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v1
A saying: ^[Literally “to say”] ‘Look, if a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and she becomes another man’s wife, ^[Literally “and she becomes to a man another”] will he return to her again?’ Will not that land be greatly defiled? And you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, would you now return to me?” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.
v2
“Lift up your eyes at the barren heights, and see where you have not been ravished. Beside the roads you sat for them like an Arab in the desert, ^[Or “wilderness”] and you have defiled the land with your fornication and with your wickedness.
v3
Therefore rain showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come. Yet you have ^[Literally “it is for you”] the forehead of a woman prostitute, you refuse to be ashamed.
v4
Have you not just now called to me, ‘My father, you are the close friend of my youth?
v5
Will he be angry forever? ^[Literally “to eternity”] Will he maintain it always’? ^[Literally “to duration”] Look, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could.” ^[Literally “you have done the evil and you were able”]
v6
Then Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah, the king, “Have you seen what apostate ^[Or “unfaithful”] Israel has done? She has gone on every high hill and under every leafy tree and she has prostituted herself there.
v7
And I thought, ‘After her doing all these things to me she will return,’ but she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. ^[Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation]
v8
And I saw that for this very reason, that ^[Literally “because of all”] on account of apostate ^[Or “unfaithful”] Israel committing adultery I divorced her and gave the letter of divorce to her. Yet her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid and she went and prostituted herself also.
v9
And it was because of the frivolity of her fornication that she defiled the land and committed adultery with the stone and with the tree.
v10
Yet even in all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only ^[Literally “but if”] in pretense,” ^[Or “deception”] declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.
v11
Then Yahweh said to me, “Apostate ^[Or “unfaithful”] Israel has proved herself more upright ^[Or “righteous”] than treacherous Judah.
v12
Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, apostate ^[Or “unfaithful”] Israel,’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh. ‘I will not cause my anger ^[Literally “faces”] to fall on you. For I am loyal,’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh. ‘I will not be angry forever. ^[Literally “to eternity”]
v13
Only acknowledge your guilt, that against Yahweh your God you have rebelled, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every leafy tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.”
v14
“Return, apostate ^[Or “unfaithful”] children,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh. “For I am your master, ^[Literally “I rule over among you”] and I will take you one from a city and two from a clan, ^[Or “family”] and I will bring you to Zion.
v15
Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart and they will feed you knowledge and insight.
v16
And it will be when you have multiplied and become fruitful in the land in those days,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of Yahweh.’ And it will not come to mind, ^[Literally “it shall not go up on heart”] nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, ^[Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation] nor will it be made again.
v17
At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of Yahweh,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem, and they will no longer go after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
v18
In those days the house of Judah will walk along with the house of Israel and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave as an inheritance to your ancestors. ^[Or “fathers”]
v19
Then I thought, ‘How I would set you among the children, and I would give you a land of desire, an inheritance of the glory of the hosts of nations.’ And I thought, ‘You would call me, “My father,” and you would not turn back from behind ^[Or “following”] me.‘
v20
However, as a wife departs treacherously from her lover, so you have dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.
v21
“A voice is heard on the barren heights, the weeping of the pleas for mercy of the children of Israel, because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Yahweh their God.
v22
Return, O apostate ^[Or “unfaithful”] children, I will heal your backsliding. ‘Look, we come to you, for you are Yahweh our God.
v23
Surely, an illusion comes from the hills, the turmoil on the mountains. Surely, in Yahweh our God is the salvation of Israel.
v24
But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our ancestors ^[Or “fathers”] from our youth, their flocks, and their cattle, their sons and their daughters.
v25
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. For against Yahweh our God we have sinned, we and our ancestors, ^[Or “fathers”] from our youth and until this day. and we have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God.’