Jeremiah Chapter 3
1 God says,
“If a husband divorces his wife
and she marries another man,
will he take her back?
Wouldn’t that pollute the land?
But you’re a prostitute with lots of lovers;
yet you turn back to me to get help.
2 Look up at the barren hills;
where haven’t you committed adultery?
You sit by the roads waiting for them
like a nomad in the desert.
You pollute the land
with your sinful prostitution.
3 So I’ve withheld showers;
spring rain hasn’t come;
yet you’re a brazen prostitute
that refuses to be ashamed.
4 Haven’t you called out to me just now,
‘Father, you’re the friend I had when I was young’?
5 ‘Are you going to stay angry forever?
Are you always going to be offended?’"
Jer 3:1-5
Judah Follows Unfaithful Israel
6 At the time of King Josiah, the LORD said to me:
“Have you seen what unfaithful Israel has done? She’s gone up on every tall hill and carried on her prostitution under every green tree. 7I thought that after she’d done that, she’d come back to me. But she didn’t, and her unfaithful sister saw it. 8 I gave Israel divorce papers and sent her away for her adultery, but her unfaithful sister Judah wasn’t afraid. She left and became a prostitute too. 9 Because prostitution was a small matter to her, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10 Despite all this, her unfaithful sister Judah didn’t come back to me with all her heart, only in pretense.”
Jer 3:6-10
Hope Even for Unfaithful Israel
11 The LORD told me:
“Unfaithful Israel has proved to be more upright than unfaithful Judah. 12 Go deliver this message toward the north,
‘Come back, unfaithful Israel;
I won’t stay angry forever.
13 Just own up to your unfaithfulness to me;
you scattered your favors to foreigners
under every green tree, and you haven’t obeyed me.
14 Come back, unfaithful children,
because I’m your master.
I’ll bring back to Zion one from this town and two from that family.
Jer 3:11-14
15 I’ll give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you knowledge and insight. 16 When you’ve multiplied in the land, they won’t say anymore ‘The Ark of the LORD’s covenant.’ It won’t be remembered or missed or remade. 17 At that time, they’ll call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD. All the nations will gather there to be in his presence. They’ll stop following their stubborn, sinful hearts. 18 Judah will follow Israel; together they’ll come back from exile in the north to the land I gave their ancestors. Jer 3:15-18
19“Then I said how I’d include you among my children
and give you a pleasant land,
the most beautiful inheritance in the world!
I said, ‘Call me “Father”
and not turn aside from following me.’
20 But like an unfaithful wife that leaves her husband,
you’ve been unfaithful to me, Israel.”
Jer 3:19-20
21 On the barren hills is the sound of
Israel’s people crying and pleading
because they’ve perverted their way
and forgotten their God.
22 “Come back, unfaithful children;
I’ll heal your unfaithfulness.”
“We’re coming back to you
because you’re our God.
23 The hills are a delusion,
the orgies on them as well.
Truly, in the LORD our God
lies Israel’s salvation.
Jer 3:21-23
24 “But from the time we were young, shameful things have consumed our ancestors’ labors, flocks and herds, sons and daughters. 25 Let’s lie down in our shame and cover ourselves with our humiliation. We and our ancestors have sinned against the LORD our God. We haven’t obeyed him.”
Jer 3:24-25