1They 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 you have played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, says Yahuah (LORD).
2Lift up your eyes unto the high places, and see where you have not been lien with. In the ways have you sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your whoredoms and with your wickedness.
3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there has been no latter rain; and you had a whore’s forehead, you refusedst to be ashamed.
4Will you not from this time cry unto me, My father, you are the guide of my youth?
5Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, you have spoken and done evil things as you could.
6Yahuah (LORD) said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen that which backsliding Yashar'el (Israel) has done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot.
7And I said after she had done all these things, Turn you unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Yahudah (Judah) saw it.
8And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Yashar'el (Israel) committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Yahudah (Judah) feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
9And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Yahudah (Judah) has not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, says Yahuah (LORD).
11And Yahuah (LORD) said unto me, The backsliding Yashar'el (Israel) has justified herself more than treacherous Yahudah (Judah).
12Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, you backsliding Yashar'el (Israel), says Yahuah (LORD); and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, says Yahuah (LORD), and I will not keep anger for ever.
13Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against Yahuah Elohayka (the LORD thy God), and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice, says Yahuah (LORD).
14Turn, O backsliding children, says Yahuah (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:
15And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16And it shall come to pass, when you be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says Yahuah (LORD), they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Yahuah (LORD): neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
17At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Yahuah (LORD); and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of Yahuah (LORD), to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
18In those days the house of Yahudah (Judah) shall walk with the house of Yashar'el (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.
19But I said, How shall I put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, You shall call me, My father; and shall not turn away from me.
20Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with me, O house of Yashar'el (Israel), says Yahuah (LORD).
21A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Yashar'el (Israel): for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten Yahuah (LORD) their Elohim (God).
22Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto you; for you are Yahuah Eloheinu (the LORD our God).
23Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in Yahuah Eloheinu (the LORD our God) is the salvation of Yashar'el (Israel).
24For shame has devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covers us: for we have sinned against Yahuah Eloheinu (the LORD our God), we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of Yahuah Eloheinu (the LORD our God).