
Therefore the showers have been withholden
, and there hath been no latter rain
; and thou hadst a whore's
forehead
, thou refusedst
to be ashamed
.
Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father
, thou art the guide
of my youth
?
Will he reserve his anger for ever
? will he keep
it to the end
? Behold, thou hast spoken
and done
evil things
as thou couldest
.
The LORD said
also unto me in the days
of Josiah
the king
, Hast thou seen
that which backsliding
Israel
hath done
? she is gone up
upon every high
mountain
and under
every green
tree
, and there hath played the harlot
.
And I said after
she had done
all these things , Turn
thou unto me. But she returned
not. And her treacherous
sister
Judah
saw
it .
And I saw, when for all the causes
whereby backsliding
Israel
committed adultery
I had put her away
, and given
her a bill
of divorce
; yet her treacherous
sister
Judah
feared
not, but went
and played the harlot
also.
And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom
, that she defiled
the land
, and committed adultery
with stones
and with stocks
.
And yet for all this her treacherous sister
Judah
hath not turned
unto me with her whole heart
, but feignedly
, saith
the LORD
.
And the LORD said
unto me, The backsliding
Israel
hath justified
herself
more than treacherous
Judah
.
Go and proclaim
these words
toward the north
, and say
, Return
, thou backsliding
Israel
, saith
the LORD
; and I will not cause mine anger
to fall
upon you: for I am merciful
, saith
the LORD
, and I will not keep
anger for ever
.
Only acknowledge thine iniquity
, that thou hast transgressed
against the LORD
thy God
, and hast scattered
thy ways
to the strangers
under every green
tree
, and ye have not obeyed
my voice
, saith
the LORD
.
Turn, O backsliding
children
, saith
the LORD
; for I am married
unto you: and I will take
you one
of a city
, and two
of a family
, and I will bring
you to Zion
:
And I will give you pastors
according to mine heart
, which shall feed
you with knowledge
and understanding
.
And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased
in the land
, in those days
, saith
the LORD
, they shall say
no more, The ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
: neither shall it come
to mind
: neither shall they remember
it; neither shall they visit
it ; neither shall that be done
any more.
At that time they shall call
Jerusalem
the throne
of the LORD
; and all the nations
shall be gathered
unto it, to the name
of the LORD
, to Jerusalem
: neither shall they walk
any more after
the imagination
of their evil
heart
.
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 have given for an inheritance
unto your fathers
.
But I said, How shall I put
thee among the children
, and give
thee a pleasant
land
, a goodly
heritage
of the hosts
of nations
? and I said
, Thou shalt call
me, My father
; and shalt not turn away
from me
.
Surely as a wife
treacherously
departeth from her husband
, so have ye dealt treacherously
with me, O house
of Israel
, saith
the LORD
.
A voice was heard
upon the high places
, weeping
and supplications
of the children
of Israel
: for they have perverted
their way
, and they have forgotten
the LORD
their God
.
Return, ye backsliding
children
, and I will heal
your backslidings
. Behold, we come
unto thee; for thou art the LORD
our God
.
Truly in vain
is salvation hoped for from the hills
, and from the multitude
of mountains
: truly
in the LORD
our God
is the salvation
of Israel
.
For shame hath devoured
the labour
of our fathers
from our youth
; their flocks
and their herds
, their sons
and their daughters
.
We lie down in our shame
, and our confusion
covereth
us: for we have sinned
against the LORD
our God
, we and our fathers
, from our youth
even unto this day
, and have not obeyed
the voice
of the LORD
our God
.