Commonly, when a man putteth away his wife, and she goeth from him, and marrieth with another, then the question is: should he resort unto her any more after that? Is not this field then defiled and unclean? But as for thee, thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet turn again to me, sayeth the LORD.

Hast thou seen also, when she had done all this, how I said unto her that she should turn again unto me, and yet she is not returned? Judah, that unfaithful sister of hers also saw this:

"Should I then, for all this, have mercy upon thee? Thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods. And albeit they were bound to me in marriage, yet they fell to adultery, and hunted harlots' houses.

Should I not correct this, sayeth the LORD? Should I not be avenged of every people, that is like unto this?

Should I not punish these things, sayeth the LORD? Should I not be avenged of all such people as these be?"

Therefore they must be ashamed, for they have committed abomination. But how should they be ashamed, when they know nothing, neither of shame nor good nurture? And therefore they shall fall among the slain; and in the hour when I shall visit them, they shall be brought down," sayeth the LORD.

Therefore thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, "Behold, I will melt them, and try them, for what should I else do to my people?

Should I not punish them for these things, sayeth the LORD? Or should I not be avenged of any such people as this?

O LORD, thou art more righteous than that I should dispute with thee: Nevertheless, let me talk with thee in things reasonable. How happeneth it, that the way of the ungodly is so prosperous? And that it goeth so well with them, which without any shame offend and live in wickedness?

And I enforced not to be a shepherd that should not follow thee: and the day of destruction have I not desired, thou knowest. And that proceeded out of my mouth was right in thy sight.

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and the people of Judah put him to death for this? No verily, but rather feared the LORD, and made their prayer unto him. For the which cause also the LORD repented of the plague, that he had devised against them. Should we then do such a shameful deed against our souls?"

And beside all this, he hath sent us word unto Babylon, and told us plainly, that our captivity shall long endure: that we should build us houses to dwell therein, and to plant us gardens, that we might enjoy the fruit thereof.'

"Thus sayeth the LORD: May the covenant which I have made with day and night be broken, that there should not be day and night in due season?

These are the words that the LORD spake unto Jeremiah the prophet, when Zedekiah was agreed with all the people at Jerusalem, that there should be proclaimed a liberty:

so that every man should let his servant and handmaid go free, Hebrew and Hebrewess, and no Jew to hold his brother as a bond man.

"Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers, when I brought them out of Egypt, that they should no more be bondmen: saying,

The words which Jonadab the son of Rechab commanded his sons, that they should drink no wine, are fast and surely kept: for unto this day they drink no wine but obey their father's commandment. But as for me, I have stood up early, I have spoken unto you, and given you earnest warning: and yet have ye not been obedient unto me.

And this was done in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, when it was commanded that all the people of Jerusalem should fast before the LORD, and they also that were come from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

For though ye had slain the whole host of the Chaldeans that besiege you, and every one of the slain lay in his tent, yet should they stand up, and set fire upon this city.'"

Where are your prophets which have prophesied unto you, and said that the king of Babylon should not come against you and this land?

and caused him be let out of the fore entry of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan: that he should carry him home, and so he dwelt among the people.

Now when the captains of the Host of Judah, which with their fellows were scattered abroad on every side in the land, understood that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and that man, wife and child, yea and the poor men in the land that were not led captive to Babylon should be under his Jurisdiction:

that the LORD thy God may show us a way to go in, and tell us what we should do."

Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah with all the proud persons, said unto Jeremiah, "Thou liest! The LORD our God hath not sent thee to speak unto us, that we should not go into Egypt, and dwell there:

The Heathen shall hear of thy shame, and the land shall be full of thy confusion: for one strong man shall stumble upon another. How then should they not fall both together?"

If the grape gathers come upon thee, should they not leave some grapes? If the night robbers came upon thee, should they not take so much as they thought were enough?

But how should so worshipful and glorious a city be forsaken?

Jeremiah wrote in a book all the misery that should come upon Babylon; yea, and all these sermons that be written against Babylon;