| Commonly, when a man putteth away his wife, and she goeth from him, and marrieth with another, then the question is: should he restore unto her any more after that? Is not this field then defiled and unclean? But as for thee, thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet turn again to me, saith the Lord. Lift up thine eyes on every side, and look, if thou be not defiled. Thou hast waited for them in the streets, and as a murderer in the wilderness. Through thy whoredoms and blasphemes, the land is defiled.
This is the cause, that the rain and evening dew hath ceased. Thou hadst gotten thee an whores forehead, and canst not be ashamed. Else wouldest thou say unto me: O my father, thou art he that hast brought me up, and led me from my youth: Wilt thou then put me away and cast me off for ever? Or wilt thou withdraw thyself clean from me? Nevertheless, thou speakest such words, but thou art ever doing worse and worse.
The Lord said also unto me: in the time of Josiah the king: Hast thou seen what that shrinking Israel hath done? how she hath run upon all the hills, and among all thick trees, and there played the harlot: hast thou seen also ( when she had done all this ) how I said unto her: that she should turn again unto me, and yet she is not returned? Judah that unfaithful sister of hers also saw this: Namely, that after I had seen the *advoutry of the stinking harlot Israel, I put her away, and give her a bill of divorcement.
For all this, her unfaithful sister Judah was not ashamed, but went back and played the harlot also. Yee and the noise of her whoredom hath defiled the whole land. For she hath committed her **advoutry with stones and with stocks.
Nevertheless, her unfaithful sister Judah is not turned unto me again with her whole heart, but *feignedly, saith the Lord. And the Lord said unto me. The backslider Israel is more righteous, then the unfaithful Judah: and therefore go preach these words toward the north, and say: Thou shrinking Israel, turneth again ( saith the Lord ) and I will not turn my face from you, for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not always bare displeasure against thee: but on this condition, that thou know thy great blaspheme: Namely, that thou hast unfaithfully forsaken the Lord thy God, and hast made thyself partaker of strange Gods under all green trees, but hast no will to hear my voice, saith the Lord.
O ye shrinking children, turn again, sayeth the Lord: and I will be married with you. For I will take one out of the city, and two out of one generation from among you, and bring you out of Sion: and I will give you herdsmen after my own mind, which shall feed you with learning and wisdom. Moreover, when ye be increased and multiplied in the land, then ( saith the Lord ) there shall no more boast be made of the ark of the Lords Testament: No man shall think upon it, neither shall any man make mention of it: for from thenceforth it shall neither be visited, ner honored with gifts.
Then shall Jerusalem be called the Lords seat and all Heathen shall be gathered unto it, for the name of the Lords sake, which shall be set up in Jerusalem. And from that time forth, they shall follow no more the imagination of their own froward heart.
Then those that be of the house of Judah shall go into the house of Israel: and they shall come together out of the North, into the same land that I have gave their fathers. I have showed also, how I took thee up being but a child, and give thee a pleasant land for thy heritage, yee and a goodly Hosts of the Heathen: and how I commanded thee, that thou shouldest call me father only, and not to shrink from me.
But like as a woman faileth her lover, so are ye unfaithful to me ( O ye house of Israel ) saith the Lord. And therefore the voice of the children of Israel was heard on every side, weeping and wailing: for they have defiled their way, and forgotten God their Lord.
O ye shrinking children, turn again ( saying: lo, we are thine, for thou art the Lord our God:) And so I will heal your backturnings. The hills fall, and all the high pride of the mountains, but the health of Israel standeth only upon God our Lord.
Confusion hath devoured our fathers labor from our youth up: yee their sheep and bullocks, their sons and daughters. So do we also sleep in our confusion, and shame covereth us: for we and our fathers from our youth up unto this day have sinned against the Lord our God, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God. |
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