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.”
1 Un Viņš turpināja: "Kad vīrs atlaiž savu sievu un tā iziet pie cita vīra, vai viņš var atkal to ņemt atpakaļ? Vai tāda zeme netiktu sagandēta? Bet tu esi netikla bijusi ar daudziem, taču atgriezies atkal pie Manis!" saka Tas Kungs. 2 "Pacel savas acis un raugies uz kailajām kalnu virsotnēm. Kur tu neesi tapusi apsmieta? Tu sēdēji viņu dēļ ceļmalā kā arābs tuksnesī un apgānīji zemi ar savu netiklību, izlaidību un ļaunprātību! 3 Kaut gan Es tev aizturēju agro lietu un arī vēlais lietus nenolija, tu tomēr paturēji netiklas sievas cieto pieri un nesakaunējies. 4 Jāatzīst, ka no šā laika tu Mani gan piesauci, sacīdama: mans tēvs! Tu esi manas jaunības draugs! 5 Vai tad Viņš vienmēr dusmosies, vai tad Viņa bardzība paliks mūžīgi? - Redzi, tā tu runā, bet dari ļaunu, un tā tas paliek." 6 Tas Kungs sacīja tālāk uz mani ķēniņa Josijas dienās: "Vai tu redzēji, ko Israēls, šī neuzticīgā sieva, ir darījusi? Viņa kāpa visos augstajos kalnos, gāja zem visiem zaļajiem kokiem un nodevās tur netiklībai. 7 Es gan domāju, ka viņa, to visu nodarījusi, atgriezīsies pie Manis, bet tā neatgriezās. Viņas neuzticīgā māsa Jūda to arī skaidri redzēja. 8 Bet, kaut gan tā redzēja, ka Es atlaidu neuzticīgo sievu Israēlu viņas netiklības dēļ un tai devu šķiršanās rakstu, Jūda, viņas neuzticīgā māsa, neņēma to pie sirds, bet gan gāja un tāpat nodevās netiklībai. 9 Tā notika, ka viņa ar savu vieglprātīgo izvirtību padarīja zemi nešķīstu, jo viņa pārkāpa laulību ar akmeni un ar koku. 10 Tomēr viņas neuzticīgā māsa Jūda nav pie Manis atgriezusies no visas sirds, bet tikai liekuļodama!" saka Tas Kungs. 11 Tad Tas Kungs man sacīja: "Atkritēja sieva Israēls ir mazāk noziedzīga nekā tās neuzticīgā māsa Jūda. 12 Ej un sludini šos vārdus virzienā uz ziemeļiem un saki: atgriezies, Israēl, tu atkritēja, tā saka Tas Kungs, tad Es tevi vairs neuzlūkošu dusmās, jo Es esmu žēlīgs, saka Tas Kungs, Es negribu mūžīgi dusmot! 13 Tikai atzīsti savu noziegumu, ka tu esi apgrēkojusies pret To Kungu, savu Dievu, un šurpu turpu skraidījusi pie svešiem dieviem zem katra zaļa koka, bet Manu balsi jūs neklausījāt, saka Tas Kungs. 14 Atgriezieties, jūs atkritēji bērni, tā saka Tas Kungs, jo jūs esat Mans īpašums, un Es jūs atvedīšu Ciānā - vienu no katras pilsētas un divi no katras cilts. 15 Un Es jums došu ganus pēc Mana prāta, kas jūs ganīs ar saprātu un gudrību. 16 Kad jūs vairosities un piepildīsit zemi tanīs dienās, saka Tas Kungs, tad vairs nesacīs: redzi, Tā Kunga derības šķirsts! - Un tas vairs nevienam nenāks prātā, un to arī vairs nepieminēs un nemeklēs un arī nekad vairs no jauna nedarinās. 17 Tanī laikā sauks Jeruzālemi par Tā Kunga troni, un tur saplūdīs visas tautas Tā Kunga Vārda dēļ un nestaigās vairs pēc savas ietiepīgās un ļaunās sirds domām. 18 Tanīs dienās Jūdas nams ies kopā ar Israēla namu, un tie nāks kopā no ziemeļu zemes uz to zemi, ko Es jūsu tēviem devu par mantojumu. 19 Es gan domāju, Es tevi pieņemšu dēla vietā un piešķiršu tev brīnišķīgu zemi, pašu vērtīgāko visas cilvēku pasaules īpašumu! Un Es domāju, ka jūs Mani sauksit par tēvu un no Manis neatkāpsities. 20 Bet vai! Kā sieva ir neuzticīga savam draugam, tā arī jūs Man esat bijuši neuzticīgi, Israēla nams!" saka Tas Kungs. 21 Klau! Kalnu augstienēs sadzirdamas raudas, nemitīgas Israēla bērnu vaimanas un žēlabas, tāpēc ka tie staigājuši greizus ceļus un aizmirsuši To Kungu, savu Dievu. 22 "Atgriezieties, jūs atkritēji bērni! Es centīšos griezt jūsu atkrišanu atkal par labu!" - "Jā! Patiesi, šeit mēs esam, mēs nākam pie Tevis, jo Tu, Kungs, esi mūsu Dievs. 23 Tiešām, tikai maldi ir trokšņainie svētki un kalpošana uz pakalniem un kalniem! Patiesi, tikai Tā Kunga, mūsu Dieva, rokā ir Israēla pestīšana! 24 Kauna elka tēls ir aprijis jau kopš mūsu jaunības to, ko ieguvuši mūsu tēvi - viņu avis un vēršus, viņu dēlus un meitas! 25 Mēs esam iegrimuši kaunā, un mūsu negods apsedz mūs! Jo mēs grēkojām pret To Kungu, mūsu Dievu, mēs paši un mūsu tēvi, no savas jaunības līdz šai dienai un neklausījām Tā Kunga, mūsu Dieva, balsi!"
