Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to me, &#8220;Under the circumstances, wayward Israel could even be considered less guilty than unfaithful Judah.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Come back to me, you wayward people.p> <p class="poetry">I want to cure your waywardness.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Say,<n id="2" /> &#8216;Here we are. We come to youp> <p class="poetry">because you are the <sc>Lordsc> our God.p>

<p class="poetry">Why, then, do these people of Jerusalem<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">continually turn away from me in apostasy?p> <p class="poetry">They hold fast to their deception.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They refuse to turn back to me.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then I said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;O <sc>Lordsc>, intervene for the honor of your name<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">even though our sins speak out against us.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="4" /> we have turned away from you many times.p> <p class="poetry">We have sinned against you.p>

<p class="poetry">Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment.p> <p class="poetry">Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Know, then, and realize how utterly harmful<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">it was for you to reject me, the <sc>Lordsc> your God,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">to show no respect for me,&#8221;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc> who rules over all.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">When Josiah was king of Judah, the <sc>Lordsc> said to me, &#8220;Jeremiah, you have no doubt seen what wayward Israel has done.<n id="1" /> You have seen how she went up to every high hill and under every green tree to give herself like a prostitute to other gods.<n id="2" />

She also saw<n id="1" /> that I gave wayward Israel her divorce papers and sent her away because of her adulterous worship of other gods.<n id="2" /> Even after her unfaithful sister Judah had seen this,<n id="3" /> she still was not afraid, and she too went and gave herself like a prostitute to other gods.<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;Go and shout this message to my people in the countries in the north.<n id="1" /> Tell them,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Come back to me, wayward Israel,&#8217; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will not continue to look on you with displeasure.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For I am merciful,&#8217; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will not be angry with you forever.p>

<p class="poetry">So like a lion from the thicket their enemies will kill them.p> <p class="poetry">Like a wolf from the desert they will destroy them.p> <p class="poetry">Like a leopard they will lie in wait outside their citiesp> <p class="poetry">and totally destroy anyone who ventures out.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For they have rebelled so muchp> <p class="poetry">and done so many unfaithful things.<n id="2" />p>