Jeremiah 3

The LORD compared Israel to a wife who has played the harlot with many lovers and yet asks to return. He called faithless Israel and treacherous Judah to repent, promising to give them shepherds after His own heart. He declared that in those days they will no longer speak of the ark of the covenant, for Jerusalem itself will be called the throne of the LORD.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	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.	God says: "If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, can He take her back? Would not that land be completely defiled? But You have committed adultery with many partners — yet return to Me," says the LORD.
2	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.	Look up at the bare heights and see: where have You not been lain with? You sat by the roadside waiting for lovers, like an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with Your whoredoms and with Your wickedness.
3	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.	Therefore the spring rains have been withheld and the late rains have not come. Yet You have a whore's forehead — you refuse to be ashamed.
4	Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?	Have You not just now called to Me, 'My Father, You are the friend of my youth'?
5	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.	'Will God be angry forever? Will He be angry to the end?' You say this, but You keep on doing evil."
6	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.	In the days of King Josiah the LORD said to me: "Have You seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree and played the harlot there.
7	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.	After she had done all this, I said to her, 'Return to Me.' But she did not return. Her unfaithful sister Judah saw this.
8	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.	I saw that because backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah had no fear — she also went and played the harlot.
9	And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.	Through the lightness of her whoredom she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10	And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.	Even after all this, her unfaithful sister Judah has not returned to Me with her whole heart — only in pretense," says the LORD.
11	And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.	The LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.
12	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.	Go, proclaim this message toward the north: 'Return, faithless Israel,' says the LORD. 'I will not look on You in anger, for I am merciful,' says the LORD. 'I will not be angry forever.
13	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.	Only acknowledge Your iniquity — that You have rebelled against the LORD Your God and scattered Your favors among foreign gods under every green tree, and that You have not obeyed Me,'" says the LORD.
14	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:	"Return, faithless children," says the LORD, "for I am Your master. I will take You — one from a city, two from a family — and bring You to Zion.
15	And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.	Then I will give You shepherds after My own heart, who will lead You with knowledge and understanding.
16	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.	In those days, when You have multiplied and grown in the land," says the LORD, "people will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will not come to mind or be remembered or missed. It will not be made again.
17	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.	At that time Jerusalem will be called the throne of the LORD. All nations will gather there in the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
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 north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.	In those days Judah and Israel will come together from the land of the north to the land I gave Your ancestors as an inheritance.
19	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.	I said, 'How gladly would I treat You like a son and give You a pleasant land — the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought You would call Me 'My Father' and never turn away from Me.
20	Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.	But like a woman who is unfaithful to her husband, you have been unfaithful to Me, Israel," says the LORD.
21	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.	A sound is heard on the bare heights — the weeping and pleading of the children of Israel, because they have twisted their way and forgotten the LORD their God.
22	Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.	"Return, faithless children — I will heal Your unfaithfulness." "We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.
23	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.	Truly the noise from the hills is a deception. Truly the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
24	For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.	From our youth the shameful idol has consumed what our fathers worked for — their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
25	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.	Let us lie down in our shame and let our dishonor cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God — we and our ancestors — from our youth until now. We have not obeyed the LORD our God."