Jeremiah 3

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.

They ask, If a man leaves his wife, she goes away and marries another, can he go back to her? Wouldn't that land be very unclean? But you have been unfaithful with many lovers; still, come back to me, says the LORD.

Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

Look up to higher places and notice where you haven't sinned. You've acted like a traveler in the desert while sitting for others, and you've made the land impure with your unfaithfulness and wrongdoings.

Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

So, the rain stopped coming, and the final rain didn't come either. You had a shameless appearance and didn't feel embarrassed about it.

Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?

Will you not start now calling me, My father, for you are the one who guides my young years?

Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

Will he always be angry? Will he keep it until the end? Look, you have spoken and done bad things as you were able to.

The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

God told me during King Josiah's time, "Have you noticed what rebellious Israel has done? She has gone to every tall mountain and every nice tree, and there she has been unfaithful.

And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

Then I told her after she did everything, "Come back to me." But she didn't. Her deceitful sister Judah saw what happened.

And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

I saw that when God punished Israel for its unfaithfulness by divorcing it, Judah, its sister, didn't fear and also became unfaithful.

And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

So, it happened because of her actions as a prostitute, that she caused the land to become unclean and she even committed adultery with stones and wooden objects.

And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.

Even though many things have happened, Judah, her unfaithful sister, has not truly turned back to me with all her heart, says the Lord.

And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

And the Lord told me, the straying Israel has proven herself better than deceitful Judah.

Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

"Go tell the people in the north that straying Israel should return, for the Lord says so. He won't let his anger hurt you because he is compassionate; the Lord promises this will never be a lasting issue."

Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

Admit your wrongdoing, because you've broken God's rules and scattered in different directions, seeking help from strangers everywhere. You didn't listen to me, says the Lord.

Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

"Turn, unfaithful kids," says the Lord. "I'm your spouse! I'll pick some from towns, and pairs from families, and bring you to Zion."

And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

I will provide you with shepherds who are guided by my heart, and they will nourish you with knowledge and understanding.

And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

When you have many people in the land someday, says the Lord, they won't talk about the ark of the covenant anymore. They will forget about it and not go to see it. That will be the end of it.

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

At that time, people will call Jerusalem the place where God rules. Many different groups of people will come there because of God. They won't follow their bad thoughts anymore.

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 for an inheritance unto your fathers.

In those times, Judah and Israel will join together, coming from the northern land to the land I gave to your ancestors as their inheritance.

But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

But I asked, How can I place you with my other children and give you a nice land? This land will be a great inheritance among many people. And I said, You will call me 'Father' and always stay with me.

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

Just like a wife who betrays her husband, you have also betrayed me, says the Lord, to the people of Israel.

A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

A voice was heard in high places, with the children of Israel crying and asking for help. They had gone astray and forgot about the LORD, their God.

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

Come back, you who have strayed, and I will fix what's broken. We are returning to you because you are God, our source of hope.

Truly 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.

It's pointless to look for salvation in the hills and many mountains. True salvation comes from the LORD, our God, who saves Israel.

For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

Shame has taken away the work of our ancestors from us young people. They had sheep and cows, children and grandchildren.

We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

We feel ashamed and confused because we've sinned against God, both us and our ancestors, from when we were young until now. We haven't listened to God's voice like we should.