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Jeremiah 3
1599 Geneva Bible
Jeremiah 3
1599 Geneva Bible
3 God calleth his people unto repentance. 14 He promiseth the restitution of his Church. 20 He reproveth Judah and Israel, comparing them to a woman disobedient to her husband.
1 They [a]say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return again unto her? shall not this land [b]be polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many [c]lovers: yet [d]turn again to me, saith the Lord.
2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and behold, where thou hast not played the harlot: thou hast sat waiting for them in the ways, as the [e]Arabian in the wilderness: and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms, and with thy malice.
3 Therefore the showers have been restrained, and the [f]latter rain came not, and thou haddest a [g]whore’s forehead: thou wouldest not be ashamed.
4 Didst thou not still cry [h]unto me, Thou art my father, and the guide of my youth?
5 Will he keep his anger forever? will he reserve it to the end? thus hast thou spoken, but thou doest evil, even more and more.
6 The Lord said also unto me, in the days of Josiah the King, Hast thou seen what this rebel [i]Israel hath done? for she hath gone up upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.
7 And I said, when she had done all this, Turn thou unto me: but she returned not, as her rebellious sister Judah saw.
8 When I saw, how that by all occasions rebellious Israel had played the harlot, I cast [j]her away, and gave her a bill of divorcement: yet her rebellious sister Judah was not afraid, but she went also and played the harlot.
9 So that for the [k]lightness of her whoredom she hath even defiled the land: for she hath committed fornication with stones and stocks.
10 Nevertheless for all this, her rebellious sister Judah hath not returned unto me with [l]her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto me, The rebellious Israel hath [m]justified herself more than the rebellious Judah.
12 Go and cry these words toward [n]the North, and say, Thou disobedient Israel, return, saith the Lord, and I will not let my wrath fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not always keep mine anger.
13 But know thine iniquity: for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God, and hast [o]scattered thy ways to the strange gods under every green tree, but ye would not obey my voice, saith the Lord.
14 O ye disobedient children, turn again, saith the Lord, for I am your Lord, and I will take you one of a city, and two of a tribe, and will bring you to Zion,
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 Moreover, when ye be increased and multiplied in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The [p]Ark of the covenant of the Lord: for it shall come no more to mind, neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visit it, for that shall be no more done.
17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem, [q]The throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, even to the Name of the Lord in Jerusalem: and thence forth they shall follow no more the hardness of their wicked heart.
18 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 [r]North, into the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
19 But I said, How did I take thee for children, and give thee a pleasant land, even the glorious heritage of the armies of the heathen, and say, Thou shalt call me, saying, My father, and shall not turn from me?
20 But as a woman rebelleth against her [s]husband: so have ye rebelled against me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.
21 [t]A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping, and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and forgotten the Lord their God.
22 O ye disobedient children, return and I will heal your rebellions. [u]Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.
23 Truly the hope of the hills is but vain, nor the multitude of mountains: but in the Lord our God is the health of Israel.
24 For confusion hath devoured our [v]father’s labor, from our youth, their sheep and their bullocks, their sons and their daughters.
25 We lie down in our confusion, and our shame covereth us: [w]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.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 3:1 According as it is written, Deut. 24:4.
- Jeremiah 3:1 If he take such one to wife again.
- Jeremiah 3:1 That is, with idols, and with them whom thou hast put thy confidence in.
- Jeremiah 3:1 And I will not cast thee off, but receive thee, according to my mercy.
- Jeremiah 3:2 Which dwelleth in tents and waiteth for them that pass by to spoil them.
- Jeremiah 3:3 As God threatened by his Law, Deut. 28:24.
- Jeremiah 3:3 Thou wouldest never be ashamed of thine acts and repent: and this impudency is common to idolaters, which will not give off, though they be never so manifestly convicted.
- Jeremiah 3:4 He showeth that the wicked in their miseries will cry unto God and use outward prayer as the godly do, but because they turn not from their evil, they are not heard, Isa. 58:3, 4.
- Jeremiah 3:6 Meaning, the ten tribes.
- Jeremiah 3:8 And gave her into the hands of the Assyrians.
- Jeremiah 3:9 The Hebrew word may either signify lightness, and wantonness, or noise and brute.
- Jeremiah 3:10 Judah feigned for a time that she did return, as under Josiah and other good kings, but she was never truly touched, or wholly reformed, as appeared when occasion was offered by any wicked prince.
- Jeremiah 3:11 Israel hath not declared herself so wicked as Judah, which yet hath had more admonitions and examples to call her to repentance.
- Jeremiah 3:12 Whereas the Israelites were now kept in captivity by the Assyrians, to whom he promiseth mercy, if they will repent.
- Jeremiah 3:13 There was no way, which thou didst not haunt to seek after the idols, and to trot a pilgrimage.
- Jeremiah 3:16 This is to be understood of the coming of Christ: for then they shall not seek the Lord by ceremonies, and all figures shall cease.
- Jeremiah 3:17 Meaning, the Church, where the Lord will be present to the world’s end, Matt. 28:20.
- Jeremiah 3:18 Where they are now in captivity.
- Jeremiah 3:20 The Hebrew word signifieth a friend or companion, and here may be taken for a husband, as it is used also, Hos. 3:1.
- Jeremiah 3:21 Signifying, that God, whom they had forsaken, would bring their enemies unto them, who should lead them captive, and make them to cry and lament.
- Jeremiah 3:22 This is spoken in the person of Israel to the shame of Judah, which stayed so long to turn unto God.
- Jeremiah 3:24 For their idolatry God’s vengeance hath light upon them and theirs.
- Jeremiah 3:25 They justify not themselves, or say that they would follow their fathers, but condemn their wicked doings and desire forgiveness of the same, as Ezra 9:7; Ps. 106:6; Isa. 64:6.
Jeremiah 3
New International Version
Jeremiah 3
New International Version
3 “If a man divorces(A) his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
Would not the land be completely defiled?(B)
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers(C)—
would you now return to me?”(D)
declares the Lord.
2 “Look up to the barren heights(E) and see.
Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside(F) you sat waiting for lovers,
sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land(G)
with your prostitution(H) and wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld,(I)
and no spring rains(J) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen(K) look of a prostitute;
you refuse to blush with shame.(L)
4 Have you not just called to me:
‘My Father,(M) my friend from my youth,(N)
5 will you always be angry?(O)
Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
but you do all the evil you can.”
Unfaithful Israel
6 During the reign of King Josiah,(P) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless(Q) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree(R) and has committed adultery(S) there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister(T) Judah saw it.(U) 8 I gave faithless Israel(V) her certificate of divorce(W) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;(X) she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land(Y) and committed adultery(Z) with stone(AA) and wood.(AB) 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return(AC) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,(AD)” declares the Lord.(AE)
11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous(AF) than unfaithful(AG) Judah.(AH) 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:(AI)
“‘Return,(AJ) faithless(AK) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’(AL) declares the Lord,
‘I will not be angry(AM) forever.
13 Only acknowledge(AN) your guilt—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods(AO)
under every spreading tree,(AP)
and have not obeyed(AQ) me,’”
declares the Lord.
14 “Return,(AR) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.(AS) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds(AT) after my own heart,(AU) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark(AV) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;(AW) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne(AX) of the Lord, and all nations(AY) will gather in Jerusalem to honor(AZ) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(BA) 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,(BB) and together(BC) they will come from a northern(BD) land to the land(BE) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.
19 “I myself said,
“‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
and give you a pleasant land,(BF)
the most beautiful inheritance(BG) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’(BH)
and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you, Israel, have been unfaithful(BI) to me,”
declares the Lord.
21 A cry is heard on the barren heights,(BJ)
the weeping(BK) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten(BL) the Lord their God.
“Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
23 Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills(BP)
and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
is the salvation(BQ) of Israel.
24 From our youth shameful(BR) gods have consumed
the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
their sons and daughters.
25 Let us lie down in our shame,(BS)
and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned(BT) against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors;(BU)
from our youth(BV) till this day
we have not obeyed(BW) the Lord our God.”
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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