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Unfaithful Judah and Unfaithful Israel

“If a man divorces his wife
    and she leaves him to be with another man,
        will he return to her again?
    Would not such a land be totally polluted?
    You are a prostitute with many lovers.
    Now are you returning to Me?”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

“Lift your eyes to the barren hills and see!
    Where have you not been violated?
    By the wayside you sat waiting for them
        like a nomad in the desert.
    You have polluted the land
        with your prostitution and wickedness.
Therefore showers have been withheld
        and there has been no spring rain.
    You have a harlot’s brazen look;
    you refuse to be ashamed.
Did you not just now call to Me:
    Avi! You are a friend of my youth.
Would He keep a grudge forever?
    Would He keep it to the end?’
    So you said—
    yet you have done
        all the evil things you could.”

Then Adonai said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel did? She went up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there she committed adultery. Yet I thought that after she had done all this she would return to Me. But she did not return. Even her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I noted that when backsliding Israel committed adultery I sent her away and gave her a certificate of divorce. Yet, unfaithful Judah, her sister, did not fear. Instead she also went and committed adultery. It happened that through her frivolous prostitution, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and with wood. 10 Yet after all this her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but only insincerely,”

It is a declaration of Adonai.

11 Then Adonai said to me, “Backsliding Israel has proved herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah. 12 Go! Proclaim these words toward the north, saying:

“Return backsliding Israel,” says Adonai.
    “I will no longer frown on you,
        for I am merciful,” says Adonai.
    “I will not keep a grudge forever.
13 Only acknowledge your iniquity.
For you sinned against Adonai your God
    and scattered your favors to foreign gods
        under every green tree.
    You have not obeyed My voice.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

Call to Backsliding Children

14 “Return, O backsliding children,” declares Adonai.
    “For I am your Husband.
    I will choose you—
        one from a city and two from a clan—
    and will bring you to Zion.
15 I will give you shepherds after My own heart
    who will feed you knowledge and understanding.
16 It will be in those days when you multiply
    and become fruitful in the land.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

“They will no longer talk about the ark of the covenant of Adonai, nor will it come to mind or be remembered. Neither will it be missed or another one made again. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of Adonai and all the nations will gather into it, to Jerusalem, in the Name of Adonai. No longer will they walk according to the stubbornness of their evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel. They will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.”

19 “Then I Myself said:
‘How gladly would I make you sons
    and give you a pleasant land—
    the most beautiful inheritance of the nations!’
    I thought you would call Me—Avi!—
    and would not turn from following Me.
20 Yet as a woman betrays her lover,
    so have you betrayed Me, O house of Israel.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

21 A voice is heard on the barren hills
    —the weeping and supplication of the children of Israel—
    because they perverted their way
        and forgot Adonai their God.
22 “Return, backsliding children!
    I will heal your backsliding.”
        “Yes, we will come to You
        for You are Adonai Eloheinu.
23 Surely help from the hills is a delusion—
        the commotion of the mountains!
    Surely in Adonai Eloheinu
        is the salvation of Israel.
24 But the shame has consumed
    the labor of our fathers since our youth—
    their flocks and their herds,
        their sons and their daughters.
25 Let’s lie down with our shame
    and let our disgrace cover us!
    For we have sinned against Adonai Eloheinu
        —both we and our fathers—
        from our youth even to this day.
    We have not paid attention to
        the voice of Adonai Eloheinu.”

“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.
“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.
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)
Have you not just called to me:
    ‘My Father,(M) my friend from my youth,(N)
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

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. 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) 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. 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.

22 “Return,(BM) faithless people;
    I will cure(BN) you of backsliding.”(BO)

“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.”