11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous(A) than unfaithful(B) Judah.(C) 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:(D)

“‘Return,(E) faithless(F) Israel,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’(G) declares the Lord,
    ‘I will not be angry(H) forever.
13 Only acknowledge(I) your guilt—
    you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods(J)
    under every spreading tree,(K)
    and have not obeyed(L) me,’”
declares the Lord.

14 “Return,(M) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.(N) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds(O) after my own heart,(P) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark(Q) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;(R) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne(S) of the Lord, and all nations(T) will gather in Jerusalem to honor(U) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.(V) 18 In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,(W) and together(X) they will come from a northern(Y) land to the land(Z) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.

19 “I myself said,

“‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
    and give you a pleasant land,(AA)
    the most beautiful inheritance(AB) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’(AC)
    and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
    so you, Israel, have been unfaithful(AD) to me,”
declares the Lord.

21 A cry is heard on the barren heights,(AE)
    the weeping(AF) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
    and have forgotten(AG) the Lord their God.

22 “Return,(AH) faithless people;
    I will cure(AI) you of backsliding.”(AJ)

“Yes, we will come to you,
    for you are the Lord our God.
23 Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills(AK)
    and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
    is the salvation(AL) of Israel.
24 From our youth shameful(AM) gods have consumed
    the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
    their sons and daughters.
25 Let us lie down in our shame,(AN)
    and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned(AO) against the Lord our God,
    both we and our ancestors;(AP)
from our youth(AQ) till this day
    we have not obeyed(AR) the Lord our God.”

“If you, Israel, will return,(AS)
    then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(AT) out of my sight
    and no longer go astray,
and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
    you swear,(AU) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(AV)
then the nations will invoke blessings(AW) by him
    and in him they will boast.(AX)

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