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1. "If a man divorces his wife and she goes and marries someone else, the first husband cannot take her back. If he did, it would make the land unclean. Judah, you and all your false gods are like a prostitute with many lovers! So why do you think you can come back to me?" This message is from the Lord.
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1. They say H559 , If H2005 a man H376 put away H7971 H853 his wife H802 , and she go H1980 from H4480 H854 him , and become H1961 another H312 man H376 's , shall he return H7725 unto H413 her again H5750 ? shall not H3808 that H1931 land H776 be greatly polluted H2610 H2610 ? but thou H859 hast played the harlot H2181 with many H7227 lovers H7453 ; yet return H7725 again to H413 me, saith H5002 the LORD H3068 .
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2. "Look up to the bare hilltops, Judah. Is there any place where you have not had sex with your lovers? You sat by the road waiting for lovers, like an Arab in the desert. You made the land 'dirty' with all the evil sins you did when you were unfaithful to me.
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2. Lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 unto H5921 the high places H8205 , and see H7200 where H375 thou hast not H3808 been lain H7901 with. In H5921 the ways H1870 hast thou sat H3427 for them , as the Arabian H6163 in the wilderness H4057 ; and thou hast polluted H2610 the land H776 with thy whoredoms H2184 and with thy wickedness H7451 .
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3. You sinned, so the rain has not come. There has not been any springtime rains. But still you refuse to be ashamed. The look on your face is like that of a prostitute who refuses to be ashamed.
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3. Therefore the showers H7241 have been withheld H4513 , and there hath been H1961 no H3808 latter rain H4456 ; and thou hadst a whore H802 H2181 's forehead H4696 , thou refusedst H3985 to be ashamed H3637 .
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4. But didn't you just call me 'Father?' Didn't you say, 'You have been my friend since I was a child?'
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4. Wilt thou not H3808 from this time H4480 H6258 cry H7121 unto me , My father H1 , thou H859 art the guide H441 of my youth H5271 ?
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5. You also said, 'God will not always be angry with me. His anger will not continue forever.' "Judah, you say that, but you do as much evil as you can."
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5. Will he reserve H5201 his anger forever H5769 ? will he keep H8104 it to the end H5331 ? Behold H2009 , thou hast spoken H1696 and done H6213 evil things H7451 as thou couldest H3201 .
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6. The Lord spoke to me during the time King Josiah was ruling the nation of Judah. He said, "Jeremiah, you saw the bad things that Israel did! You saw how she was unfaithful to me. She was unfaithful to me with every idol on every hill and under every green tree.
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6. The LORD H3068 said H559 also unto H413 me in the days H3117 of Josiah H2977 the king H4428 , Hast thou seen H7200 that which H834 backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 hath done H6213 ? she H1931 is gone up H1980 upon H5921 every H3605 high H1364 mountain H2022 and under H8478 every H3605 green H7488 tree H6086 , and there H8033 hath played the harlot H2181 .
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7. I said to myself, 'Israel will come back to me after she has finished doing these evil things.' But she did not come back to me. And Israel's unfaithful sister, Judah, saw what she did.
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7. And I said H559 after H310 she had done H6213 H853 all H3605 these H428 things , Turn H7725 thou unto H413 me . But she returned H7725 not H3808 . And her treacherous H901 sister H269 Judah H3063 saw H7200 it .
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8. Israel was unfaithful, and Israel knew why I sent her away. Israel knew that I divorced her because she committed the sin of adultery. But that did not make her unfaithful sister afraid. Judah was not afraid. She also went out and acted like a prostitute.
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8. And I saw H7200 , when H3588 for H5921 all H3605 the causes H182 whereby H834 backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 committed adultery H5003 I had put her away H7971 , and given H5414 H413 her H853 a bill H5612 of divorce H3748 ; yet her treacherous H898 sister H269 Judah H3063 feared H3372 not H3808 , but went H1980 and played the harlot H2181 also H1571 .
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9. Judah did not care that she was acting like a prostitute. So she made her country 'dirty.' She committed the sin of adultery by worshiping idols made out of stone and wood.
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9. And it came to pass H1961 through the lightness H4480 H6963 of her whoredom H2184 , that she defiled H2610 H853 the land H776 , and committed adultery H5003 with H854 stones H68 and with H854 stocks H6086 .
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10. Israel's unfaithful sister did not come back to me with her whole heart. She only pretended that she came back to me." This message is from the Lord.
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10. And yet H1571 for all H3605 this H2063 her treacherous H901 sister H269 Judah H3063 hath not H3808 turned H7725 unto H413 me with her whole H3605 heart H3820 , but H3588 H518 feignedly H8267 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 .
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11. The Lord said to me, "Israel was not faithful to me, but she had a better excuse than unfaithful Judah.
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11. And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto H413 me , The backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 hath justified H6663 herself H5315 more than treacherous H4480 H898 Judah H3063 .
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12. Jeremiah, look toward the north and speak this message: 'Come back, you faithless people of Israel.' This message is from the Lord. 'I will stop frowning at you. I am full of mercy.' This message is from the Lord. 'I will not be angry with you forever.
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12. Go H1980 and proclaim H7121 H853 these H428 words H1697 toward the north H6828 , and say H559 , Return H7725 , thou backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 ; and I will not H3808 cause mine anger H6440 to fall H5307 upon you: for H3588 I H589 am merciful H2623 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 , and I will not H3808 keep H5201 anger forever H5769 .
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13. But you must recognize your sin. You turned against the Lord your God. That is your sin. You worshiped the idols of other nations. You worshiped them under every green tree. You did not obey me.'" This message is from the Lord.
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13. Only H389 acknowledge H3045 thine iniquity H5771 , that H3588 thou hast transgressed H6586 against the LORD H3068 thy God H430 , and hast scattered H6340 H853 thy ways H1870 to the strangers H2114 under H8478 every H3605 green H7488 tree H6086 , and ye have not H3808 obeyed H8085 my voice H6963 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 .
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14. "You people are unfaithful, but come back to me." This message is from the Lord. "I am your master. I will take one person from every city and two people from every family and bring you to Zion.
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14. Turn H7725 , O backsliding H7726 children H1121 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 ; for H3588 I H595 am married H1166 unto you : and I will take H3947 you one H259 of a city H4480 H5892 , and two H8147 of a family H4480 H4940 , and I will bring H935 you to Zion H6726 :
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15. Then I will give you new rulers who will be faithful to me. They will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
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15. And I will give H5414 you pastors H7462 according to mine heart H3820 , which shall feed H7462 you with knowledge H1844 and understanding H7919 .
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16. In those days there will be many of you in the land." This message is from the Lord. "At that time people will never again say, 'I remember the days when we had the Box of the Lord's Agreement. ' They will not even think about the Holy Box anymore. They will not even remember or miss it. They will never make another Holy Box.
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16. And it shall come to pass H1961 , when H3588 ye be multiplied H7235 and increased H6509 in the land H776 , in those H1992 days H3117 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 , they shall say H559 no H3808 more H5750 , The ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD H3068 : neither H3808 shall it come H5927 to H5921 mind H3820 : neither H3808 shall they remember H2142 it; neither H3808 shall they visit H6485 it ; neither H3808 shall that be done H6213 any more H5750 .
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17. At that time the city of Jerusalem will be called the 'Lord's Throne.' All nations will come together in the city of Jerusalem to give honor to the name of the Lord. They will not follow their stubborn, evil hearts anymore.
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17. At that H1931 time H6256 they shall call H7121 Jerusalem H3389 the throne H3678 of the LORD H3068 ; and all H3605 the nations H1471 shall be gathered H6960 unto H413 it , to the name H8034 of the LORD H3068 , to Jerusalem H3389 : neither H3808 shall they walk H1980 any more H5750 after H310 the imagination H8307 of their evil H7451 heart H3820 .
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18. In those days the family of Judah will join the family of Israel. They will come together from a land in the north to the land I gave to their ancestors.
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18. In those H1992 days H3117 the house H1004 of Judah H3063 shall walk H1980 with H5921 the house H1004 of Israel H3478 , and they shall come H935 together H3162 out of the land H4480 H776 of the north H6828 to H5921 the land H776 that H834 I have given for an inheritance H5157 unto H853 your fathers H1 .
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19. "I, the Lord, said, 'I want to treat you like my own children. I want to give you a pleasant land, a land more beautiful than any other nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father.' I thought you would always follow me.
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19. But I H595 said H559 , How H349 shall I put H7896 thee among the children H1121 , and give H5414 thee a pleasant H2532 land H776 , a goodly H6643 heritage H5159 of the hosts H6635 of nations H1471 ? and I said H559 , Thou shalt call H7121 me , My father H1 ; and shalt not H3808 turn away H7725 from H4480 H310 me.
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20. But you have been like a woman who is unfaithful to her husband. Family of Israel, you have been unfaithful to me!" This message is from the Lord.
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20. Surely H403 as a wife H802 treacherously departeth H898 from her husband H4480 H1167 , so H3651 have ye dealt treacherously H898 with me , O house H1004 of Israel H3478 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 .
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21. You can hear crying on the bare hills. The people of Israel are crying and praying for mercy. They became very evil. They forgot the Lord their God.
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21. A voice H6963 was heard H8085 upon H5921 the high places H8205 , weeping H1065 and supplications H8469 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 : for H3588 they have perverted H5753 H853 their way H1870 , and they have forgotten H7911 H853 the LORD H3068 their God H430 .
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22. "People of Israel, you are unfaithful to me, but come back to me. Come back and I will forgive you for being unfaithful to me." "Yes, we will come back to you, because you are the Lord our God.
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22. Return H7725 , ye backsliding H7726 children H1121 , and I will heal H7495 your backslidings H4878 . Behold H2009 , we come H857 unto thee; for H3588 thou H859 art the LORD H3068 our God H430 .
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23. It was foolish to worship idols on the hills. All the loud parties on the mountains were wrong. Surely the salvation of Israel comes from the Lord our God.
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23. Truly H403 in vain H8267 is salvation hoped for from the hills H4480 H1389 , and from the multitude H1995 of mountains H2022 : truly H403 in the LORD H3068 our God H430 is the salvation H8668 of Israel H3478 .
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24. That terrible false god Baal has eaten everything our fathers owned. This has happened since we were children. That terrible false god took our fathers' sheep and cattle and their sons and daughters.
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24. For shame H1322 hath devoured H398 H853 the labor H3018 of our fathers H1 from our youth H4480 H5271 ; H853 their flocks H6629 and their herds H1241 , H853 their sons H1121 and their daughters H1323 .
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25. Let us lie down in our shame. Let our shame cover us like a blanket. We have sinned against the Lord our God. We and our fathers have sinned. We have not obeyed the Lord our God from the time we were children."
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25. We lie down H7901 in our shame H1322 , and our confusion H3639 covereth H3680 us: for H3588 we have sinned H2398 against the LORD H3068 our God H430 , we H587 and our fathers H1 , from our youth H4480 H5271 even unto H5704 this H2088 day H3117 , and have not H3808 obeyed H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 our God H430 .
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