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.
Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside^(F) you sat waiting for lovers,
sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land^(G)
with your prostitution^(H) and wickedness.
³Therefore the showers have been withheld,^(I)
and no spring rains^(J) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen^(K) look of a prostitute;
you refuse to blush with shame.^(L)
⁴Have you not just called to me:
‘My Father,^(M) my friend from my youth,^(N)
⁵will you always be angry?^(O)
Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
but you do all the evil you can.”

Unfaithful Israel

⁶During the reign of King Josiah,^(P) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless^(Q) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree^(R) and has committed adultery^(S) there. ⁷I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(T) Judah saw it.^(U) ⁸I gave faithless Israel^(V) her certificate of divorce^(W) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(X) she also went out and committed adultery. ⁹Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(Y) and committed adultery^(Z) with stone^(AA) and wood.^(AB) ¹⁰In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(AC) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(AD)” declares the Lord.^(AE)

¹¹The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous^(AF) than unfaithful^(AG) Judah.^(AH) ¹²Go, proclaim this message toward the north:^(AI)

“‘Return,^(AJ) faithless^(AK) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’^(AL) declares the Lord,
‘I will not be angry^(AM) forever.
¹³Only acknowledge^(AN) your guilt—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods^(AO)
under every spreading tree,^(AP)
and have not obeyed^(AQ) me,’”
declares the Lord.

¹⁴“Return,^(AR) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.^(AS) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. ¹⁵Then I will give you shepherds^(AT) after my own heart,^(AU) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. ¹⁶In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark^(AV) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;^(AW) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. ¹⁷At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne^(AX) of the Lord, and all nations^(AY) will gather in Jerusalem to honor^(AZ) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.^(BA) ¹⁸In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,^(BB) and together^(BC) they will come from a northern^(BD) land to the land^(BE) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.

¹⁹“I myself said,

“‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
and give you a pleasant land,^(BF)
the most beautiful inheritance^(BG) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’^(BH)
and not turn away from following me.
²⁰But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you, Israel, have been unfaithful^(BI) to me,”
declares the Lord.

²¹A cry is heard on the barren heights,^(BJ)
the weeping^(BK) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten^(BL) the Lord their God.

²²“Return,^(BM) faithless people;
I will cure^(BN) you of backsliding.”^(BO)

“Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
²³Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills^(BP)
and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
is the salvation^(BQ) of Israel.
²⁴From our youth shameful^(BR) gods have consumed
the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
their sons and daughters.
²⁵Let us lie down in our shame,^(BS)
and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned^(BT) against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors;^(BU)
from our youth^(BV) till this day
we have not obeyed^(BW) the Lord our God.”

Cross references

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)

Jeremiah 3 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

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, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)

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

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

Jeremiah 3 - New International Version (NIV)

Unfaithful Israel

Cross references

You Might Also Like: