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Jeremiah 3:12

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.

Jeremiah 3:12 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
English Standard Version (ESV)
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, "'Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever.
New Living Translation (NLT)
12 Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the LORD says: “O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever.
The Message Bible (MSG)
12 Go and preach this message. Face north toward Israel and say: "'Turn back, fickle Israel. I'm not just hanging back to punish you. I'm committed in love to you. My anger doesn't seethe nonstop.
American Standard Version (ASV)
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; I will not look in anger upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah, I will not keep [anger] for ever.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
12 Go and proclaim these things to the north: "'Come back, unfaithful Israel. It is the LORD speaking. I will no longer frown on you because I'm merciful,' declares the LORD. 'I will no longer be angry with you.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
12 Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say: Return, unfaithful Israel. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration. I will not look on you with anger, for I am unfailing in My love. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration. I will not be angry forever.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
12 "Go. Announce this message to the people in the north. Tell them, " 'Israel, you have not been faithful,' announces the Lord. 'Return to me. Then I will look on you with favor again. My love is faithful,' announces the Lord. 'I will not be angry with you forever.

Jeremiah 3:12 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 3:12

Go and proclaim these words towards the north
With his face thitherwards, towards Babylon, which lay north of Judea, and was the metropolis of Assyria, where the ten tribes were carried captive; and though they were dispersed in the cities of Media and Persia, which lay eastward, yet Babylon being the head of the empire, respect is had to that; not that the prophet was to go thither to them, or to prophesy in the land of the north, as the Targum paraphrases the words: for the word "go", as Jarchi observes, is only expressive of a command on the part of God; and of readiness, as Kimchi says, on the part of the prophet to obey, but not of local motion; he was to read these words, as the latter of these suggests, in Jerusalem, before the elders of Judah, with a respect to Israel, as if they were before him; and the design of this was to show that the Lord was gracious and merciful, and ready to receive backsliders; and to stimulate Judah to repentance, and to turn unto the Lord: and say, return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord
not return from the land of their captivity, though that they shall return in the last day Kimchi thinks is here intimated; and Jarchi says some of them did return, in the eighteenth year of Josiah; but return from their idols to the living God: and for their encouragement it is added, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you;
or, "my face" F4; by frowning upon them, expressing displicency with them, and anger towards them; the meaning is, that he would not continue his resentments, or cause his anger to fall upon them any more, or at least not for ever, as Kimchi interprets it; he had caused his anger to fall upon them like a mighty storm of rain, by carrying them captive; but now he intimates, should they repent and return, he would remove his anger from them, and not cause it to return any more: for I am merciful, saith the Lord;
so he proclaimed himself before Moses, ( Exodus 34:6 ) and of this they had had often instances and proofs: and I will not keep anger for ever;
or, "thy sins", as the Targum; I will not mark and observe them, or reserve them for punishment, but will mercifully forgive them; (See Gill on Jeremiah 3:5).


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (ynp lypa al) "non faciam cadere facies meas super vos", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 3:12 In-Context

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.

Cross References 5

  • 1. 2 Kings 17:3-6
  • 2. ver 14; S Deuteronomy 4:30; Jeremiah 31:21,22; Ezekiel 14:6; Ezekiel 33:11; Hosea 14:1
  • 3. S ver 6
  • 4. S 1 Kings 3:26; S Psalms 6:2
  • 5. S Psalms 103:9; S Isaiah 54:9; Psalms 86:15
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