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 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 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 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
5 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 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 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 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 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 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
12 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 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 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 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 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 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 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 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 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.
21 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 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.
23 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 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 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.

1They say; If a man put away his wife, and she goe from him, and become another mans, shall hee returne vnto her againe? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many louers; yet returne againe to me, saith the Lord.

2Lift vp thine eyes vnto the high places, and see where thou hast not bene lien with: in the wayes hast thou sate for them, as the Arabian in the wildernesse, and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredomes, and with thy wickednes.

3Therefore the showres haue bin withholden, and there hath bene no latter raine, and thou haddest a whores forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

4Wilt thou not from this time cry vnto me; My father, thou art the guide of my youth?

5Will he reserue his anger for euer? wil he keepe it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done euill things as thou couldest.

6¶ The Lord said also vnto me, in the daies of Iosiah the king, Hast thou seene that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone vp vpon euery high mountaine, and vnder euery greene tree, and there hath plaied the harlot.

7And I said after she had done all these things; Turne thou vnto me: but shee returned not, and her treacherous sister Iudah saw it.

8And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adulterie, I had put her away and giuen her a bill of diuorce: yet her treacherous sister Iudah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

9And it came to passe thorow the lightnes of her whoredome, that shee defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stockes.

10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Iudah hath not turned vnto mee with her whole heart, but fainedly, saith the Lord.

11And the Lord said vnto mee, The backesliding Israel hath iustified her selfe more then treacherous Iudah.

12¶ Go and proclaime these words toward the North, and say, Returne thou backesliding Israel, sayeth the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall vpon you: for I am mercifull, saith the Lord, and I will not keepe anger for euer.

13Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy wayes to the strangers vnder euery greene tree, and ye haue not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.

14Turne, O backesliding children, saith the Lord, for I am maried vnto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I wil bring you to Zion.

15And I will giue you Pastours according to mine heart, which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding.

16And it shall come to passe when yee bee multiplied and increased in the land; in those dayes, saith the Lord, they shal say no more; The Arke of the Couenant of the Lord: neither shal it come to minde, neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visit it, neither shall that be done any more.

17At that time they shall call Ierusalem the Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shalbe gathered vnto it, to the Name of the Lord, to Ierusalem: neither shall they walke any more after the imagination of their euill heart.

18In those dayes the house of Iudah shall walke with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the North to the land that I haue giuen for an inheritance vnto your fathers.

19But I said; How shall I put thee among the children, and giue thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hostes of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me; My father, and shalt not turne away from me.

20¶ Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband: so haue you dealt treacherously with mee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.

21A voice was heard vpon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they haue peruerted their way, and they haue forgotten the Lord their God.

22Returne ye backsliding children, and I wil heale your backslidings: Beholde, wee come vnto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.

23Truely in vaine is saluation hoped for from the hilles, and from the multitude of mountaines: truely in the Lord our God is the saluation of Israel.

24For shame hath deuoured the labour of our fathers from our youth: their flockes and their heards, their sonnes and their daughters.

25We lie downe in our shame, and our confusion couereth vs: for we haue sinned against the Lord our God, wee and our fathers from our youth euen vnto this day, and haue not obeied the voice of the Lord our God.

II == Gen 38:14 ; Deut 12:2 ; prov 23:28 ; Jer 2:7 , 20 ; 3:9 ; Ezek 16:24-25

III == Lev 26:19 ; Deut 28:23-24 ; Jer 5:3 ; 6:15 ; 8:12 ; 9:12 ; 14:4 ; Ezek 3:7 ; Zeph 3:5

IV == Prov 2:17 ; Jer 2:2 ; Hos 2:15

V == Ps 77:7 ; 103:9

VII == 2nd Kings 17:13

VIII == 2nd Kings 17:6 , 18

X == 2nd Chr 34:33

XI == Ezek 16:51 ; 23:11

XII == Ps 86:15

XIII == Lev 26:40 ; Deut 12:2 ; 30:1-2 ; Prov 28:13

XIV == Jer 31:22

XV == Jer 23:4 ; Ezek 34:23 ; Acts 20:28 ; Eph 4:11

XVI == Isa 65:17

XVII == Isa 60:9 ; Jer 11:8

XVIII == Isa 11:13 ; Jer 3:12 ; 31:8 ; Ezek 37:16-22 ; Hos 1:11 ; Amos 9:15

XIX == Ps 106:24 ; Isa 63:16 ; Ezek 20:6 ; Can 8:9 ; 11:16 , 41 , 45

XX == Isa 48:8 ; Jer 5:11

XXI == Isa 15:2

XXII == Jer 3:14 ; Hos 6:1 ; 14:1 , 4

XXIII == Ps 3:8 ; 121:1-2

XXIV == Jer 11:13 ; Hos 9:10

XXV == Ezra 9:7 ; Jer 3:1 , 22 ; 22:21 ; Joel 2:12

1 If a man sends away his wife and, after leaving him, she marries another man, Does the first husband come back to her? Would not the land be wholly defiled? But you have sinned with many lovers, and yet you would return to me! says the LORD.

2 Lift your eyes to the heights, and see, where have men not lain with you? By the waysides you waited for them like an Arab in the desert. You defiled the land by your wicked harlotry.

3 Therefore the showers were withheld, the spring rain failed. But because you have a harlot's brow, you refused to blush.

4 Even now do you not call me, "My father, you who are the bridegroom of my youth"?

5 "Will he keep his wrath forever, will he hold his grudge to the end?" This is what you say; yet you do all the evil you can.

6 The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah: See now what rebellious Israel has done! She has gone up every high mountain, and under every green tree she has played the harlot.

7 And I thought, after she has done all this she will return to me. But she did not return. Then, even though her traitor sister Judah saw

8 that for all the adulteries rebellious Israel had committed, I put her away and gave her a bill of divorce, nevertheless her traitor sister Judah was not frightened; she too went off and played the harlot.

9 Eager to sin, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and wood.

10 With all this, the traitor sister Judah did not return to me wholeheartedly, but insincerely, says the LORD.

11 Then the LORD said to me: Rebel Israel is inwardly more just than traitorous Judah.

12 Go, proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Return, rebel Israel, says the LORD, I will not remain angry with you; For I am merciful, says the LORD, I will not continue my wrath forever.

13 Only know your guilt: how you rebelled against the LORD, your God, How you ran hither and yon to strangers (under every green tree) and would not listen to my voice, says the LORD.

14 Return, rebellious children, says the LORD, for I am your Master; I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan, and bring you to Zion.

15 I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.

16 When you multiply and become fruitful in the land, says the LORD, They will in those days no longer say, "The ark of the covenant of the LORD!" They will no longer think of it, or remember it, or miss it, or make another.

17 At that time they will call Jerusalem the LORD'S throne; there all nations will be gathered together to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem, and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.

18 In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel; together they will come from the land of the north to the land which I gave to your fathers as a heritage.

19 I had thought: How I should like to treat you as sons, And give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful among the nations! You would call me, "My Father," I thought, and never cease following me.

20 But like a woman faithless to her lover, even so have you been faithless to me, O house of Israel, says the LORD.

21 A cry is heard on the heights! the plaintive weeping of Israel's children, Because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD, their God.

22 Return, rebellious children, and I will cure you of your rebelling. "Here we are, we now come to you because you are the LORD, our God.

23 Deceptive indeed are the hills, the thronging mountains; In the LORD, our God, alone is the salvation of Israel.

24 The shame-god has devoured our fathers' toil from our youth, Their sheep and their cattle, their sons and their daughters.

25 Let us lie down in our shame, let our disgrace cover us, for we have sinned against the LORD, our God, From our youth to this day, we and our fathers also; we listened not to the voice of the LORD, our God."

v 1-5. In Deut. 4:1-4 if a couple divorced and she married another man, they were forbidden to ever remarry, or the land would be polluted. That was under Law, and we do not have that restriction from the Word today, and in some cases it might be good. God would not permanently divorce harlot Judah, but he would cut off her rain.
Second Message: v 6-11. This message is that future glory would depend on repentance. Judah had seen how Israel, the ten northern tribes, had turned from God in spiritual adultery. Still, Judah became even more spiritually adulterous than Israel.

v 12-15. At this point God still offers hope to Israel, if they would repent. He would allow a remnant to come to Jerusalem for numerical growth and spiritual training. 

v 16-18. This looks forward to the Millennium when they will not need an ark, but Christ will be ruling from the temple. All nations will come to Jerusalem to worship. It is ideal for Israel and Judah to be there as one nation, which will be in the Millennium.

v 19,20. God wanted to treat Israel as sons, not as an adulterous wife.

v 21-25. Jeremiah presents the ideal of Israel and Judah weeping for their sins, God offering repentance and people turning to Him from the very hills where they worshiped idols. This didn’t happen and still awaits restoration in the end times.