| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1"If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers-- would you now return to me?" declares the LORD. | 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. |
| 2"Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat 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. |
| 3Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame. | 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 just called to me: 'My Father, my friend from my youth, | 4Have you not just called to Me, ‘My Father, You are my friend from youth. |
| 5will you always be angry? Will your wrath continue forever?' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can." | 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.” |
| 6During the reign 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 spreading tree and has committed adultery 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 that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful 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 gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. | 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. |
| 9Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. | 9Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. |
| 10In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the LORD. | 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 said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. | 11And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah. |
| 12Go, proclaim this message toward the north: "'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful,' declares the LORD, '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 foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,'" declares the LORD. | 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, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you--one from a town and two from a clan--and 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. |
| 15Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. | 15Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” |
| 16In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "people will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one 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 they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they 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 people of Judah will join the people of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance. | 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. |
| 19"I myself said, "'How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following 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. |
| 20But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me," declares the LORD. | 20But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. |
| 21A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and 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. |
| 22"Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." "Yes, we will come 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 the idolatrous commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception; surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. | 23Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God. |
| 24From our youth shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our ancestors' labor-- their flocks and herds, their sons and 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, and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our ancestors; from our youth till this day we have not obeyed 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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