Jeremiah 3:4-14

4 Have you not just now called to me, 'My father, thou art the friend of my youth--
5 will he be angry for ever, will he be indignant to the end?' Behold, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could."
6 The LORD said to me in the days of King Josi'ah: "Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the harlot?
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.
8 She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce; yet her false sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the harlot.
9 Because harlotry was so light to her, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree.
10 Yet for all this her false sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, says the LORD."
11 And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah.
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, 'Return, faithless Israel, says the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, says the LORD; I will not be angry for ever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, says the LORD.
14 Return, O faithless children, says the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.