Jeremiah 3:22
New International Version
“Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” “Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.

New Living Translation
“My wayward children,” says the LORD, “come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.” “Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply, “for you are the LORD our God.

English Standard Version
“Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God.

Berean Standard Bible
“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.

King James Bible
Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

New King James Version
“Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings.” “Indeed we do come to You, For You are the LORD our God.

New American Standard Bible
“Return, you faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You; For You are the LORD our God.

NASB 1995
“Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You; For You are the LORD our God.

NASB 1977
“Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to Thee; For Thou art the LORD our God.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You, For You are Yahweh our God.

Amplified Bible
“Return, O faithless sons,” [says the LORD], “I will heal your unfaithfulness.” [They answer] “Behold, we come to You, For You are the LORD our God.

Christian Standard Bible
Return, you faithless children. I will heal your unfaithfulness. “Here we are, coming to you, for you are the LORD our God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Return, you faithless children. I will heal your unfaithfulness. “Here we are, coming to You, for You are the LORD our God.

American Standard Version
Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God.

Contemporary English Version
I will tell them, "Come back, and I will cure you of your unfaithfulness." They will answer, "We will come back, because you are the LORD our God.

English Revised Version
Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings, Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Come back, you rebellious people, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful." Here we are! We have come to you because you are the LORD our God.

Good News Translation
Return, all of you who have turned away from the LORD; he will heal you and make you faithful. You say, "Yes, we are coming to the LORD because he is our God.

International Standard Version
"Turn back, unfaithful people, and I'll heal your unfaithfulness." "Look, we're coming to you because you are the LORD our God.

Majority Standard Bible
“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.

NET Bible
Come back to me, you wayward people. I want to cure your waywardness. Say, 'Here we are. We come to you because you are the LORD our God.

New Heart English Bible
"Return, you backsliding children, I will heal your backsliding." "Look, we have come to you; for you are the LORD our God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come to thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

World English Bible
Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding. “Behold, we have come to you; for you are Yahweh our God.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Return, O backsliding sons, "" I cause your backslidings to cease.” “Behold us, we have come to You, "" For You [are] our God YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
Turn back, O backsliding sons, I cause your backslidings to cease. -- Behold us, we have come to Thee, For Thou art Jehovah our God.

Smith's Literal Translation
Turn back, ye sons turning away; I will heal your turnings away. Behold, we came to thee; for thou Jehovah our God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Return, you rebellious children, and I will heal your rebellions. Behold we come to thee: for thou art the Lord our God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Convert, O rebellious sons! And I will heal your rebelliousness.” “Behold, we are returning to you. For you are the Lord our God!

New American Bible
Return, rebellious children! I will heal your rebellions. “Here we are! We belong to you, for you are the LORD, our God.

New Revised Standard Version
Return, O faithless children, I will heal your faithlessness. “Here we come to you; for you are the LORD our God.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Repent, O you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings; and say, Behold, we are yours; for thou art the LORD our God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Return, children backsliders, and I shall heal your backsliding, and they said: “Behold, we are yours, because you are LORD JEHOVAH our God!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings.-- 'Here we are, we are come unto Thee; For Thou art the LORD our God.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Turn, ye children that are given to turning, and I will heal your bruises. Behold, we will be thy servants; for thou art the Lord our God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Invitation to Repentance
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, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are 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.…

Cross References
Hosea 14:1-4
Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity. / Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: “Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips. / Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.” ...

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Joel 2:12-13
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” / So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

Ezekiel 18:30-32
Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall. / Cast away from yourselves all the transgressions you have committed, and fashion for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel? / For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live!

2 Chronicles 7:14
and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Zechariah 1:3
So tell the people that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Return to Me, declares the LORD of Hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Hosts.’

Isaiah 44:22
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.

Lamentations 3:40-41
Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD. / Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:

Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. / Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. / For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Luke 15:18-24
I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. / I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ / So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. ...

2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

Romans 2:4
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?


Treasury of Scripture

Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come to you; for you are the LORD our God.

return

Hosea 6:1
Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

Hosea 14:1,4
O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity…

we

Jeremiah 31:18
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

Isaiah 27:8
In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.

Song of Solomon 1:4
Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

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Backsliding Backslidings Cause Cease Children Cure Desire Faithless Faithlessness Heal Turn Turned Wandering
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Backsliding Backslidings Cause Cease Children Cure Desire Faithless Faithlessness Heal Turn Turned Wandering
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














Return, O faithless children
The Hebrew word for "return" is "שׁוּב" (shuv), which carries the connotation of turning back or repenting. This is a call to repentance, a central theme in the prophetic literature. The term "faithless" is translated from "שׁוֹבָב" (shovav), meaning backsliding or wayward. The imagery of "children" suggests a familial relationship, emphasizing God's role as a loving Father who desires the return of His wayward children. Historically, this reflects Israel's repeated cycles of apostasy and return, highlighting God's enduring patience and mercy.

I will heal your faithlessness
The promise of healing is profound, with "heal" derived from the Hebrew "רָפָא" (rapha), meaning to restore or make whole. This indicates not just a physical or superficial healing but a deep, spiritual restoration. "Faithlessness" here is again "מְשׁוּבָתֵיכֶם" (meshuvateichem), emphasizing the spiritual ailment of turning away from God. The assurance of healing underscores God's grace and willingness to restore those who repent, a theme echoed throughout Scripture, particularly in the New Testament with the redemptive work of Christ.

Here we are, we come to You
This phrase signifies a response to God's call, an acknowledgment of His sovereignty and a willingness to return. The act of coming to God is a deliberate choice, reflecting a heart of repentance and submission. In the historical context, this is the ideal response God sought from Israel, and it serves as a model for believers today, emphasizing the importance of actively seeking God.

for You are the LORD our God
The declaration "You are the LORD our God" is a reaffirmation of the covenant relationship between God and His people. "LORD" is translated from "יהוה" (YHWH), the sacred, covenantal name of God, signifying His eternal, unchanging nature. This acknowledgment is both a confession of faith and a recognition of God's rightful place as the sovereign ruler and redeemer. It reflects the historical covenant established at Sinai and points forward to the new covenant in Christ, where believers are called to recognize and submit to God's lordship in their lives.

(22) Return, ye backsliding children . . .--We lose, as before, the force of the Hebrew repetition of the same root, Turn, ye children that have turned, I will heal your turnings. As so often in Hebrew poetry, we have the answer to the invitation given in dramatic form, and hear the cry--we might almost call it the litany--of the suppliants, "Behold, we come unto thee." They at last own Jehovah as their one true God.

Verse 22. - Return, ye backsliding children, etc.; more literally, Turn, ye turned-away sons; I will heal your turnings (as Hosea 14:4). It seems strange at first sight that this verso does not stand before ver. 21. But the truth is that ver. 21 describes not so much the "conversion" of the Jews as their willingness to "convert" (an archaism of King James's Bible, which we may well regret), or "turn" to God. Christ must touch, or at least make his presence felt, in order that the sick man may be healed; a special call of God must be heard, in order that the sinner may truly repent. Behold, we come unto thee. Efficacious, and not "irresistible" grace, is the doctrine of the Old Testament.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Return,
שׁ֚וּבוּ (ū·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

O faithless
שׁוֹבָבִ֔ים (šō·w·ḇā·ḇîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7726: Turning back, recusant, apostate

children,
בָּנִ֣ים (bā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

[and] I will heal
אֶרְפָּ֖ה (’er·pāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7495: To mend, to cure

your faithlessness.”
מְשׁוּבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם (mə·šū·ḇō·ṯê·ḵem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 4878: Turning back, apostasy

“Here we are.
הִנְנוּ֙ (hin·nū)
Interjection | first person common plural
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

We come to You,
אָתָ֣נוּ (’ā·ṯā·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 857: To arrive

for
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

You
אַתָּ֖ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

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

our God.
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 3:22 Return you backsliding children I will heal (Jer.)
Jeremiah 3:21
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