Jeremiah 3:11

Amplified Bible

And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has proved herself less guilty than treacherous Judah [a land of renegades].

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord announced to me, “Unfaithful Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to me, Backsliding Yisra'el has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Yehudah.

King James Version
And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

English Standard Version
And the Lord said to me, "Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

New American Standard Bible
And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has proved herself to be more righteous than treacherous Judah.

New Century Version
The Lord said to me, "Unfaithful Israel had a better excuse than wicked Judah.

World English Bible
Yahweh said to me, Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord said vnto me, The rebellious Israel hath iustified her selfe more then the rebellious Iudah.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Yahweh said to me, "Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Berean Standard Bible
And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah.

Contemporary English Version
Even the people of Israel were honest enough not to pretend.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then Adonai said to me, "Backsliding Isra'el has proved herself more righteous than unfaithful Y'hudah.

Darby Translation
And Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath shewn herself more just than treacherous Judah.

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord said to me, "Israel was not faithful to me, but she had a better excuse than unfaithful Judah.

George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said to me, The inhabitant of Israel has justified herself more than her perverse sister Judah.

Good News Translation
Then the Lord told me that, even though Israel had turned away from him, she had proved to be better than unfaithful Judah.

Lexham English Bible
Then Yahweh said to me, "Apostate Israel has proved herself more upright than treacherous Judah.

Literal Translation
And Jehovah said to me, The apostate Israel has justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the LORDE sayde vnto me: The bacslyder Israel is more rightuous, the the vnfaithfull Iuda:

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath showed herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to me, Israel in her turning away is seen to be more upright than false Judah.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
even the LORD said unto me--backsliding Israel hath proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said vnto mee, The backesliding Israel hath iustified her selfe more then treacherous Iudah.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde sayde vnto me, The backslyder Israel, is more righteous then the vnfaithfull Iuda.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord said to me, Israel has justified himself more than faithless Juda.

English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath shewn herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord seide to me, The aduersarie, Israel, hath iustified hir soule, in comparisoun of Juda, brekere of the lawe.

Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to me, Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

New English Translation
Then the Lord said to me, "Under the circumstances, wayward Israel could even be considered less guilty than unfaithful Judah.

New King James Version
Then the LORD said to me, "Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

New Living Translation
Then the Lord said to me, "Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah!

New Life Bible
And the Lord said to me, "Israel, who has not been faithful, has shown herself more right and good than Judah who could not be trusted.

New Revised Standard
Then the Lord said to me: Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Yahweh unto me, - Apostate Israel, hath justified herself, - more than treacherous Judah.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to me: The rebellious Israel hath justified her soul, in comparison of the treacherous Juda.

Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto me: `Justified herself hath backsliding Israel, More than treacherous Judah.

THE MESSAGE
Then God told me, "Fickle Israel was a good sight better than flighty Judah. Go and preach this message. Face north toward Israel and say:

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Contextual Overview

⁶Moreover, the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king [of Judah], "Have you seen what that faithless Israel has done—how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there she was a prostitute? ⁷"I thought, 'After she has done all these things she will return to Me'; but she did not return, and her treacherous (faithless) sister Judah saw it. ⁸"And I saw [that even though Judah knew] that for all the acts of adultery (idolatry) of faithless Israel, I [the LORD] had sent her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid; but she went and was a prostitute also [following after idols]. ⁹"Because of the thoughtlessness of Israel's prostitution [her immorality mattered little to her], she desecrated the land and committed adultery with [idols of] stones and trees. ¹⁰"Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but rather in [blatant] deception [she merely pretended obedience to King Josiah's reforms]," declares the LORD. ¹¹And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has proved herself less guilty than treacherous Judah [a land of renegades].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The backsliding: Jeremiah 3:8, Jeremiah 3:22, Hosea 4:16, Hosea 11:7

justified: Ezekiel 16:47, Ezekiel 16:51, Ezekiel 16:52, Ezekiel 23:11

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 2:19 - and thy Jeremiah 3:6 - backsliding Jeremiah 8:5 - slidden Jeremiah 31:22 - backsliding Jeremiah 34:10 - then Hosea 4:15 - yet Matthew 12:41 - rise Luke 7:41 - the other Luke 11:31 - rise

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
The LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's [innocent] blood is crying out to Me from the ground [for justice].

Psalms 50:21
"These things you have done and I kept silent; You thought that I was just like you. Now I will reprimand and denounce you and state the case in order before your eyes.

Romans 3:20
For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto me,.... To the Prophet Jeremiah, as in Jeremiah 3:6 and at or about the same time:

the backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah; that is, was comparatively more righteous; of the two she appeared the most righteous; though neither of them could vindicate their conduct, or justify themselves before God; see Luke 18:14. Judah was most to blame, because that after Israel committed idolatry, and was carried captive, she took no warning by it, but fell into the same sin; and in Manasseh's time committed greater idolatries, and more wickedness, than ever Israel did; and more than even the Amorites themselves, and other Heathen nations, had done, 2 Kings 21:6 and though a reformation was made in Josiah's time, it was only feignedly, it was not cordial and hearty; and therefore she is all along here charged with perfidy and treachery.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hath justified herself - Judah had had the benefit of the warning given by Israel’s example. Both abandon Yahweh’s service for idolatry, but Israel is simply “apostate,” Judah is also false.

The verse is important,

(1) as accounting for the destruction of Jerusalem so soon after the pious reign of Josiah. Manasseh’s crimes had defiled the land, but it was by rejecting the reforms of Josiah that the people finally profaned it, and sealed their doom:

(2) As showing that it is not by the acts of its government that a nation stands or falls. Ahaz and Manasseh lent the weight of their influence to the cause of idolatry: Hezekiah and Josiah to the cause of truth. But the nation had to determine which should prevail. Excepting a remnant it embraced idolatry, and brought upon itself ruin: in the remnant the nation again revived Jeremiah 24:5, Jeremiah 24:7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 3:11. Backsliding Israel hath justified herself more — She was less offensive in my eyes, and more excusable, than treacherous Judah. So it is said, Luke 18:14, the humbled publican went down to his house justified rather than the boasting Pharisee. The one was more to be pitied than the other, and more likely to receive the mercy of God.