^{1 Ref} 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.

^{2 Ref} 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.

^{3 Ref} 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.

^{4 Ref} Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?

^{5 Ref} 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.

^{6 Ref} 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.

^{7 Ref} 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.

^{8 Ref} 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.

^{9 Ref} And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

^{10 Ref} And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.

^{11 Ref} And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

^{12 Ref} 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.

^{13 Ref} 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.

^{14 Ref} 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:

^{15 Ref} And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

^{16 Ref} 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.

^{17 Ref} 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.

^{18 Ref} 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.

^{19 Ref} 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.

^{20 Ref} Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

^{21 Ref} 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.

^{22 Ref} Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

^{23 Ref} 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.

^{24 Ref} For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

^{25 Ref} 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.

^{1 Ref} They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, will he return to her again? Won't that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me, says Yahweh.

^{2 Ref} Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see; where have you not been lain with? By the ways have you sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness.

^{3 Ref} Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain; yet you have a prostitute's forehead, you refused to be ashamed.

^{4 Ref} Will you not from this time cry to me, My Father, you are the guide of my youth?

^{5 Ref} Will he retain [his anger] forever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.

^{6 Ref} Moreover Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? she is gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the prostitute.

^{7 Ref} I said after she had done all these things, She will return to me; but she didn't return: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

^{8 Ref} I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, didn't fear; but she also went and played the prostitute.

^{9 Ref} It happened through the lightness of her prostitution, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

^{10 Ref} Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense, says Yahweh.

^{11 Ref} Yahweh said to me, Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

^{12 Ref} Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, you backsliding Israel, says Yahweh; I will not look in anger on you; for I am merciful, says Yahweh, I will not keep [anger] forever.

^{13 Ref} Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against Yahweh your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice, says Yahweh.

^{14 Ref} Return, backsliding children, says Yahweh; for I am a husband to you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

^{15 Ref} and I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

^{16 Ref} It shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says Yahweh, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Yahweh; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.

^{17 Ref} At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Yahweh; and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

^{18 Ref} 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 gave for an inheritance to your fathers.

^{19 Ref} But I said, How I will put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, You shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.

^{20 Ref} Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel, says Yahweh.

^{21 Ref} A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping [and] the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Yahweh their God.

^{22 Ref} Return, you backsliding children, I will heal your backsliding. Behold, we are come to you; for you are Yahweh our God.

^{23 Ref} Truly in vain is [the help that is looked for] from the hills, the tumult on the mountains: truly in Yahweh our God is the salvation of Israel.

^{24 Ref} But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

^{25 Ref} Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Yahweh our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day; and we have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God.