Jeremiah 3:20
New International Version
But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the LORD.

New Living Translation
But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

English Standard Version
Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the LORD.’”

Berean Standard Bible
But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.

King James Bible
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

New King James Version
Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
“However, as a woman treacherously leaves her lover, So you have dealt treacherously with Me, House of Israel,” declares the LORD.

NASB 1995
“Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover, So you have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.

NASB 1977
“Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover, So you have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover, So you have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” declares Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
“Surely, as a wife treacherously (unfaithfully) leaves her husband, So you have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
However, as a woman may betray her lover, so you have betrayed me, house of Israel. This is the LORD’s declaration.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
However, as a woman may betray her lover, so you have betrayed Me, house of Israel. This is the LORD’s declaration.

American Standard Version
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Truly, as a wife tells lies with her companion, in this way the children of Israel have lied to me, says LORD JEHOVAH

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But as a wife acts treacherously against her husband, so has the house of Israel dealt treacherously against me, saith the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
But instead, you are like a wife who broke her wedding vows. You have been unfaithful to me. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But as a woman that despiseth her lover, so hath the house of Israel despised me, saith the Lord.

English Revised Version
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But like a wife who betrays her husband, so you, nation of Israel, betrayed me," declares the LORD.

Good News Translation
But like an unfaithful wife, you have not been faithful to me. I, the LORD, have spoken."

International Standard Version
Instead, like an unfaithful wife leaves her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, house of Israel," declares the LORD.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, So have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, Saith the LORD.

Literal Standard Version
But a woman has deceived her friend, | So you have dealt treacherously with Me, | O house of Israel,” | A declaration of YHWH.

Majority Standard Bible
But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.

New American Bible
But like a woman faithless to her lover, thus have you been faithless to me, house of Israel—oracle of the LORD.

NET Bible
But, you have been unfaithful to me, nation of Israel, like an unfaithful wife who has left her husband," says the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
Instead, as a faithless wife leaves her husband, so you have been faithless to me, O house of Israel, says the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
"Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel," says the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

World English Bible
“Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says Yahweh.

Young's Literal Translation
But -- a woman hath deceived her friend, So ye have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, an affirmation of Jehovah.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Invitation to Repentance
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 as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. 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.…

Cross References
Isaiah 24:16
From the ends of the earth we hear singing: "Glory to the Righteous One." But I said, "I am wasting away! I am wasting away! Woe is me." The treacherous betray; the treacherous deal in treachery.

Isaiah 48:8
You have never heard; you have never understood; for a long time your ears have not been open. For I knew how deceitful you are; you have been called a rebel from birth.

Jeremiah 12:1
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?

Hosea 3:1
Then the LORD said to me, "Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and offer raisin cakes to idols."

Hosea 5:7
They have been unfaithful to the LORD; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the New Moon will devour them along with their land.


Treasury of Scripture

Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, said the LORD.

husband.

Hosea 3:1
Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.

so have

Jeremiah 3:1,2,8-10
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…

Jeremiah 5:11
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 48:8
Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

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Jeremiah 3
1. God's great mercy to Judah the polluted land
6. Judah is worse than Israel
12. The promises of the gospel to the penitent
20. Israel reproved, and called by God, makes a solemn confession of their sins














(20) Surely as a wife . . .--In the midst of the bright vision of the future there comes unbidden the thought of the dark present: the faithless wife is not yet restored to her true friend and husband. Her guilt must be again pressed home upon her, so as to lead her to repentance.

Verse 20. - Surely. The word acquires an adversative sense from the context, as in Isaiah 53:4, and is virtually equivalent to "but surely." From her husband; literally, from her friend or companion. The choice of the word seems to indicate the inner hollowness of the married life. The woman only sees in her husband the companion, behind whoso back she can follow her own inclinations.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But
אָכֵ֛ן (’ā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 403: Firmly, surely, but

as a woman
אִשָּׁ֖ה (’iš·šāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

may betray
בָּגְדָ֥ה (bā·ḡə·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 898: To cover, to act covertly, to pillage

her husband,
מֵרֵעָ֑הּ (mê·rê·‘āh)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

so
כֵּ֣ן (kên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

you have betrayed Me,
בְּגַדְתֶּ֥ם (bə·ḡaḏ·tem)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 898: To cover, to act covertly, to pillage

O house
בֵּ֥ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of Israel,”
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

declares
נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 3:20 Surely as a wife treacherously departs (Jer.)
Jeremiah 3:19
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