Jeremiah - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 494

says Have I been a desert to Israel? or a. land of dark-

32 ness P For what do you say to Me, 33 34 35 37 Begcue from us! We will never more come to You ! ‘ Can a. bride forget her adorn-

ments? her beautiful girdle? Yet My People have forgotten Me, numberless times! ‘ Why do you prepare your way to

seek love? Do I need researches to learn your ways, when I find the blood of poor innocent souls upon your skirts, without disarranging thfm to fmd it,-—for it is on them al ! ‘ But,’ you reply, ‘although I

have sinned, let the anger turn from mel' ‘ Iwill decide about you,-~although vou say ‘ I have not sinned ! ’ Why do you shuhle so to change

your road. You were disappointed in the Egyptians as you were dis- appointed in Ashur. You will rush out from them with your hands on your face, for the Evan-Lxvme will reject those you trust and you will not prosper in them. F or instance when a man divorces

his wife, and she has gone from him to another husband, she can never return to him.——Has not this country wandered, and often whored foully, asks the EvEn—1.1v1No. You lifted your eyes to the beards

to see if there were not fornicators in your path. You stand for them like Arabs in the desert, and pollute the country by your whoredoms and your vices. But many refused, and would not grant the request. Yet with the brow of a whorish woman you refused to be ashamed of your- self. ‘ Have you not said to Me, ‘ You

are the Gentle Father of my youth. Will He be angry for ever ? Will I-Ie perpetually retain it? ’ 3 @2mmriutinn nf $rrazl’¤ warship nf Qin. 6 The Evan-L1v11~1o also said to me Have you seen what perverted Israel has done, on the top of every high hill, and done all that, to return to Me, but she would not return, but glanced slyly at hersister, judahl Then I determined, that as in every respect perverse Israel had committed adultery, I would divorce her, so I divorced her, but sly Judah, her sister, regarded it not, but went and whored like her! And her whore- doms became more than all, and polluted the country, and defiled the rocks and the woods, but for all that her sly sister judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in said the Evan-uv1NG. The EVER-LIVING also said to me, Perverse Israel was more honest in

soul than sly ]udah.·~—·Go and pro- claim these things to the north, and say, ' Return, perverse Israel,’ says the EVER-LIVING, ‘ I will not darken My face at you. Only return,’ says the Even-1.1v1Nc, ‘ I will not be angry for ever. Only recognize your fault, for you have sinned against your Evmz·1.1v1zv<; Gonand splashed your paths with filth under every leafy tree, and have not listened to My voice,’ says the EvB.R~LlvING. ‘ Re· turn, you lost- children,’ says the EvER—L1vING, ‘ for Iwill come to you and collect you, one from a town, and two from a family, and will bring you to Zion, and give you thoughtful shepherds, and they will tend you with knowledge and skill. And when it arrives that you increase, and are fruitful in the country in those times} says the EVE-R-LIVING, ‘ they shall no more demand the Ark of the Covenant of the Evan-Llvnvo, for it shall not come to their heart, and they will not grieve about it, nor be anxious, nor make another} In that period they shall call jerusalem the ‘TnRoNn of the L1Fs,’ and all the Heathen will trust with her on the Name of the Evan-ravine at ]eru~ salem, and will no more go after perversities, to suffer from them. ' In those times the House of judah

will march with the House of Israel from the land of the north to the country of Ashur to the estates of their forefathers. And I will reflect where I can put you with your chil- dren l——·and will give you a beautiful country,-—you shall possess splendid armies like the heathen, and I will say, I am your Father, call to Me, and

under every leafy tree, in whoring I do not desert Me} For exactly like

7 there? But I ask her, after having awife deserting to the wicked, so you 494 IO II I2 16 18 20