1. They say, If a man puts away his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s, shall he return unto her again? Is she not a land that is now completely polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, said the Lord.
2. Lift up thine eyes unto the high places and see if there is anywhere thou hast not been ravished. 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 rain has been withheld, and there has been no latter rain; and thou dost have a whore’s forehead, thou dost refuse 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 as many evil things as thou could.
6. The Lord said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which rebellious Israel has done? She is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot.
7. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she did not return. And her rebellious sister Judah saw it.
8. And I saw when for all the causes by which rebellious Israel committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce; yet her rebellious sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.
9. And it came to pass through her judging her whoredom to be a light thing that the land became defiled and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10. And yet for all this her rebellious sister Judah has never turned unto me with her whole heart, but untruthfully, said the Lord.
11. And the Lord said unto me, The rebellious Israel has justified her soul in comparison to the treacherous Judah.
12. Go and proclaim these words toward the north wind and say, Return, thou rebellious Israel, said the Lord and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful, said the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever.
13. Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not heard my voice, said the Lord.
14. Turn, O rebellious sons, said the Lord; for I am your Lord, and I will take you one of a city and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: