Jeremiah 3 – NIRV & SNC

New International Reader’s Version

Jeremiah 3:1-25

1“Suppose a man divorces his wife.

What if she then marries another man?

Should her first husband return to her again?

If he does, won’t the land become completely ‘unclean’?

People of Israel, you have lived like a prostitute.

You have loved many other gods.

So do you think you can return to me now?”

announces the Lord.

2“Look up at the bare hilltops.

Is there any place where you have not worshiped other gods?

You have been unfaithful to me like a wife committing adultery.

By the side of the road you sat waiting for lovers.

You sat there like someone who wanders in the desert.

You have made the land impure.

You are like a sinful prostitute.

3So I have held back the showers.

I have kept the spring rains from falling.

But you still have the bold face of a prostitute.

You refuse to blush with shame.

4You have just now called out to me.

You said,

‘My Father, you have been my friend

ever since I was young.

5Will you always be angry with me?

Will your anger continue forever?’

This is how you talk.

But you do all the evil things you can.”

Israel Is Not Faithful to the Lord

6During the time Josiah was king, the Lord spoke to me. He said, “Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have not been faithful to me. They have committed adultery with other gods. They worshiped them on every high hill and under every green tree. 7I thought that after they had done all this, they would return to me. But they did not. Their sister nation Judah saw them doing this. And they were not faithful to me either. 8I gave Israel their letter of divorce. I sent them away because they were unfaithful to me so many times. But I saw that their sister nation Judah did not have any respect for me. They were not faithful to me either. They also went out and committed adultery with other gods. 9Israel was not faithful to me, but that did not bother them at all. They made the land ‘unclean.’ They worshiped gods that were made out of stone and wood. 10In spite of all this, their sister nation Judah did not come back to me. They were not faithful to me either. They did not return with all their heart. They only pretended to,” announces the Lord.

11The Lord said to me, “Israel and Judah have not been faithful to me. But Israel was not as bad as Judah was. 12Go. Announce this message to the people in the north. Tell them,

“ ‘Israel, you have not been faithful,’ announces the Lord.

‘Return to me. Then I will do good things for you again.

That’s because I am faithful,’ announces the Lord.

‘I will not be angry with you forever.

13Admit that you are guilty of doing what is wrong.

You have refused to obey me.

I am the Lord your God.

You have committed adultery with other gods.

You worshiped them under every green tree.

And you have not obeyed me,’ ”

announces the Lord.

14“You people have not been faithful,” announces the Lord. “Return to me. I am your husband. I will choose one of you from each town. I will choose two from each territory. And I will bring you to the city of Zion. 15Then I will give you shepherds who are dear to my heart. Their knowledge and understanding will help them lead you. 16In those days there will be many more of you in the land,” announces the Lord. “Then people will not talk about the ark of the covenant of the Lord anymore. It will never enter their minds. They will not remember it. The ark will not be missed. And another one will not be made. 17At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord. All the nations will gather together there. They will go there to honor me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts want them to do. 18In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel. Together they will come from a land in the north. They will come to the land I gave to your people of long ago. I wanted them to have it as their very own.

19“I myself said,

“ ‘I would gladly treat you like my children.

I would give you a pleasant land.

It is the most beautiful land any nation could have.’

I thought you would call me ‘Father.’

I hoped you would always obey me.

20But you people are like a woman who is not faithful to her husband.

Israel, you have not been faithful to me,”

announces the Lord.

21A cry is heard on the bare hilltops.

The people of Israel are weeping and begging for help.

That’s because their lives are so twisted.

They’ve forgotten the Lord their God.

22“You have not been faithful,”

says the Lord.

“Return to me. I will heal you.

Then you will not turn away from me anymore.”

“Yes,” the people say. “We will come to you.

You are the Lord our God.

23The gods we worship on the hills

and mountains are useless.

You are the Lord our God.

You are the only one who can save us.

24From our earliest years shameful gods have harmed us.

They have eaten up everything our people of long ago worked for.

They have eaten up our flocks and herds.

They’ve destroyed our sons and daughters.

25Let us lie down in our shame.

Let our dishonor cover us.

You are the Lord our God. But we have sinned against you.

We and our people of long ago have sinned.

We haven’t obeyed you

from our earliest years until now.”

Slovo na cestu

Jeremjáš 3:1-25

1Dí dále: Propustil-li by muž ženu svou, a ona odejduc od něho, vdala by se za jiného muže, zdaliž se navrátí k ní více? Zdaliž by hrozně nebyla poškvrněna země ta? Ale ty, ač jsi smilnila s milovníky mnohými, a však navratiž se ke mně, dí Hospodin. 2Pozdvihni očí svých k vysokým místům, a pohleď, kdes necizoložila? Na cestách usazovalas se jim jako Arab na poušti, a poškvrnila jsi země smilstvím svým a nešlechetností svou. 3A ačkoli zadržáni jsou podzimní dešťové, a deště jarního nebývalo, však čelo ženy nevěstky majíc, nechtělas se styděti. 4Zdali od nynějšího času volati budeš ke mně: Otče můj, ty jsi vůdce mladosti mé? 5Zdaliž Bůh držeti bude hněv na věčnost? Zdali chovati jej bude na věky? Aj, mluvíš i pášeš zlé věci, jakž jen můžeš. 6Tedy řekl mi Hospodin za dnů Joziáše krále: Viděl-lis, co činila zpurná dcera Izraelská? Chodívala na každou horu vysokou, i pod každé dřevo zelené, a tam smilnila. 7A ačkoli jsem řekl, když ty všecky věci ona činila: Nechť se navrátí ke mně, však se nenavrátila. Načež hleděla zpronevěřilá sestra její, dcera Judská. 8Pročež vidělo mi se pro ty všecky příčiny, poněvadž cizoložila zpurná dcera Izraelská, propustiti ji, a dáti jí lístek zapuzení jejího. Však se vždy neulekla zpronevěřilá sestra její, dcera Judská, ale šedši, smilnila také sama. 9I stalo se, že hanebným smilstvím svým poškvrnila země; nebo cizoložila s kamenem i s dřevem. 10A však s tím se vším neobrátila se ke mně zpronevěřilá sestra její, dcera Judská, celým srdcem svým, ale pokrytě, praví Hospodin. 11Protož řekl Hospodin ke mně: Ospravedlnila duši svou zpurná dcera Izraelská, více nežli zpronevěřilá Judská. 12Jdi a volej slovy těmito ku půlnoci, a rci: Navrať se, zpurná dcero Izraelská, dí Hospodin, a neoboří se tvář má zůřivá na vás; nebo já dobrotivý jsem, dí Hospodin, aniž držím hněvu na věčnost. 13Jen toliko poznej nepravost svou, že jsi od Hospodina Boha svého odstoupila, a sem i tam běhala cestami svými k cizím pod každé dřevo zelené, a hlasu mého neposlouchali jste, dí Hospodin. 14Navraťte se synové zpurní, dí Hospodin; nebo já jsem manžel váš, a přijmu vás, jednoho z města, a dva z čeledi, abych vás uvedl na Sion. 15Kdežto dám vám pastýře podlé srdce svého, kteříž pásti vás budou uměle a rozumně. 16I stane se, když se rozmnožíte a rozplodíte v této zemi za dnů těch, dí Hospodin, že nebudou říkati více: Truhla smlouvy Hospodinovy, aniž jim vstoupí na srdce, aniž zpomenou na ni, ani k ní choditi, aniž bude více u vážnosti. 17V ten čas nazývati budou Jeruzalém stolicí Hospodinovou, a shromáždí se tam všickni národové ke jménu Hospodinovu do Jeruzaléma, a nebudou choditi více podlé zdání srdce svého zlého. 18V těch dnech přijdou dům Judský s domem Izraelským, a přiberou se spolu z země půlnoční do země, kterouž jsem v dědictví uvedl otcům vašim; 19Ač já pravím: Kterakž bych tě počísti mohl mezi syny, a dáti tobě zemi žádostivou, dědictví slavné zástupů pohanských, leč abys mne vzýval, říkaje: Otče můj, a od následování mne abys se neodvracel? 20Poněvadž jakož žena zpronevěřuje se manželu svému, tak jste se zpronevěřili mně, dome Izraelský, dí Hospodin. 21Hlas po místech vysokých buď slyšán, pláč pokorné modlitby synů Izraelských. Nebo převrátivše cesty své, zapomněli se na Hospodina Boha svého, řkoucího: 22Navraťte se, synové zpurní, a uzdravím odvrácení vaše. Rcete: Aj, my jdeme k tobě, nebo ty, Hospodine, jsi Bůh náš. 23Právě marné jest v pahrbcích a v množství hor doufání; zajisté v Hospodinu Bohu našem jest spasení Izraelovo. 24Nebo ohavnost ta zžírala práci otců našich od dětinství našeho, bravy jejich i skoty jejich, syny jejich i dcery jejich. 25Ležíme v hanbě své, a přikrývá nás pohanění naše, že jsme proti Hospodinu Bohu svému hřešili, my i otcové naši, od dětinství svého až do dne tohoto, a neposlouchali jsme hlasu Hospodina Boha svého.