They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and becomeanotherman’s, shall he returnunto her again? shall not thatland be greatlypolluted? but thouhastplayed the harlotwithmanylovers; yet returnagain to me, saith the LORD.
Lift up thineeyesunto the highplaces, and see wherethouhast not beenlienwith. In the wayshastthou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thouhastpolluted the landwith thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
The LORDsaidalsounto me in the days of Josiah the king, HastthouseenthatwhichbackslidingIsraelhathdone? she is gone up uponeveryhighmountain and undereverygreentree, and therehathplayed the harlot.
And I saw, when for all the causeswherebybackslidingIsraelcommittedadultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacheroussisterJudahfeared not, but went and played the harlotalso.
Go and proclaimthesewordstoward the north, and say, Return, thoubackslidingIsrael, saith the LORD; and I will not causemineanger to fallupon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keepanger for ever.
Onlyacknowledgethineiniquity, thatthouhasttransgressedagainst the LORD thy God, and hastscattered thy ways to the strangersundereverygreentree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
Turn, O backslidingchildren, saith the LORD; for I am marriedunto you: and I willtake you one of a city, and two of a family, and I willbring you to Zion:
And it shallcome to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in thosedays, saith the LORD, theyshall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neithershall it come to mind: neithershalltheyremember it; neithershalltheyvisit it; neithershallthat be done any more.
At thattimetheyshallcallJerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nationsshall be gatheredunto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neithershalltheywalk any moreafter the imagination of theirevilheart.
In thosedays the house of Judahshallwalkwith the house of Israel, and theyshallcometogether out of the land of the north to the landthat I havegiven for an inheritanceuntoyourfathers.
But I said, How shall I put theeamong the children, and givethee a pleasantland, a goodlyheritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thoushaltcall me, My father; and shalt not turnawayfrom me.
A voice was heardupon the highplaces, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for theyhavepervertedtheir way, and theyhaveforgotten the LORDtheir God.
We lie down in our shame, and our confusioncovereth us: for we havesinnedagainst the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youthevenuntothis day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.