Sin and Shame
1 The Lord said to the people of Israel:
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?
2 Just 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 passerby.
Your sins of unfaithfulness
have polluted the land.
3 So 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.
4 You call me your father
or your long-lost friend;
5 you beg me to stop being angry,
but you won't stop sinning.
The Lord Asks Israel To Come Back to Him
6 When Josiah was king, the Lord said:
Jeremiah, the kingdom of Israel was like an unfaithful wife who became a prostitute on the hilltops and in the shade of large trees. 7-8 I knew that the kingdom of Israel had been unfaithful and committed many sins, yet I still hoped she might come back to me. But she didn't, so I divorced her and sent her away.
Her sister, the kingdom of Judah, saw what happened, but she wasn't worried in the least, and I watched her become unfaithful like her sister. 9 The kingdom of Judah wasn't sorry for being a prostitute, and she didn't care that she had made both herself and the land unclean by worshiping idols of stone and wood. 10 And worst of all, the people of Judah pretended to come back to me. 11 Even the people of Israel were honest enough not to pretend.
12 Jeremiah, shout toward the north:
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.
13 Just admit that you rebelled
and worshiped foreign gods
under large trees everywhere.
14 You 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.
15 Then I'll appoint wise rulers
who will obey me,
and they will care for you
like shepherds.
16 You will increase in numbers,
and there will be no need
to remember the sacred chest
or to make a new one.
17 The 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.
18 Then, 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.
19 I 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.
20 But instead, you are like a wife
who broke her wedding vows.
You have been unfaithful to me.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The People Confess Their Sins
The Lord said:
21 Listen 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.
22 I 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.
23 On hilltops, we worshiped idols
and made loud noises,
but it was all for nothing—
only you can save us.
24 Since the days of our ancestors
when our nation was young,
that shameful god Baal has taken
our crops and livestock,
our sons and daughters.
25 We have rebelled against you
just like our ancestors,
and we are ashamed of our sins.”
Israēls – neuzticīgā sieva
1 Viņš teica:
“Ja vīrs sūta prom savu sievu
un tā aiziet no viņa
un kļūst citam par sievu,
vai viņš vairs pie tās var atgriezties?
Vai tāda zeme lai netaptu nekrietna?
Bet tu maukoji ar tik daudziem
un gribi atgriezties pie manis?”
saka Kungs.
2 “Pacel acis uz kailajiem kalniem un skaties!
Kur tik tu neesi piesmieta!?
Tu tupi priekš viņiem ceļmalā
kā arābs tuksnesī,
ar savu maucību un ļaunumu
tu samaitā zemi!
3 Lieti aizkavējās
un lītavu nebija,
bet tev jau ir maukas piere
un man tu liedzies
pašai par kaunu!
4 Tagad tu sauc uz mani:
mans tēvs!
Tu – mans jaunības draugs!
5 Vai tad viņš mūžam būs bargs?
Vai bardzību turēs līdz galam? –
Redzi, tā tu teicies,
bet darīji, cik vien varēji, ļaunu!”
Jūda iet Israēla ceļu
6 Ķēniņa Jošijāhu dienās Kungs man teica: “Vai redzēji, ko darīja atkritusī Israēla? Viņa gāja maukot uz katra augstāka pakalna un zem katra zaļoksna koka! 7 Un pēc tam, kad tā man visu to bija nodarījusi, es teicu: tu atgriezīsies! Bet tā neatgriezās. Un to redzēja Jūda, tās neuzticīgā māsa. 8 Un, kaut gan tā redzēja, ka par laulības pārkāpšanu es aizdzinu projām Israēlu un devu tai šķiršanās rakstu, neuzticīgā Jūda, tās māsa, nebijās, bet gāja un maukoja pati! 9 Ar savu vieglprātes maucību tā aptraipīja zemi un pārkāpa laulību ar kokiem un akmeņiem. 10 Un pat tad šī neuzticīgā māsa Jūda neatgriezās pie manis no sirds, bet gan ar viltu,” saka Kungs.
11 Un Kungs man teica: “Pat atkritusī Israēla ir taisnāka par neuzticīgo Jūdu!
Aicinājums atgriezties
12 Ej un izkliedz šos vārdus pret ziemeļiem! Saki:
atgriezies, atkritusī Israēla! –
saka Kungs,
es neniknošos uz tevi,
jo es esmu uzticīgs,
saka Kungs,
vienmēr nebūšu bargs!
13 Tik zinies savu vainu,
ka dumpoji pret Kungu, savu Dievu,
blandījies apkārt ar svešiem
zem katra zaļoksna koka!
Manā balsī tu neklausījies! –
saka Kungs.
14 Nāciet atpakaļ, atkritušie dēli, saka Kungs, jūs esat mani. Es ņemšu jūs pa vienam no katras pilsētas, pa diviem no katras dzimtas, un vedīšu jūs uz Ciānu! 15 Es došu jums ganus, kas tīk manai sirdij, un tie ganīs jūs ar ziņu un apdomu. 16 Un dienās, kad jūs vairosieties un augļosieties tai zemē, saka Kungs, tad lai nerunā vairs par Kunga derības šķirstu, – lai tas nenāk vairs prātā, lai to neatceras un pēc tā neilgojas, un lai no jauna nebūvē. 17 Tad Jeruzālemi dēvēs par Kunga troni un Kunga vārdā Jeruzālemē pulcēsies visas tautas, un neviens vairs nedzīvos pēc savas ļaunās sirds stūrgalvības.
18 Tajās dienās Jūdas nams būs kopā ar Israēla namu, un no ziemeļu zemes tie abi kopā nāks uz zemi, ko es devu par mantojumu jūsu tēviem.
19 Es teicu: es darīšu tevi par savu dēlu,
es došu tev leknāko zemi,
tu mantosi lielāko dārgumu tautās!
Es teicu: mani jūs sauksiet par Tēvu,
no manis jūs vairs neatkritīsiet!
20 Tiešām, kā sieva viļ savu vīru,
tā tu vīli mani, Israēl!” saka Kungs.
21 Pār kalniem dzird raudu balsi –
tur lūgdamies raud Israēla dēli,
jo savas takas tie sajaukuši
un aizmirsuši Kungu, savu Dievu!
22 “Atgriezieties, atkritušie dēli,
es dziedēšu jūs no neuzticības!”
Redzi, mēs nākam pie tevis,
jo tu esi Kungs, mūsu Dievs! –
23 Patiesi! Meli ir pakalnu svētki
un klaigas uz kalniem!
Patiesi! Kungs, mūsu Dievs,
ir glābiņš Israēlam!
24 Bet kauna darbi
kopš jaunības aprija mūsu tēvu pūles,
viņu avis un vēršus,
viņu dēlus un meitas.
25 Lai tupstam kaunā,
lai sedzamies negodu,
jo pret Kungu, savu Dievu, esam grēkojuši –
mēs un mūsu tēvi, –
no jaunības līdz pat šodienai!
Kunga, mūsu Dieva, balsij
mēs neklausījām.
