Chapter 3

They say,² If a man put away¹⁷ his wife, and she go¹ from him, and become another man's, shall he return⁴ unto her again? shall not that land be greatly² polluted?⁴ but thou hast played the harlot¹ with many lovers; yet return again² to me, saith⁷ the LORD.

Lift up³ thine eyes unto the high places, and see³ where thou hast not been lien^{27 7901 27} with. In the ways hast thou sat¹ for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted⁵⁵ the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

Therefore the showers have been withholden,¹¹ and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's^{6 802} forehead, thou refusedst¹⁴ to be ashamed.⁹

Wilt thou not from this time cry¹ unto me, My father, thou [art] the guide of my youth?

Will he reserve⁴ [his anger] for ever? will he keep⁴ [it] to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken¹⁴ and done⁴ evil things as thou couldest.⁴

The LORD said⁴ also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen¹ [that] which backsliding Israel hath done?¹ she is gone up⁶ upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.⁴

And I said⁴ after she had done² all these [things], Turn⁴ thou unto me. But she returned¹ not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw⁴ [it].

And I saw,⁴ when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery¹⁴ I had put her away,¹⁴ and given⁴ her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous⁶ sister Judah feared¹ not, but went⁴ and played the harlot⁴ also.

And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled⁴ the land, and committed adultery⁴ with stones and with stocks.

And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned¹ unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith⁷ the LORD.

And the LORD said⁴ unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified¹⁴ herself more than treacherous⁶ Judah.

Go² and proclaim¹ these words toward the north, and say,¹ Return,³ thou backsliding Israel, saith⁷ the LORD; [and] I will not cause mine anger to fall⁵⁵ upon you: for I [am] merciful, saith⁷ the LORD, [and] I will not keep⁴ [anger] for ever.

Only acknowledge³ thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed¹ against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered¹⁷ thy ways to the strangers⁵ under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed¹ my voice, saith⁷ the LORD.

Turn,³ O backsliding children, saith⁷ the LORD; for I am married¹ unto you: and I will take¹ you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring⁵² you to Zion:

And I will give¹ you pastors⁶ according to mine heart, which shall feed¹ you with knowledge and understanding.⁵³

And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied⁴ and increased¹ in the land, in those days, saith⁷ the LORD, they shall say⁴ no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come⁴ to mind: neither shall they remember⁴ it; neither shall they visit⁴ [it]; neither shall [that] be done¹¹ any more.

At that time they shall call⁴ Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered⁸ unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk⁴ any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

In those days the house of Judah shall walk⁴ with the house of Israel, and they shall come⁴ together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance⁵² unto your fathers.

But I said,¹ How shall I put⁴ thee among the children, and give⁴ thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said,⁴ Thou shalt call⁴ me, My father; and shalt not turn away⁴ from me.

Surely [as] a wife treacherously¹ departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously¹ with me, O house of Israel, saith⁷ the LORD.

A voice was heard⁸ upon the high places, weeping [and] supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted⁵² their way, [and] they have forgotten¹ the LORD their God.

Return,³ ye backsliding children, [and] I will heal⁴ your backslidings. Behold, we come¹ 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 devoured¹ the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

We lie down⁴ in our shame, and our confusion covereth¹⁷ us: for we have sinned¹ against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed¹ the voice of the LORD our God.