Jeremiah 3:4–7

4 Have you not just called to me:

‘My Father, my friend from my youth,

5 will you always be angry?

Will your wrath continue forever?’

This is how you talk,

but you do all the evil you can.”

6 During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.

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.

4 Yet you say to me,

‘Father, you have been my guide since my youth.

5 Surely you won’t be angry forever!

Surely you can forget about it!’

So you talk,

but you keep on doing all the evil you can.”

6 During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree. 7 I thought, ‘After she has done all this, she will return to me.’ But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this.

4 Will you not from this time cry to Me,

‘My Father, You are the guide of my 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.”

6 The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. 7 And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

4 Now you are calling to me,

‘My father, you have been my friend since I was young.

5 Will you always be angry at me?

Will your anger last forever?’

Judah, you said this,

but you did as much evil as you could!”

6 When King Josiah was ruling Judah, the Lord said to me, “Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She was like a prostitute with her idols on every hill and under every green tree. 7 I said to myself, ‘Israel will come back to me after she does this evil,’ but she didn’t come back. And Israel’s wicked sister Judah saw what she did.

4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth? 5 Will he retain his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.

6 Moreover Jehovah said 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, She will return unto me; but she returned not: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? 5 Will he keep his anger for ever? Will he preserve it perpetually? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and thou art so determined.

6 And Jehovah said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen what backsliding Israel hath done? She hath gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath committed fornication. 7 And I said, After she hath done all these things, she will return unto me; but she returned not. And her sister Judah, the treacherous, saw it.

4 But now you are calling to me. 

You say, ‘Father! You have been my companion 

ever since I was young. 

5 He won’t hold a grudge forever. 

He won’t always be angry.’ 

You have said and done all the evil things that you could.” 

6 When Josiah was king, the Lord asked me, “Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She went up every high mountain and under every large tree, and she acted like a prostitute there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this that she would come back to me. But she didn’t come back, and her treacherous sister Judah saw her.

4 Have you not lately called to Me, “My Father.

You were my friend in my youth.

5 Will He bear a grudge forever?

Will He be endlessly infuriated?”

This is what you have said,

but you have done the evil things

you are capable of.

6 In the days of King Josiah the Lord asked me, “Have you seen what unfaithful Israel has done? She has ascended every high hill and gone under every green tree to prostitute herself there. 7 I thought: After she has done all these things, she will return to Me. But she didn’t return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

4 Have you not just now called to me,

“My Father, you are the friend of my youth—

5 will he be angry forever,

will he be indignant to the end?”

This is how you have spoken,

but you have done all the evil that you could.

6 The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree and prostituted herself there? 7 And I thought, “After she has done all this she will return to me,” but she did not return, and her false sister Judah saw it.

4 Have you not just now called to me,

‘My father, you are the close friend of my youth?

5 Will he be angry forever?

Will he maintain it always’?

Look, you have spoken,

but you have done all the evil that you could.”

6 Then Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah, the king, “Have you seen what apostate Israel has done? She has gone on every high hill and under every leafy tree and she has prostituted herself there. 7 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.

4 You have just now called out to me.

You said,

‘My Father, you have been my friend

ever since I was young.

5 Will you always be angry with me?

Will your anger continue forever?’

That is how you talk.

But you do all of the evil things you can.”

6 During the time Josiah was king, the Lord spoke to me. He said, “Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have not been faithful to me. They have committed adultery with other gods. They worshiped them on every high hill and under every green tree.

7 “I thought that after they had done all of those things, they would return to me. But they did not. Their sister nation Judah saw it. And they were not faithful to me either.

4 “Have you not just now called to Me,

‘My Father, You are the friend of my youth?

5 ‘Will He be angry forever?

Will He be indignant to the end?’

Behold, you have spoken

And have done evil things,

And you have had your way.”

6 Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there.

7 “I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.