Jeremiah 3

1 “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.
2 “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.
3 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.
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.”

Unfaithful Israel

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.
8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.
9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.
10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.
11 The LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.
12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north: “ ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will not be angry forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt— you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,’ ” declares the LORD.
14 “Return, faithless people,” declares the LORD, “for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion.
15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the LORD, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.
17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.
19 “I myself said, “ ‘How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the LORD.
21 A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.
22 “Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” “Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.
23 Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception; surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 From our youth shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our ancestors’ labor— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our ancestors; from our youth till this day we have not obeyed the LORD our God.”

Cross References 75

  • 1. Deuteronomy 24:1-4
  • 2. S Genesis 3:17
  • 3. S 2 Kings 16:7; S Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:20,25; Jeremiah 4:30; Lamentations 1:2; Ezekiel 16:26,29; Hosea 2:5,12; Hosea 3:1
  • 4. Hosea 2:7
  • 5. ver 21
  • 6. Genesis 38:14; Ezekiel 16:25
  • 7. ver 9; Jeremiah 2:7
  • 8. S Numbers 15:39; S Isaiah 1:21
  • 9. Leviticus 26:19; Jeremiah 5:25; Amos 4:7
  • 10. S Deuteronomy 11:14; Jeremiah 14:4; Joel 1:10
  • 11. Ezekiel 3:7; Ezekiel 16:30
  • 12. Jeremiah 6:15; Jeremiah 8:12; Zephaniah 2:1; Zephaniah 3:5
  • 13. ver 19; S Deuteronomy 32:6; S Psalms 89:26; Isaiah 63:16; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 31:9
  • 14. S Jeremiah 2:2
  • 15. S Psalms 103:9; S Isaiah 54:9; Isaiah 57:16
  • 16. S 1 Chronicles 3:14
  • 17. ver 12,22; S Isaiah 24:16; Jeremiah 31:22; Jeremiah 49:4
  • 18. S Deuteronomy 12:2; Jeremiah 17:2; Ezekiel 20:28; Hosea 4:13
  • 19. S Leviticus 17:7; Jeremiah 2:20
  • 20. Ezekiel 16:46; Ezekiel 23:2,11
  • 21. Amos 4:8
  • 22. Jeremiah 11:10
  • 23. S Deuteronomy 4:27; S Deuteronomy 24:1
  • 24. Ezekiel 16:47; Ezekiel 23:11
  • 25. ver 2
  • 26. S Leviticus 17:7; S Isaiah 1:21
  • 27. S Isaiah 57:6
  • 28. Jeremiah 2:27
  • 29. Isaiah 31:6; Amos 4:9; Haggai 2:17
  • 30. Jeremiah 12:2; Ezekiel 33:31
  • 31. S 2 Kings 17:19
  • 32. Ezekiel 16:52; Ezekiel 23:11
  • 33. ver 7
  • 34. S Jeremiah 2:19
  • 35. 2 Kings 17:3-6
  • 36. ver 14; S Deuteronomy 4:30; Jeremiah 31:21,22; Ezekiel 14:6; Ezekiel 33:11; Hosea 14:1
  • 37. S ver 6
  • 38. S 1 Kings 3:26; S Psalms 6:2
  • 39. S Psalms 103:9; S Isaiah 54:9; Psalms 86:15
  • 40. Deuteronomy 30:1-3; Jeremiah 14:20; 1 John 1:9
  • 41. S Jeremiah 2:25
  • 42. S Deuteronomy 12:2
  • 43. ver 25; Jeremiah 22:21
  • 44. S ver 12; S Job 22:23; Jeremiah 4:1; Hosea 2:19
  • 45. S Isaiah 54:5
  • 46. S Isaiah 31:4; Acts 20:28
  • 47. Acts 13:22
  • 48. S Numbers 3:31; S 1 Chronicles 15:25
  • 49. S Isaiah 65:17
  • 50. S Psalms 47:8; Jeremiah 17:12; Jeremiah 33:16; Ezekiel 1:26; Ezekiel 43:7; Ezekiel 48:35
  • 51. S Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:1
  • 52. S Psalms 22:23; Jeremiah 13:11; Jeremiah 33:9; Isaiah 60:9
  • 53. Psalms 81:12; Jeremiah 7:24; Jeremiah 9:14; Jeremiah 11:8; Jeremiah 13:10; Jeremiah 16:12; Jeremiah 18:12
  • 54. Jeremiah 30:3; Ezekiel 37:19; Hosea 1:11
  • 55. S Isaiah 11:13; Jeremiah 50:4
  • 56. Jeremiah 16:15; Jeremiah 31:8
  • 57. Deuteronomy 31:7; S Isaiah 14:1; Ezekiel 11:17; Ezekiel 37:22; Amos 9:15
  • 58. S Deuteronomy 8:7
  • 59. Psalms 106:24; Ezekiel 20:6
  • 60. S ver 4; S Exodus 4:22; S 2 Samuel 7:14; Isaiah 63:16
  • 61. S Isaiah 24:16
  • 62. ver 2
  • 63. Jeremiah 31:18
  • 64. S Isaiah 57:11
  • 65. S ver 12; S Job 22:23; Hosea 14:4
  • 66. S Isaiah 30:26; Isaiah 57:18; Jeremiah 33:6; Hosea 6:1
  • 67. S Jeremiah 2:19
  • 68. S Jeremiah 2:20
  • 69. Psalms 3:8; Jeremiah 17:14
  • 70. Jeremiah 11:13; Hosea 9:10
  • 71. S Ezra 9:6; Jeremiah 31:19; Daniel 9:7
  • 72. S Judges 10:10; S 1 Kings 8:47
  • 73. Jeremiah 14:20
  • 74. S Psalms 25:7; S Jeremiah 22:21
  • 75. S ver 13; Ezekiel 2:3

Jeremiah 3 Commentaries

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