Jeremiah 3:1-9

1The Lord says this: ‘If a man sends his wife away, she may leave him and marry another man. Then her first husband may not take her as his wife again. That would be a sin against the land where you live. But you have left me to live with other gods. You have lived like a prostitute, but you still think that you can return to me.

2Look up at the tops of the hills. You have loved other gods on all of them! You sat by the side of the road, and you waited for a lover to come. Like a robber, you waited to catch men so that you could sleep with them. You have not been faithful to me, but you have looked for other gods, like a prostitute. The wicked things that you have done have made the land unclean.

3That is why I have not sent any rain on your land. Even the spring rains have not come. But you still live like a proud prostitute. You refuse to be ashamed of what you have done.

4You still call me your Father. You say, “You have always been my friend. You have loved me all my life.

5Surely you will not always be angry with me! You cannot continue to be angry for ever.” Those are the things that you say. But you continue to do as many evil things as you can.’

6The Lord spoke to me while Josiah was king of Judah. He said, ‘Look at what the Israelites have done. They have not been faithful to me. They have worshipped other gods under every big tree and on every high hill. Israel has been like a wife who is not faithful to her husband.

7I thought that one day she would come back to me. But she did not return. Israel's sister, Judah, saw what Israel did.

8Israel was not faithful to me and she served other gods. So I sent her away, like a husband may send his wife away if she is not faithful to him. Judah saw what happened to Israel, but she was not afraid. Like a prostitute, she also went to find other gods that she could serve.

9She was not ashamed of what she was doing. She worshipped idols made of wood and stone. She made the land unclean because she was not faithful to me.