Israel Is Shameless
1 “They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife,
And she goes from him
And becomes another man’s,
# May he return to her again?’
# Would not thatland be greatly polluted?
# But you haveplayed the harlot with many lovers;
# Yet return to Me,” says theLord.
2 “Lift up your eyes tothe desolate heights and see:
Where have you not lainwithmen?
# By the road you have sat for them
Like an Arabian in the wilderness;
# And you have polluted the land
With your harlotries and your wickedness.
3 Therefore theshowers have been withheld,
And there has been no latter rain.
# You have had aharlot’s forehead;
You refuse to be ashamed.
4 Will you not from this time cry to Me,
# ‘My Father, Youarethe guide ofmy youth?
5 Will He remain angry forever?
Will He keep it to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken and done evil things,
As you were able.”
A Call to Repentance
6 TheLordsaid also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen whatbacksliding Israel has done? She hasgone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.
7 And I said, after she had done all thesethings,‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacheroussister Judah saw it.
8 Then I saw thatfor all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I hadput her away and given her a certificate of divorce;yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.
9 So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that shedefiled the land and committed adultery withstones and trees.
10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Mewith her whole heart, but in pretense,” says theLord.
11 Then theLordsaid to me,“Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12 Go and proclaim these words towardthe north, and say:
‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says theLord;
‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you.
# For Iammerciful,’ says theLord;
‘I will not remain angry forever.
13 Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against theLordyour God,
# And havescattered your charms
# Toalien deitiesunder every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says theLord.
14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says theLord;“for I am married to you. I will take you,one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you toZion.
15 And I will give youshepherds according to My heart, who willfeed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 “Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied andincreased in the land in those days,” says theLord, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of theLord.’It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visitit,nor shall it be made anymore.
17 “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of theLord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it,to the name of theLord, to Jerusalem. No more shall theyfollow the dictates of their evil hearts.
18 “In those daysthe house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land ofthe north tothe land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers.
19 “But I said:
‘How can I put you among the children
# And give youa pleasant land,
A beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?’
“And I said:
# ‘You shall call Me,“My Father,”
And not turn away from Me.’
20 Surely,asa wife treacherously departs from her husband,
# Sohave you dealt treacherously with Me,
O house of Israel,” says theLord.
21 A voice was heard onthe desolate heights,
Weepingandsupplications of the children of Israel.
For they have perverted their way;
They have forgotten theLordtheir God.
22 “Return, you backsliding children,
# AndI willheal your backslidings.”
“Indeed we do come to You,
For You are theLordour God.
23 Truly, in vainissalvationhopedforfrom the hills,
Andfromthe multitude of mountains;
# Truly, in theLordour God
Isthe salvation of Israel.
24 For shame has devoured
The labor 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 reproach covers us.
# For we have sinned against theLordour God,
We and our fathers,
From our youth even to this day,
# Andhave not obeyed the voice of theLordour God.”