Chapter 3

1[The word of Hashem came to me] as follows: If a man divorces his wife, and she leaves him and marries another man, can he ever go back to her? Would not such a land be defiled? Now you have whored with many lovers: can you return to Me?—says Hashem.

אלֵאמֹר הֵן יְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָלְכָה מֵאִתּוֹ וְהָיְתָה לְאִישׁ־אַחֵר הֲיָשׁוּב אֵלֶיהָ עוֹד הֲלוֹא חָנוֹף תֶּחֱנַף הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא וְאַתְּ זָנִית רֵעִים רַבִּים וְשׁוֹב אֵלַי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

2Look up to the bare heights, and see: Where have they not lain with you? You waited for them on the roadside Like a bandit in the wilderness. And you defiled the land With your whoring and your debauchery.

בשְׂאִי־עֵינַיִךְ עַל־שְׁפָיִם וּרְאִי אֵיפֹה לֹא שגלת [שֻׁכַּבְתְּ] עַל־דְּרָכִים יָשַׁבְתְּ לָהֶם כַּעֲרָבִי בַּמִּדְבָּר וַתַּחֲנִיפִי אֶרֶץ בִּזְנוּתַיִךְ וּבְרָעָתֵךְ׃

3And when showers were withheld And the late rains did not come, You had the brazenness of a street woman, You refused to be ashamed.

גוַיִּמָּנְעוּ רְבִבִים וּמַלְקוֹשׁ לוֹא הָיָה וּמֵצַח אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה הָיָה לָךְ מֵאַנְתְּ הִכָּלֵם׃

4Just now you called to Me, “Father! You are the Companion of my youth.

דהֲלוֹא מֵעַתָּה קראתי [קָרָאת] לִי אָבִי אַלּוּף נְעֻרַי אָתָּה׃

5Does one hate for all time? Does one rage forever?” That is how you spoke; You did wrong, and had your way.

ההֲיִנְטֹר לְעוֹלָם אִם־יִשְׁמֹר לָנֶצַח הִנֵּה דברתי [דִבַּרְתְּ] וַתַּעֲשִׂי הָרָעוֹת וַתּוּכָל׃

6Hashem said to me in the days of King Yoshiyahu: Have you seen what Rebel Yisrael did, going to every high mountain and under every leafy tree, and whoring there?

ווַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי בִּימֵי יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ הֲ‍רָאִיתָ אֲשֶׁר עָשְׂתָה מְשֻׁבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל הֹלְכָה הִיא עַל־כָּל־הַר גָּבֹהַּ וְאֶל־תַּחַת כָּל־עֵץ רַעֲנָן וַתִּזְנִי־שָׁם׃

7I thought: After she has done all these things, she will come back to Me. But she did not come back; and her sister, Faithless Yehuda, saw it.

זוָאֹמַר אַחֲרֵי עֲשׂוֹתָהּ אֶת־כָּל־אֵלֶּה אֵלַי תָּשׁוּב וְלֹא־שָׁבָה ותראה [וַתֵּרֶא] בָּגוֹדָה אֲחוֹתָהּ יְהוּדָה׃

8I noted: Because Rebel Yisrael had committed adultery, I cast her off and handed her a bill of divorce; yet her sister, Faithless Yehuda, was not afraid—she too went and whored.

חוָאֵרֶא כִּי עַל־כָּל־אֹדוֹת אֲשֶׁר נִאֲפָה מְשֻׁבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁלַּחְתִּיהָ וָאֶתֵּן אֶת־סֵפֶר כְּרִיתֻתֶיהָ אֵלֶיהָ וְלֹא יָרְאָה בֹּגֵדָה יְהוּדָה אֲחוֹתָהּ וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתִּזֶן גַּם־הִיא׃

9Indeed, the land was defiled by her casual immorality, as she committed adultery with stone and with wood.

טוְהָיָה מִקֹּל זְנוּתָהּ וַתֶּחֱנַף אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וַתִּנְאַף אֶת־הָאֶבֶן וְאֶת־הָעֵץ׃

10And after all that, her sister, Faithless Yehuda, did not return to Me wholeheartedly, but insincerely—declares Hashem.

יוְגַם־בְּכָל־זֹאת לֹא־שָׁבָה אֵלַי בָּגוֹדָה אֲחוֹתָהּ יְהוּדָה בְּכָל־לִבָּהּ כִּי אִם־בְּשֶׁקֶר נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

11And Hashem said to me: Rebel Yisrael has shown herself more in the right than Faithless Yehuda.

יאוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי צִדְּקָה נַפְשָׁהּ מְשֻׁבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבֹּגֵדָה יְהוּדָה׃

12Go, make this proclamation toward the north, and say: Turn back, O Rebel Yisrael—declares Hashem. I will not look on you in anger, for I am compassionate—declares Hashem; I do not bear a grudge for all time.

יבהָלֹךְ וְקָרָאתָ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה צָפוֹנָה וְאָמַרְתָּ שׁוּבָה מְשֻׁבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה לוֹא־אַפִּיל פָּנַי בָּכֶם כִּי־חָסִיד אֲנִי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה לֹא אֶטּוֹר לְעוֹלָם׃

13Only recognize your sin; for you have transgressed against Hashem your God, and scattered your favors among strangers under every leafy tree, and you have not heeded Me—declares Hashem.

יגאַךְ דְּעִי עֲוׂנֵךְ כִּי בַּיהֹוָה אֱלֹהַיִךְ פָּשָׁעַתְּ וַתְּפַזְּרִי אֶת־דְּרָכַיִךְ לַזָּרִים תַּחַת כָּל־עֵץ רַעֲנָן וּבְקוֹלִי לֹא־שְׁמַעְתֶּם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

14Turn back, rebellious children—declares Hashem. Since I have espoused you, I will take you, one from a town and two from a clan, and bring you to Tzion.

ידשׁוּבוּ בָנִים שׁוֹבָבִים נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה כִּי אָנֹכִי בָּעַלְתִּי בָכֶם וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אֶחָד מֵעִיר וּשְׁנַיִם מִמִּשְׁפָּחָה וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם צִיּוֹן׃

15And I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will pasture you with knowledge and skill.

טווְנָתַתִּי לָכֶם רֹעִים כְּלִבִּי וְרָעוּ אֶתְכֶם דֵּעָה וְהַשְׂכֵּיל׃

16And when you increase and are fertile in the land, in those days—declares Hashem—men shall no longer speak of the Aron Brit Hashem, nor shall it come to mind. They shall not mention it, or miss it, or make another.

טזוְהָיָה כִּי תִרְבּוּ וּפְרִיתֶם בָּאָרֶץ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵמָּה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה לֹא־יֹאמְרוּ עוֹד אֲרוֹן בְּרִית־יְהֹוָה וְלֹא יַעֲלֶה עַל־לֵב וְלֹא יִזְכְּרוּ־בוֹ וְלֹא יִפְקֹדוּ וְלֹא יֵעָשֶׂה עוֹד׃

17At that time, they shall call Yerushalayim “Throne of Hashem,” and all nations shall assemble there, in the name of Hashem, at Yerushalayim. They shall no longer follow the willfulness of their evil hearts.

יזבָּעֵת הַהִיא יִקְרְאוּ לִירוּשָׁלַ ִם כִּסֵּא יְהֹוָה וְנִקְוּוּ אֵלֶיהָ כָל־הַגּוֹיִם לְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה לִירוּשָׁלִָם וְלֹא־יֵלְכוּ עוֹד אַחֲרֵי שְׁרִרוּת לִבָּם הָרָע׃

18In those days, the House of Yehuda shall go with the House of Yisrael; they shall come together from the land of the north to the land I gave your fathers as a possession.

יחבַּיָּמִים הָהֵמָּה יֵלְכוּ בֵית־יְהוּדָה עַל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָבֹאוּ יַחְדָּו מֵאֶרֶץ צָפוֹן עַל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הִנְחַלְתִּי אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם׃

19I had resolved to adopt you as My child, and I gave you a desirable land—the fairest heritage of all the nations; and I thought you would surely call Me “Father,” and never cease to be loyal to Me.

v'-a-no-KHEE a-MAR-tee AYKH a-shee-TAYKH ba-ba-NEEM v'-e-ten LAKH E-retz khem-DAH na-kha-LAT tz'-VEE tziv-OT go-YIM va-o-MAR a-VEE tik-r'-ee LEE u-may-a-kha-RAI LO ta-SHU-vee

יטוְאָנֹכִי אָמַרְתִּי אֵיךְ אֲשִׁיתֵךְ בַּבָּנִים וְאֶתֶּן־לָךְ אֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה נַחֲלַת צְבִי צִבְאוֹת גּוֹיִם וָאֹמַר אָבִי תקראו־[תִּקְרְאִי־] לִי וּמֵאַחֲרַי לֹא תשובו [תָשׁוּבִי׃]

20Instead, you have broken faith with Me, as a woman breaks faith with a paramour, O House of Yisrael—declares Hashem.

כאָכֵן בָּגְדָה אִשָּׁה מֵרֵעָהּ כֵּן בְּגַדְתֶּם בִּי בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

21Hark! On the bare heights is heard The suppliant weeping of the people of Yisrael, For they have gone a crooked way, Ignoring Hashem their God.

כאקוֹל עַל־שְׁפָיִים נִשְׁמָע בְּכִי תַחֲנוּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי הֶעֱוּוּ אֶת־דַּרְכָּם שָׁכְחוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם׃

22Turn back, O rebellious children, I will heal your afflictions! “Here we are, we come to You, For You, Hashem, are our God!

כבשׁוּבוּ בָּנִים שׁוֹבָבִים אֶרְפָּה מְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם הִנְנוּ אָתָנוּ לָךְ כִּי אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃

23Surely, futility comes from the hills, Confusion from the mountains. Only through Hashem our God Is there deliverance for Yisrael.

כגאָכֵן לַשֶּׁקֶר מִגְּבָעוֹת הָמוֹן הָרִים אָכֵן בַּיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ תְּשׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

24But the Shameful Thing has consumed The possessions of our fathers ever since our youth— Their flocks and herds, Their sons and daughters.

כדוְהַבֹּשֶׁת אָכְלָה אֶת־יְגִיעַ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִנְּעוּרֵינוּ אֶת־צֹאנָם וְאֶת־בְּקָרָם אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם׃

25Let us lie down in our shame, Let our disgrace cover us; For we have sinned against Hashem our God, We and our fathers from our youth to this day, And we have not heeded Hashem our God.”

כהנִשְׁכְּבָה בְּבָשְׁתֵּנוּ וּתְכַסֵּנוּ כְּלִמָּתֵנוּ כִּי לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ חָטָאנוּ אֲנַחְנוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִנְּעוּרֵינוּ וְעַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וְלֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ בְּקוֹל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃