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Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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THE MESSAGE

Jeremiah 3:6

God spoke to me during the reign of King Josiah: "You have noticed, haven't you, how fickle Israel has visited every hill and grove of trees as a whore at large? I assumed that after she had gotten it out of her system, she'd come back, but she didn't. Her flighty sister, Judah, saw what she did. She also saw that because of fickle Israel's loose morals I threw her out, gave her her walking papers. But that didn't faze flighty sister Judah. She went out, big as you please, and took up a whore's life also. She took up cheap sex-and-religion as a sideline diversion, an indulgent recreation, and used anything and anyone, flouting sanity and sanctity alike, stinking up the country. And not once in all this did flighty sister Judah even give me a nod, although she made a show of it from time to time." God 's Decree.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Church;   Condescension of God;   Idolatry;   Jeremiah;   Mountain;   Scofield Reference Index - Jeremiah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jews, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gardens;   Solomon's Song;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Baal;   Josiah;   Prostitution;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Ethics;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Marriage;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Marriage;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jeremiah;   Marriage;   Oholah and Oholibah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Backslider;   Jeremiah, Book of;   Josiah ;   Zephaniah, Prophecy of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Ammi;   Jeremiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Color;   Crime;   Ezekiel;   Gods;   Images;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Adultery;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Groves and Sacred Trees;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In the days of King Josiah the Lord asked me, “Have you seen what unfaithful Israel has done? She has ascended every high hill and gone under every green tree to prostitute herself there.
Hebrew Names Version
Moreover the LORD said to me in the days of Yoshiyahu the king, Have you seen that which backsliding Yisra'el has done? she is gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the prostitute.
King James Version
The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
English Standard Version
The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: "Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore?
New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah, "Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every leafy tree, and she prostituted herself there.
New Century Version
When King Josiah was ruling Judah, the Lord said to me, "Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She was like a prostitute with her idols on every hill and under every green tree.
Amplified Bible
Moreover, 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?
World English Bible
Moreover Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? she is gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the prostitute.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The Lord saide also vnto me, in the daies of Iosiah the King, Hast thou seene what this rebell Israel hath done? for she hath gone vp vpon euery high mountaine, and vnder euery greene tree, and there plaied the harlot.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah the king, "Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there.
Berean Standard Bible
Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.
Contemporary English Version
When Josiah was king, the Lord said: Jeremiah, the kingdom of Israel was like an unfaithful wife who became a prostitute on the hilltops and in the shade of large trees.
Complete Jewish Bible
In the days of Yoshiyahu the king, Adonai asked me, "Have you seen the things that backsliding Isra'el has been doing? She goes up on every bare hill and under every green tree and prostitutes herself there.
Darby Translation
And Jehovah said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen what backsliding Israel hath done? She hath gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath committed fornication.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord spoke to me during the time King Josiah was ruling the nation of Judah. He said, "Jeremiah, you saw the bad things Israel did! You saw how she was unfaithful to me. She was unfaithful to me with every idol on every hill and under every green tree.
George Lamsa Translation
The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah, Have you seen the thing which she who dwells in Israel has done? She has gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot.
Good News Translation
When Josiah was king, the Lord said to me, "Have you seen what Israel, that unfaithful woman, has done? She has turned away from me, and on every high hill and under every green tree she has acted like a prostitute.
Lexham English Bible
Then Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah, the king, "Have you seen what apostate Israel has done? She has gone on every high hill and under every leafy tree and she has prostituted herself there.
Literal Translation
Jehovah also said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen what the apostate Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree, and has fornicated there.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The LORDE sayde also vnto me, in the tyme of Iosias the kinge: Hast thou sene what that shrekinge Israel hath done? how she hath runne vp vpon all hie hilles, and amonge all thick trees, and there played the harlot?
American Standard Version
Moreover Jehovah said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen what Israel, turning away from me, has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every branching tree, acting like a loose woman there.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD said unto me in the days of Josiah the king: 'Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel did? she went up upon every high mountain and under every leafy tree, and there played the harlot.
King James Version (1611)
The Lord said also vnto me, in the daies of Iosiah the king, Hast thou seene that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone vp vpon euery high mountaine, and vnder euery greene tree, and there hath plaied the harlot.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The Lorde sayde also vnto me in the tyme of Iosiah the kyng, Hast thou seene what that rebellion Israel hath done? howe she hath runne vp vpon all the hylles, and among all thicke trees, and there played the harlot?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord said to me in the days of Josias the king, Hast thou seen what things the house of Israel has done to me? they have gone on every high mountain, and under every shady tree, and have committed fornication there.
English Revised Version
Moreover the LORD said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord seide to me, in the daies of Josie, the kyng, Whether thou hast seyn what thing the aduersarie, Israel, hath do? Sche yede to hir silf on ech hiy hil, and vndur ech tre ful of boowis, and dide fornycacioun there.
Update Bible Version
Moreover Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? she's gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree and prostituted there.
Webster's Bible Translation
The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen [that] which backsliding Israel hath done? she hath gone up upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
New English Translation
When Josiah was king of Judah, the Lord said to me, "Jeremiah, you have no doubt seen what wayward Israel has done. You have seen how she went up to every high hill and under every green tree to give herself like a prostitute to other gods.
New King James Version
The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: "Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.
New Living Translation
During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, "Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree.
New Life Bible
The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah, "Have you seen what Israel did, and what little faith she has? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, like one who sells the use of her body.
New Revised Standard
The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and played the whore there?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Yahweh said unto me, in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen what apostate Israel, did? She used to go upon every high mountain and beneath every green tree, and commit unchastity there.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to me in the days of king Josias: Hast thou seen what rebellious Israel hath done? she hath gone of herself upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and hath played the harlot there.
Revised Standard Version
The LORD said to me in the days of King Josi'ah: "Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the harlot?
Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto me, in the days of Josiah the king, `Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? She is going on every high mountain, and unto the place of every green tree, and committeth fornication there.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, "Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there.

Contextual Overview

6 God spoke to me during the reign of King Josiah: "You have noticed, haven't you, how fickle Israel has visited every hill and grove of trees as a whore at large? I assumed that after she had gotten it out of her system, she'd come back, but she didn't. Her flighty sister, Judah, saw what she did. She also saw that because of fickle Israel's loose morals I threw her out, gave her her walking papers. But that didn't faze flighty sister Judah. She went out, big as you please, and took up a whore's life also. She took up cheap sex-and-religion as a sideline diversion, an indulgent recreation, and used anything and anyone, flouting sanity and sanctity alike, stinking up the country. And not once in all this did flighty sister Judah even give me a nod, although she made a show of it from time to time." God 's Decree. 11Then God told me, "Fickle Israel was a good sight better than flighty Judah. Go and preach this message. Face north toward Israel and say:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 3292, bc 612

backsliding: Jeremiah 3:8, Jeremiah 3:11-14, Jeremiah 2:19, Jeremiah 7:24, 2 Kings 17:7-17, Ezekiel 23:11

she is: Jeremiah 2:20, Isaiah 57:7, Ezekiel 16:24, Ezekiel 16:25, Ezekiel 16:31, Ezekiel 20:28, 1 Kings 14:23

played: Jeremiah 3:1

Reciprocal: Genesis 38:24 - played the harlot Deuteronomy 12:2 - possess Psalms 106:39 - went Isaiah 1:29 - the gardens Isaiah 57:5 - under Isaiah 65:3 - that sacrificeth Jeremiah 3:13 - and hast scattered Jeremiah 3:23 - in vain Jeremiah 5:11 - the house Jeremiah 11:10 - the house of Israel Jeremiah 13:27 - abominations Jeremiah 14:7 - for our Jeremiah 31:22 - backsliding Jeremiah 50:6 - on the Ezekiel 6:3 - to the mountains Ezekiel 6:9 - I am Ezekiel 6:13 - upon Ezekiel 8:6 - seest Ezekiel 16:35 - O harlot Hosea 2:2 - she Hosea 4:13 - sacrifice Hosea 4:15 - play Hosea 4:16 - slideth Hosea 6:10 - there Hosea 11:7 - are bent

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:2
The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'"
Genesis 3:12
The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it." God said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?"
Genesis 3:14
God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel."
Genesis 3:17
He told the Man: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree That I commanded you not to eat from, ‘Don't eat from this tree,' The very ground is cursed because of you; getting food from the ground Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife; you'll be working in pain all your life long. The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you'll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."
Genesis 39:7
After Joseph had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites, Potiphar an Egyptian, one of Pharaoh's officials and the manager of his household, bought him from them. As it turned out, God was with Joseph and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master. His master recognized that God was with him, saw that God was working for good in everything he did. He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptian—all because of Joseph. The blessing of God spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields, and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day. Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. As time went on, his master's wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, "Sleep with me."
2 Samuel 11:2
One late afternoon, David got up from taking his nap and was strolling on the roof of the palace. From his vantage point on the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was stunningly beautiful. David sent to ask about her, and was told, "Isn't this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite?" David sent his agents to get her. After she arrived, he went to bed with her. (This occurred during the time of "purification" following her period.) Then she returned home. Before long she realized she was pregnant. Later she sent word to David: "I'm pregnant."
Job 31:1
"I made a solemn pact with myself never to undress a girl with my eyes. So what can I expect from God? What do I deserve from God Almighty above? Isn't calamity reserved for the wicked? Isn't disaster supposed to strike those who do wrong? Isn't God looking, observing how I live? Doesn't he mark every step I take?
Ezekiel 24:25
"And you, son of man: The day I take away the people's refuge, their great joy, the delight of their life, what they've most longed for, along with all their children—on that very day a survivor will arrive and tell you what happened to the city. You'll break your silence and start talking again, talking to the survivor. Again, you'll be an example for them. And they'll recognize that I am God ."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The Lord said also unto me, in the days of Josiah the king,.... For in his time Jeremiah began to prophesy, even in the thirteenth year of his reign, Jeremiah 1:2:

hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? the ten tribes; that is, hast thou not heard? or dost thou not know the idolatry of the ten tribes, which was the cause of their captivity? as Kimchi explains it; for the facts, or the idolatrous actions of the ten tribes, were not done in Josiah's and Jeremiah's time; for they were carried captive in the sixth year of Hezekiah, ninety years or more before Jeremiah began to prophesy, and their idolatry was before their captivity, and therefore could not be properly seen by him; only it had been heard of by him, it was known by him, it was notorious enough, being well attested:

she is gone upon every high mountain, and under every green tree; that is, she did so, when in her own land, before she was carried captive, as Jarchi observes; for this respects not what she did in Josiah's and Jeremiah's time, or when in captivity, but before, which was the reason of it:

and there hath played the harlot: or committed idolatry, which was usually done in such places; so the Targum,

"and worshipped idols of wood.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Backsliding Israel - The original is very strong: Hast thou seen Apostasy? i. e., Israel: as though Israel were the very personificatiom of the denial of God.

She is gone up - Rather, she goes; it is her habitual practice.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 3:6. The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king — This is a new discourse, and is supposed to have been delivered after the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah. Here the prophet shows the people of Judah the transgressions, idolatry, obstinacy, and punishment of their brethren, the ten tribes, whom he calls to return to the Lord, with the most gracious promises of restoration to their own country, their reunion with their brethren of Judah, and every degree of prosperity in consequence. He takes occasion also to show the Jews how much more culpable they were than the Israelites, because they practiced the same iniquities while they had the punishment and ruin of the others before their eyes. He therefore exhorts them to return to God with all their hearts, that they might not fall into the same condemnation. See the following verses.


 
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