Jeremiah 3 - New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

The Polluted Land

3 God [a]says, “(A)If a husband divorces his wife
And she goes from him
And belongs to another man,
Will he still return to her?
Will not that land be completely [b]polluted?
But you (B)are a harlot with many [c]lovers;
Yet you (C)turn to Me,” declares the Lord.
2 “Lift up your eyes to the (D)bare heights and see;
Where have you not been violated?
By the roads you have (E)sat for them
Like an Arab in the desert,
And you have (F)polluted a land
With your harlotry and with your wickedness.
3 “Therefore the (G)showers have been withheld,
And there has been no spring rain.
Yet you had a (H)harlot’s forehead;
You refused to be ashamed.
4 “Have you not just now called to Me,
‘(I)My Father, You are the [d](J)friend of my (K)youth?
5 ‘(L)Will He be angry forever?
Will He [e]be indignant to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken
And have done evil things,
And you have [f]had your way.”

Faithless Israel

6 Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She (M)went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there. 7 (N)I [g]thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her (O)treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and (P)given her a writ of divorce, yet her (Q)treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. 9 Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she (R)polluted the land and committed adultery with (S)stones and trees. 10 Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in (T)deception,” declares the Lord.

God Invites Repentance

11 And the Lord said to me, “(U)Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say,

‘(V)Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord;
‘(W)I will not [h]look upon you in anger.
For I am (X)gracious,’ declares the Lord;
‘I will not be angry forever.
13 ‘Only [i](Y)acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the Lord your God
And have (Z)scattered your [j]favors to the strangers (AA)under every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the Lord.
14 ‘Return, O faithless sons,’ declares the Lord;
‘For I am a (AB)master to you,
And I will take you one from a city and two from a family,
And (AC)I will bring you to Zion.’

15 “Then I will give you (AD)shepherds after My own heart, who will (AE)feed you on knowledge and understanding. 16 It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land,” declares the Lord, “they will (AF)no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The (AG)Throne of the Lord,’ and (AH)all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the (AI)name of the Lord; nor will they (AJ)walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart. 18 (AK)In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together (AL)from the land of the north to the (AM)land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.

19 “Then I said,

‘How I would set you among [k]My sons
And give you a pleasant land,
The most (AN)beautiful inheritance of the nations!’
And I said, ‘You shall call Me, (AO)My Father,
And not turn away from following Me.’
20 “Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her [l]lover,
So you have (AP)dealt treacherously with Me,
O house of Israel,” declares the Lord.

21 A voice is heard on the (AQ)bare heights,
The weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel;
Because they have perverted their way,
They have (AR)forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, O faithless sons,
(AS)I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to You;
For You are the Lord our God.
23 “Surely, (AT)the hills are a deception,
A tumult on the mountains.
Surely in the (AU)Lord our God
Is the salvation of Israel.

24 “But (AV)the shameful thing has consumed the labor of our fathers since our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our (AW)shame, and let our humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, (AX)from our youth even to this day. And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 3:1 Lit saying
  2. Jeremiah 3:1 Or alienated
  3. Jeremiah 3:1 Lit companions
  4. Jeremiah 3:4 Lit leader
  5. Jeremiah 3:5 Lit keep it
  6. Jeremiah 3:5 Lit been able
  7. Jeremiah 3:7 Lit said
  8. Jeremiah 3:12 Lit cause My countenance to fall
  9. Jeremiah 3:13 Lit know
  10. Jeremiah 3:13 Lit ways
  11. Jeremiah 3:19 Lit the
  12. Jeremiah 3:20 Or companion

Cross references

  1. Jeremiah 3:1 : Deut 24:1-4
  2. Jeremiah 3:1 : Jer 2:20; Ezek 16:26, 28, 29
  3. Jeremiah 3:1 : Jer 4:1; Zech 1:3
  4. Jeremiah 3:2 : Deut 12:2; Jer 2:20; 3:21; 7:29
  5. Jeremiah 3:2 : Gen 38:14; Ezek 16:25
  6. Jeremiah 3:2 : Jer 2:7
  7. Jeremiah 3:3 : Lev 26:19; Jer 14:3-6
  8. Jeremiah 3:3 : Jer 6:15; 8:12
  9. Jeremiah 3:4 : Jer 3:19; 31:9
  10. Jeremiah 3:4 : Ps 71:17; Prov 2:17
  11. Jeremiah 3:4 : Jer 2:2; Hos 2:15
  12. Jeremiah 3:5 : Ps 103:9; Is 57:16; Jer 3:12
  13. Jeremiah 3:6 : Jer 17:2; Ezek 23:4-10
  14. Jeremiah 3:7 : 2 Kin 17:13
  15. Jeremiah 3:7 : Jer 3:11; Ezek 16:47
  16. Jeremiah 3:8 : Deut 24:1, 3; Is 50:1
  17. Jeremiah 3:8 : Ezek 16:46, 47; 23:11
  18. Jeremiah 3:9 : Jer 2:7; 3:2
  19. Jeremiah 3:9 : Is 57:6; Jer 2:27; 10:8
  20. Jeremiah 3:10 : Jer 12:2; Hos 7:14
  21. Jeremiah 3:11 : Ezek 16:51, 52; 23:11
  22. Jeremiah 3:12 : Jer 3:14, 22; Ezek 33:11
  23. Jeremiah 3:12 : Jer 3:5
  24. Jeremiah 3:12 : Ps 86:15; Jer 12:15; 31:20; 33:26
  25. Jeremiah 3:13 : Deut 30:1-3; Jer 3:25; 14:20; 1 John 1:9
  26. Jeremiah 3:13 : Jer 2:20, 25; 3:2, 6
  27. Jeremiah 3:13 : Deut 12:2
  28. Jeremiah 3:14 : Jer 31:32; Hos 2:19
  29. Jeremiah 3:14 : Jer 31:6, 12
  30. Jeremiah 3:15 : Jer 23:4; 31:10; Ezek 34:23; Eph 4:11
  31. Jeremiah 3:15 : Acts 20:28
  32. Jeremiah 3:16 : Is 65:17
  33. Jeremiah 3:17 : Jer 17:12; Ezek 43:7
  34. Jeremiah 3:17 : Jer 3:19; 4:2; 12:15, 16; 16:19
  35. Jeremiah 3:17 : Is 60:9
  36. Jeremiah 3:17 : Jer 11:8
  37. Jeremiah 3:18 : Is 11:13; Jer 50:4, 5; Hos 1:11
  38. Jeremiah 3:18 : Jer 16:15; 31:8
  39. Jeremiah 3:18 : Amos 9:15
  40. Jeremiah 3:19 : Ps 16:6
  41. Jeremiah 3:19 : Is 63:16; Jer 3:4
  42. Jeremiah 3:20 : Is 48:8
  43. Jeremiah 3:21 : Is 15:2; Jer 3:2; 7:29
  44. Jeremiah 3:21 : Is 17:10; Jer 2:32; 13:25
  45. Jeremiah 3:22 : Jer 30:17; 33:6; Hos 6:1; 14:4
  46. Jeremiah 3:23 : Jer 17:2
  47. Jeremiah 3:23 : Ps 3:8; Jer 17:14; 31:7
  48. Jeremiah 3:24 : Hos 9:10
  49. Jeremiah 3:25 : Ezra 9:6, 7
  50. Jeremiah 3:25 : Jer 22:21

You Might Also Like:

Jeremiah 3 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 Saying, `Lo, one sendeth away his wife, And she hath gone from him, And she hath been to another man, Doth he turn back unto her again? Greatly defiled is not that land? And thou hast committed whoredom with many lovers, And turn again to Me, an affirmation of Jehovah. 2 Lift thine eyes to the hig...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 It is said commonly, If a man forsaketh his wife, and she go away from him, and be wedded to another husband, whether he shall turn again [any] more to her? whether that woman shall not be defouled, and made unclean? (shall he return to her again? shall that woman not be defiled, and made unclean?...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 “They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says Yahweh. 2 “Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, an...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 Eternal One: If a husband divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he ever go back to her again? Such behavior would violate what is right, and the land itself would be tainted with sin. Now you, Judah, have acted like a whore and taken on many lovers. Why are you tryin...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Unfaithful Judah and Unfaithful Israel3 “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to be with another man, will he return to her again? Would not such a land be totally polluted? You are a prostitute with many lovers. Now are you returning to Me?”It is a declaration of Adonai. 2 “Lift your eyes ...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Unfaithful Israel3 “If[a] a man divorces his wifeand she goes from himand becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her?Would not that land be greatly polluted?You have played the harlot with many lovers; and would you return to me? says the Lord.2 Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see!...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Unfaithful Israel3 “If[a] a man divorces his wifeand she goes from himand becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her?Would not that land be greatly polluted?You have played the harlot with many lovers; and would you return to me? says the Lord.2 Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see!...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Unfaithful Israel3 If[a] a man divorces his wife and she goes from himand becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her?Would not such a land be greatly polluted?You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me?says the Lord.2 Look up to the bare heights,[b] and see! Where ...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Unfaithful Israel3 If[a] a man divorces his wife and she goes from himand becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her?Would not such a land be greatly polluted?You have prostituted yourself with many lovers, and would you return to me? says the Lord.(A)2 Look up to the bare heights[b] and see!...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

3 “If a man divorces a woman and she goes and marries someone else,he will not take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land.But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, so why are you trying to come back to me?” says the Lord.2 “Look at the shrines on every hilltop. Is there an...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - New Life Version (NLV)

Israel Is Not Faithful3 God says, “If a husband divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be made unclean? But you are like a sinful woman with many lovers, yet would you return to Me?” says the Lord. 2 “Lift up your eyes to the ...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Israel Is Shameless3 “They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife,And she goes from himAnd becomes another man’s,(A)May he return to her again?’Would not that (B)land be greatly polluted?But you have (C)played the harlot with many lovers;(D)Yet return to Me,” says the Lord. 2 “Lift up your eyes to (E)the ...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

3 ‘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.2 ‘Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any ...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - New International Version (NIV)

3 “If a man divorces(A) his wife and she leaves him and marries another man,should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled?(B)But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers(C)— would you now return to me?”(D)declares the Lord.2 “Look up to the barren heights(E) and see....
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

3 “Suppose a man divorces his wife. What if she then marries another man?Should her first husband return to her again? If he does, won’t the land become completely ‘unclean’?People of Israel, you have lived like a prostitute. You have loved many other gods. So do you think you can return to me now?”...
Read More

Jeremiah 3 - New English Translation (NET)

3 “If a man divorces his wifeand she leaves him and becomes another man’s wife,he may not take her back again.[a]Doing that would utterly defile the land.[b]But you, Israel, have given yourself as a prostitute to many gods.[c]So what makes you think you can return to me?”[d]says the Lord.2 “Look up ...
Read More