Jeremiah 3:1–5

“If a man divorces his wife

and she goes from him

and becomes another man’s wife,

will he return to her?

Would not that land be greatly polluted?

You have played the whore with many lovers;

and would you return to me?

declares the Lord.

Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see!

Where have you not been ravished?

By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers

like an Arab in the wilderness.

You have polluted the land

with your vile whoredom.

Therefore the showers have been withheld,

and the spring rain has not come;

yet you have the forehead of a whore;

you refuse to be ashamed.

Have you not just now called to me,

‘My father, you are the friend of my youth—

will he be angry forever,

will he be indignant to the end?’

Behold, you have spoken,

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

“If a man divorces his wife

and she leaves him and marries another man,

should he return to her again?

Would not the land be completely defiled?

But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers—

would you now return to me?”

declares the Lord.

“Look up to the barren heights and see.

Is there any place where you have not been ravished?

By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers,

sat like a nomad in the desert.

You have defiled the land

with your prostitution and wickedness.

Therefore the showers have been withheld,

and no spring rains have fallen.

Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute;

you refuse to blush with shame.

Have you not just called to me:

‘My Father, my friend from my youth,

will you always be angry?

Will your wrath continue forever?’

This is how you talk,

but you do all the evil you can.”

If a man divorces his wife

and she leaves him to marry another,

can he ever return to her?

Wouldn’t such a land become totally defiled?

But you!

You have prostituted yourself with many partners—

can you return to me?

This is the Lord’s declaration.

Look to the barren heights and see.

Where have you not been immoral?

You sat waiting for them beside the highways

like a nomad in the desert.

You have defiled the land

with your prostitution and wickedness.

This is why the showers haven’t come—

why there has been no spring rain.

You have the brazen look of a prostitute

and refuse to be ashamed.

Haven’t you recently called to me, “My Father!

You were my friend in my youth.

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.

“If a man divorces a woman

and she goes and marries someone else,

he will not take her back again,

for that would surely corrupt the land.

But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers,

so why are you trying to come back to me?”

says the Lord.

“Look at the shrines on every hilltop.

Is there any place you have not been defiled

by your adultery with other gods?

You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a customer.

You sit alone like a nomad in the desert.

You have polluted the land with your prostitution

and your wickedness.

That’s why even the spring rains have failed.

For you are a brazen prostitute and completely shameless.

Yet you say to me,

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

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.”

A saying: ‘Look, if a man divorces his wife,

and she goes from him and she becomes another man’s wife,

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 Yahweh.

“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,

and you have defiled the land

with your fornication

and with your wickedness.

Therefore rain showers have been withheld,

and the spring rain has not come.

Yet you have the forehead of a woman prostitute,

you refuse to be ashamed.

Have you not just now called to me,

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

Will he be angry forever?

Will he maintain it always’?

Look, you have spoken,

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

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. 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. 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. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? 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.