Unfaithful Israel
1 The Lord says, “If a man divorces his wife, and she leaves him and becomes another man's wife, he cannot take her back again. This would completely defile the land. But, Israel, you have had many lovers, and now you want to return to me! 2 Look up at the hilltops. Is there any place where you have not acted like a prostitute? You waited for lovers along the roadside, as an Arab waits for victims in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution. 3 That is why the rains were held back, and the spring showers did not come. You even look like a prostitute; you have no shame.
4 “And now you say to me, ‘You are my father, and you have loved me ever since I was a child. 5 You won't always be angry; you won't be mad at me forever.’ Israel, that is what you said, but you did all the evil you could.”
Israel and Judah Must Repent
6 When Josiah was king, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what Israel, that unfaithful woman, has done? She has turned away from me, and on every high hill and under every green tree she has acted like a prostitute. 7 I thought that after she had done all this, she would surely return to me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it all. 8 Judah also saw that I divorced Israel and sent her away because she had turned from me and had become a prostitute. But Judah, Israel's unfaithful sister, was not afraid. She too became a prostitute 9 and was not at all ashamed. She defiled the land, and she committed adultery by worshiping stones and trees. 10 And after all this, Judah, Israel's unfaithful sister, only pretended to return to me; she was not sincere. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
11 Then the Lord told me that, even though Israel had turned away from him, she had proved to be better than unfaithful Judah. 12 He told me to go and say to Israel, “Unfaithful Israel, come back to me. I am merciful and will not be angry; I will not be angry with you forever. 13 Only admit that you are guilty and that you have rebelled against the Lord, your God. Confess that under every green tree you have given your love to foreign gods and that you have not obeyed my commands. I, the Lord, have spoken.
14 “Unfaithful people, come back; you belong to me. I will take one of you from each town and two from each clan, and I will bring you back to Mount Zion. 15 I will give you rulers who obey me, and they will rule you with wisdom and understanding. 16 Then when you have become numerous in that land, people will no longer talk about my Covenant Box. They will no longer think about it or remember it; they will not even need it, nor will they make another one. 17 When that time comes, Jerusalem will be called ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all nations will gather there to worship me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts tell them. 18 Israel will join with Judah, and together they will come from exile in the country in the north and will return to the land that I gave your ancestors as a permanent possession.”
The Idolatry of God's People
19 The Lord says,
“Israel, I wanted to accept you as my child
and give you a delightful land,
the most beautiful land in all the world.
I wanted you to call me father
and never again turn away from me.
20 But like an unfaithful wife,
you have not been faithful to me.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
21 A noise is heard on the hilltops:
it is the people of Israel crying and pleading
because they have lived sinful lives
and have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 Return, all of you who have turned away from the Lord;
he will heal you and make you faithful.
You say, “Yes, we are coming to the Lord because he is our God. 23 We were not helped at all by our pagan worship on the hilltops. Help for Israel comes only from the Lord our God. 24 But the worship of Baal, the god of shame, has made us lose flocks and herds, sons and daughters—everything that our ancestors have worked for since ancient times. 25 We should lie down in shame and let our disgrace cover us. We and our ancestors have always sinned against the Lord our God; we have never obeyed his commands.”
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.
