1 Heb “May he go back to her again?” The question is rhetorical and expects a negative answer. For the legal background for the illustration that is used here see Deut 24:1–4.
2 Heb “Would the land not be utterly defiled?” The stative is here rendered actively to connect better with the preceding. The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer.
3 Heb “But you have played the prostitute with many lovers.”
4 Heb “Returning to me.” The form is the bare infinitive which the and have interpreted as an imperative “Yet, return to me!” However, it is more likely that a question is intended, expressing surprise in the light of the law alluded to and the facts cited. For the use of the infinitive absolute in the place of a finite verb, cf. §113.ee. For the introduction of a question without a question marker, cf. §150.a.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“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.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“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.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

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.

NLTNew Living Translation

“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.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

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.

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.

Public Domain

Jeremiah 3:1

English

Arabic

Czech

French

German

Hebrew

Hungarian

Italian

Korean

Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Traditional Chinese

Footnotes