Unfaithful Israel

⁶ During the reign of King Josiah,^(H) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless^(I) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree^(J) and has committed adultery^(K) there. ⁷ I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(L) Judah saw it.^{(M) 8} I gave faithless Israel^(N) her certificate of divorce^(O) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(P) she also went out and committed adultery. ⁹ Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(Q) and committed adultery^(R) with stone^(S) and wood.^{(T) 10} In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(U) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(V)” declares the Lord.^(W)

³⁰ “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth;^(A) indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger^(B) with what their hands have made,^(C) declares the Lord. ³¹ From the day it was built until now, this city^(D) has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove^(E) it from my sight. ³² The people of Israel and Judah have provoked^(F) me by all the evil^(G) they have done—they, their kings and officials,^(H) their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.