| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1“They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the LORD. | 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 prostituted yourself with many partners--can you return to me? This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 2“Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them Like an Arabian in the wilderness; And you have polluted the land With your harlotries and your wickedness. | 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. |
| 3Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot’s forehead; You refuse to be ashamed. | 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. |
| 4Will you not from this time cry to Me, ‘My Father, You are the guide of my youth? | 4Haven't you recently called to me, "My Father. You were my friend in my youth. |
| 5Will He remain angry forever? Will He keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and done evil things, As you were able.” | 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. |
| 6The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. | 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. |
| 7And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. | 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. |
| 8Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. | 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. |
| 9So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. | 9Indifferent to her prostitution, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. |
| 10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the LORD. | 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. |
| 11Then the LORD said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. | 11The LORD announced to me, "Unfaithful Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. |
| 12Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not remain angry forever. | 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. |
| 13Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the LORD your God, And have scattered your charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the LORD. | 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 me. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 14“Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. | 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. |
| 15And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. | 15I will give you shepherds who are loyal to me, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill. |
| 16“Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the LORD, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. | 16When you multiply and increase in the land, in those days--this is the LORD's declaration--no one will say again, "The ark of the LORD's covenant." It will never come to mind, and no one will remember or miss it. Another one will not be made. |
| 17“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. | 17At that time Jerusalem will be called The LORD's Throne, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD in Jerusalem. They will cease to 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 as an inheritance to your fathers. | 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.'" |
| 19“But I said: ‘How can I put you among the children And give you a pleasant land, A beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?’ “And I said: ‘You shall call Me, “My Father,” And not turn away from Me.’ | 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." |
| 20Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the LORD. | 20However, as a woman may betray her lover, so you have betrayed me, house of Israel. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 21A voice was heard on the desolate heights, Weeping and supplications of the children of Israel. For they have perverted their way; They have forgotten the LORD their God. | 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. |
| 22“Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings.” “Indeed we do come to You, For You are the LORD our God. | 22Return, you faithless children. I will heal your unfaithfulness. "Here we are, coming to you, for you are the LORD our God. |
| 23Truly, 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. | 23Surely, falsehood comes from the hills, commotion from the mountains, but the salvation of Israel is only in the LORD our God. |
| 24For shame has devoured The labor of our fathers from our youth— Their flocks and their herds, Their sons and their daughters. | 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. |
| 25We lie down in our shame, And our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against the LORD our God, We and our fathers, From our youth even to this day, And 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 the time of our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the LORD our God." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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