| Holman Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn't such a land become totally defiled? But you! You have played the prostitute with many partners-- can you return to Me? This is the LORD's declaration. | 1“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD. |
| 2Look to the barren heights and see. Where have you not been immoral? You sat waiting for them beside the highways like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. | 2“Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. |
| 3This is why the showers haven't come-- why there has been no spring rain. You have the brazen look of a prostitute and refuse to be ashamed. | 3Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed. |
| 4Have you not lately called to Me, "My Father. You were my friend in my youth. | 4Have you not just called to Me, ‘My Father, You are my friend from youth. |
| 5Will He bear a grudge forever? Will He be endlessly infuriated?" This is what you have said, but you have done the evil things you are capable of. | 5Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?’ This you have spoken, but you keep doing all the evil you can.” |
| 6In the days of King Josiah the LORD asked me, "Have you seen what unfaithful Israel has done? She has ascended every high hill and gone under every green tree to prostitute herself there. | 6Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there. |
| 7I thought: After she has done all these things, she will return to Me. But she didn't return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. | 7I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. |
| 8I observed that it was because unfaithful Israel had committed adultery that I had sent her away and had given her a certificate of divorce. Nevertheless, her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid but also went and prostituted herself. | 8She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. |
| 9Indifferent to her prostitution, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. | 9Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. |
| 10Yet in spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah didn't return to Me with all her heart--only in pretense." This is the LORD's declaration. | 10Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD. |
| 11The LORD announced to me, "Unfaithful Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. | 11And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah. |
| 12Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say: Return, unfaithful Israel. This is the LORD's declaration. I will not look on you with anger, for I am unfailing in My love. This is the LORD's declaration. I will not be angry forever. | 12Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will not be angry forever. |
| 13Only acknowledge your guilt-- you have rebelled against the LORD your God. You have scattered your favors to strangers under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice. This is the LORD's declaration. | 13Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God. You have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice,’ ” declares the LORD. |
| 14"Return, you faithless children"--this is the LORD's declaration--"for I am your master, and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. | 14“Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion. |
| 15I will give you shepherds who are loyal to Me, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill. | 15Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” |
| 16When you multiply and increase in the land, in those days"--the LORD's declaration--"no one will say any longer, 'The ark of the LORD's covenant.' It will never come to mind, and no one will remember or miss it. It will never again be made. | 16“In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer discuss the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made. |
| 17At that time Jerusalem will be called, Yahweh's Throne, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh in Jerusalem. They will cease to follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. | 17At that time Jerusalem will be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. |
| 18In those days the house of Judah will join with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land I have given your ancestors to inherit." | 18In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance. |
| 19I thought: How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations. I thought: You will call Me, my Father, and never turn away from Me. | 19Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me. |
| 20However, as a woman may betray her lover, so you have betrayed Me, house of Israel. This is the LORD's declaration. | 20But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. |
| 21A sound is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, for they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God. | 21A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD their God. |
| 22Return, you faithless children. I will heal your unfaithfulness. "Here we are, coming to You, for You are the LORD our God. | 22“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God. |
| 23Surely, falsehood comes from the hills, commotion from the mountains, but the salvation of Israel is only in the LORD our God. | 23Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God. |
| 24From the time of our youth the shameful one has consumed what our fathers have worked for-- their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. | 24From our youth, that shameful god has consumed what our fathers have worked for—their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters. |
| 25Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers, from the time of our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God." | 25Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.” |
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