Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3 ©

1 God inviteth Judah to return to him notwithstanding her vile whoredom. 6 Israel, though rejected for her lewdness, is still less criminal than Judah. 12 Both are called to repentance upon the promises of the gospel. 20 The people reproached with their unfaithfulness make a solemn confession of their sins.

1

1THEY say, aIf a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, bshall he return unto her again? shall not that land be cgreatly polluted? but dthou hast played the harlot with many lovers; eyet return again to me, saith the LORD.

a De. 24.3.
b De. 24.4.
c v.9. ch. 2.7. Is. 24.5.
d ch. 2.20,33. Eze. 16.15-59; 23.
e Zec. 1.3. v.4,14,22. Ho. 14.1. Eze. 33.11. ch. 6.8; 7.3; 4.1,14.
2

Lift up thine eyes unto the fhigh places, and see where thou hast not been *lien with. gIn the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast hpolluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

f Ex. 34.16. 1Ki. 11.7,8; 14.23. 2Ki. 21.3. ch. 4.11; 7.29.
g Ge. 38.14. Pr. 23.28. Eze. 16.25.
h v.9. Is. 24.5. Eze. 16; 23.
3

Therefore the ishowers have been withholden, and there hath been no jlatter rain; and thou hadst a kwhore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

i De. 28.23,24. Le. 26.19. ch. 9.12; 14.4,22. Is. 5.6. Zep. 3.5. Joel 1.17.
j Job 29.23.
k Eze. 3.7. ch. 6.15; 8.12; 44.16,17; 5.3. Eze. 16.24,25,30-34.
4

lWilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?

l v.14,19,22. ch. 31.18-20; 2.2,27. Ho. 14.1-3; 2.15. Pr. 2.17,19. Mal. 2.14.
5

mWill he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, nthou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

m v.12. Ps. 77.7-9; 85.5; 103.8,9. Is. 57.16; 64.9.
n Is. 1; 2; 5; 9; 58; 59. ch. 2-16. Eze. 8; 16; 20; 22; 26. Mi. 2; 3; 6; 7. Zep. 3.1-6.
6

¶The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is ogone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

o 1Ki. 14.23. ch. 2.20. De. 31.16; 32.15-21. Ju. 2.12,13,17,19. 2Ki. 17.7-17. Eze. 22.28; 16.25,30-34.
7

And pI said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And qher treacherous sister Judah saw it.

p 2Ki. 17.10,13,14. Ho. 1-14. Am. 2-8. Is. 1-5; 9.
q Eze. 16.46; 23.2,4. Is. 21.2.
8

And I saw, rwhen for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her sa bill of divorce; yet her ttreacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

r Le. 26.15-39. De. 28.15-68. 2Ki. 17.6-23. Eze. 23.9. Ho. 1.6,9; 3.4; 4.15-17; 9.15-17.
s De. 24.1,3. Is. 50.1.
t 2Ki. 17.19. 2Ch. 21.6,11; 24.17,18; 28.2,3; 33.2,9. Eze. 23.11.
9

And it came to pass through the 2lightness of her whoredom, that ushe defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

u Is. 24.5. ch. 2.7,27; 5.7; 7.9,30,31; 11.10,12,13; 16.11; 17.1,2. Eze. 16.15-59; 22; 23.
10

And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah vhath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but 3feignedly, saith the LORD.

v Ho. 7.14. 2Ch. 35.1-18; 36.12-14. Ps. 78.38.
11

And the LORD said unto me, The wbacksliding Israel hath xjustified herself more than treacherous Judah.

w ch. 2.21. 2Ki. 17.7-23. Ho. 4-13. Am. 2-8. Mi. 1-3; 6; 7.1-6.
x Eze. 16.51,52; 23.11.
12

¶Go and proclaim these words toward the ynorth, and say, zReturn, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am amerciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

a 2Ch. 30.9. Ps. 86.15; 103.8,9; 145.8. Ex. 34.6,7. De. 4.31. Ro. 5.20,21. Ep. 2.7.
y 1Ki. 17.6; 15.29. ch. 1.13; 39.9; 50.9,41.
z Eze. 33.11. Ho. 14.1-8.
13

bOnly acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and chast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

b De. 30.1-6. Is. 59.12. Ho. 14.2. 1Jn. 1.9. Le. 26.40.
c ch. 2.20,25,28. v.1,2,6.
14

dTurn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am emarried unto you: and fI will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

d v.4,17,18,22. ch. 41.3,4. Ho. 14.1-3. Eze. 33.11.
e Is. 54.5. Ge. 17.7. Ex. 19.5,6. ch. 2.2; 31.32. Ho. 2.19,20; 13.4.
f Is. 1.9; 4.2; 10.22. Eze. 20.38. Zec. 13.8,9. ch. 31.6-12. Ro. 11.5.
15

And I will give you gpastors according to mine heart, hwhich shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

g Ep. 4.11. ch. 23.4. 1Sa. 13.14. Ho. 13.11.
h Jn. 21.15-17. Ac. 20.28. 1Pe. 5.2.
16

And it shall come to pass, when ye be imultiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, jthey shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come 4to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that 5be done any more.

i Is. 11.11; 60.22; 61.4. ch. 31.8. Eze. 36.10,11. Zec. 2.4,11; 10.8.
j Ho. 3.5. Is. 65.17. Jn. 4.21-24. Mal. 1.11. He. 10.8,9.
17

At that time they shall call kJerusalem the throne of the LORD; and lall the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither mshall they walk any more after the 6imagination of their evil heart.

k Ps. 48.1; 87.1-3. Is. 66.20. Zec. 6.3. ch. 14.21; 17.12; 31.23. Ga. 4.26. Re. 21.2,3.
l Ps. 22.27-30. Is. 11.10; 2.2,3; 60.9. Ge. 49.10. Zec. 2.11; 8.23.
m Ro. 6.14. ch. 11.8. Is. 1.29; 66.12,19. Ro. 11.25,26.
18

In those days the house of Judah nshall walk 7with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to othe land that I have 8given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

n ch. 30.3; 31.1,8-12; 50.4,20. Is. 11.13. Eze. 37.16-22. Ho. 1.11. Zec. 10.6.
o Am. 9.15.
19

But I said, pHow shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a 9pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, qMy father; and shalt not turn away 10from me.

p v.10,11,20. ch. 5.7. Ho. 11.8. Am. 9.14,15.
q Is. 63.16; 64.8. Ga. 4.5,6. ch. 32.40. Ro. 8.15.
20

¶Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her 11husband, so rhave ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

r ch. 5.11. Is. 48.8; 24.5. Eze. 16; 23. v.1,2.
21

A svoice was heard upon tthe high places, uweeping and supplications of the children of Israel: vfor they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

s v.12,13. ch. 31.9,18,19; 50.4. Eze. 7.16. Ho. 14.1-8. Zec. 12.10. ch. 2.32.
t Is. 15.2.
u 2Co. 7.10.
v Pr. 19.3.
22

wReturn, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, xwe come unto thee; for ythou art the LORD our God.

w Ho. 14.1,4. Is. 1.18; 44.22; 55.7; 57.17,18. Ro. 5.20,21. v.1,14.
x Ho. 3.5; 6.1,2; 14.3,8. Zec. 13.9. 2Co. 5.14. Ca. 1.4; 2.17.
y Ho. 13.4.
23

Truly zin vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: atruly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

a Ps. 3.8; 44.7; 121.1,2; 130.7,8. Is. 43.11; 45.15,17; 63.1,16. Jonah 3.8. Ho. 1.7. ch. 14.8.
z Is. 44.9,20; 45.20; 46.7. ch. 10.5,14,15; 2.13,20; 16.19. v.6.
24

For bshame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

b Ho. 9.10; 2.8. ch. 11.13. Eze. 16.61,63. Ro. 6.21.
25

We clie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: dfor we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our eyouth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

c ch. 6.26. Is. 50.11. Ezr. 9.6,7,15. Eze. 36.3-6,31,32. Ro. 6.21.
d ch. 2.17,19. Ps. 78; 106. De. 31.16,17; 32.15-21. Ju. 2.11-19. 2Ki. 17.7-23. Am. 2-8. Mi. 1-3; 6; 7. Zep. 1-3. Is. 1-3; 4; 5; 9; 22; 24; 58; 59. ch. 2-17. Eze. 3-23. Da. 9.
e Is. 48.8. ch. 2.2; 22.21. Ps. 106.7,13. Eze. 20.