Through the Bible – Day 294

If a divorced woman marries,

can her first husband

ever marry her again?

No, because this

would pollute the land.

But you have more gods

than a prostitute has lovers.

Why should I take you back?

₂Just try to find one hilltop

where you haven't gone

to worship other gods

by having sex.

You sat beside the road

like a robber in ambush,

except you offered yourself

to every passer-by.

Your sins of unfaithfulness

have polluted the land.

₃So I, the LORD, refused

to let the spring rains fall.

But just like a prostitute,

you still have no shame

for what you have done.

₄You call me your father

or your long-lost friend;

₅you beg me to stop being angry,

but you won't stop sinning.

Israel, I am your LORD—

come back to me!

You were unfaithful

and made me furious,

but I am merciful,

and so I will forgive you.

₁₃Just admit that you rebelled

and worshipped foreign gods

under large trees everywhere.

₁₄You are unfaithful children,

but you belong to me.

Come home!

I'll take one or two of you

from each town and clan

and bring you to Zion.

₁₅Then I'll appoint wise rulers

who will obey me,

and they will care for you

like shepherds.

₁₆You will increase in numbers,

and there will be no need

to remember the sacred chest

or to make a new one.

₁₇The whole city of Jerusalem

will be my throne.

All nations will come here

to worship me,

and they will no longer follow

their stubborn, evil hearts.

₁₈Then, in countries to the north,

you people of Judah and Israel

will be reunited,

and you will return to the land

I gave your ancestors.

₁₉I have always wanted

to treat you as my children

and give you the best land,

the most beautiful on earth.

I wanted you to call me “Father”

and not turn from me.

₂₀But instead, you are like a wife

who broke her wedding vows.

You have been unfaithful to me.

I, the LORD, have spoken.

₂₁Listen to the noise

on the hilltops!

It's the people of Israel,

weeping and begging me

to answer their prayers.

They forgot about me

and chose the wrong path.

₂₂I will tell them, “Come back,

and I will cure you

of your unfaithfulness.”

They will answer,

“We will come back, because you

are the LORD our God.

₂₃On hilltops, we worshipped idols

and made loud noises,

but it was all for nothing—

only you can save us.

₂₄Since the days of our ancestors

when our nation was young,

that shameful god Baal has taken

our crops and livestock,

our sons and daughters.

₂₅We have rebelled against you

just like our ancestors,

and we are ashamed of our sins.”

Israel, if you really want

to come back to me, get rid

of those disgusting idols.

₂Make promises only in my name,

and do what you promise!

Then all nations will praise me,

and I will bless them.

₃People of Jerusalem and Judah,

don't be so stubborn!

Your hearts have become hard,

like unploughed ground

where thorn bushes grow.

₄With all your hearts,

keep the agreement

I made with you.

But if you are stubborn

and keep on sinning,

my anger will burn like a fire

that cannot be put out.

_5-6“Sound the trumpets, my people.

Warn the people of Judah,

‘Run for your lives!

Head for Jerusalem

or another walled town!’

“Jeremiah, tell them I'm sending

disaster from the north.

₇An army will come out,

like a lion from its den.

It will destroy nations

and leave your towns empty

and in ruins.”

₈Then I said

to the people of Israel,

“Put on sackcloth!

Mourn and cry out,

‘The LORD is still angry

with us.’ ”

“When all this happens,

the king and his officials,

the prophets and the priests

will be shocked and terrified.”

“I am sending a storm

from the desert—

not a welcome breeze.

And it will sweep you away

as punishment for your sins.

₁₃Look! The enemy army

swoops down like an eagle;

their cavalry and chariots

race faster than storm clouds

blown by the wind.”

Then you will answer,

“We are doomed!”

₁₄But Jerusalem, there is still time

for you to be saved.

Wash the evil from your hearts

and stop making sinful plans,

₁₅before a message of disaster

arrives from the hills of Ephraim

and the town of Dan.

“Tell the nations that my people

have rebelled against me.

And so an army will come

from far away

to surround Jerusalem

and the towns of Judah.

I, the LORD, have spoken.

₁₈“People of Judah,

your hearts will be in pain,

but it's your own fault

that you will be punished.”

₁₉I can't stand the pain!

My heart pounds,

as I twist and turn in agony.

I hear the signal trumpet

and the battle cry of the enemy,

and I cannot be silent.

₂₀I see the enemy defeating us

time after time,

leaving everything in ruins.

Even my own home

is destroyed in a moment.

₂₁How long will I see enemy flags

and hear their trumpets?

₂₂I heard the LORD say,

“My people ignore me.

They are foolish children

who do not understand

that they will be punished.

All they know is how to sin.”

₂₃After this, I looked around.

The earth was barren,

with no form of life.

The sun, moon, and stars

had disappeared.

₂₄The mountains were shaking;

₂₅no people could be seen,

and all the birds

had flown away.

₂₆Farmland had become a desert,

and towns were in ruins.

The LORD's fierce anger

had done all of this.

I have made my decision,

and I won't change my mind.

This land will be destroyed,

although not completely.

The sky will turn dark,

and the earth will mourn.

₂₉Enemy cavalry and archers

shout their battle cry.

People run for their lives

and try to find safety

among trees and rocks.

Every town is empty.

₃₀Jerusalem, your land

has been wiped out.

But you act like a prostitute

and try to win back your lovers,

who now hate you.

You can put on a red dress,

gold jewellery, and eye shadow,

but it's no use—

your lovers are out to kill you!

₃₁I heard groaning and crying.

Was it a woman giving birth

to her first child?

No, it was Jerusalem.

She was gasping for breath

and begging for help.

“I'm dying!” she said.

“They have murdered me.”

₁₅The glorious God

is the only Ruler,

the King of kings

and Lord of lords.

At the time that God

has already decided,

he will send Jesus Christ

back again.

₁₆Only God lives for ever!

And he lives in light

that no one can come near.

No human has ever seen God

or ever can see him.

God will be honoured,

and his power

will last for ever. Amen.