"THEY say, 'If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and become another man's wife may he return to her again? 'Would not that land greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; yet you have played harlot with many water; yet return to Me" says the LORD.

2 "Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: where have you lain with men? By the road you have sat with them? 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 the showers have been withheld, and there has been no later rain, and You have had a harlot's forehead; you frude to be ashamed.

4 Will you not from this 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 are able."

6 The LORD said also to me in te days of Joshiah 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.

8 "Then I saw that for all the cause for which blacksliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played harlot also.

9 "So it came to pass, through her causal harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.

10 "And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense, "say the LORD.

11 Then the LORD said to me, "Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

12 "Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: 'Return, backsliding Israel,' say the LORD; 'I will not cause My to fall on you. For I am merciful,' say the LORD; 'I will not remain angry forever.

13 Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice, 'says the LORD.

14 "Reurn O backsliding children," say the LORD; "for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

15 "And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 "Then it shall come to pass, when you are multipled and increased in the land in those days, " say the LORD, "that thay will say no more, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD; It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.

17 "At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.

18 "In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come togather out of the land of north to the land that I given as an inheritance to your fathers.

19 "But I said: 'How can I put you among the children and give you a pleasant land, a beautiful heritage of hosts of nations?' "And I said: 'You shall call Me, "My Father, "and not turn away from Me.'

20 Surely, as a wife tracherously departs from her husband, so have dealt tracherously with Me, O house of Israel, "says the LORD.

21 A voice was heard on the desolate heights, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel. for they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God.

22 "Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding." "Indeed we do come to You, for You are the LORD our God.

23 Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; truly, in the LORD our God is the 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 repraoch covers us. For we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and have not obeyed the vioce of the LORD our God."JEREMIAH 3