« | Jeremiah 3 | » |
1 God says, "If a husband divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be made unclean? But you are like a sinful woman with many lovers, yet would you return to Me?" says the Lord.
2 "Lift up your eyes to the open hill-tops and see. Is there any place you have not lain with your lovers? You have sat by the roads waiting for them like an Arab in the desert. And you have made the land unclean with your sinful ways and your wrong-doing.
3 So the rains have been held back. There has been no spring rain. You look like a woman who sells the use of her body, and would not be ashamed.
4 Have you not just now called to Me? You said, 'My Father, You have been my friend since I was young.
5 Will You be angry forever? Will You be angry to the end?' See, this is how you talk, but you do all the sinful things you can."
6 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.
7 And I thought, 'After she has done all these things, she will return to Me.' But she did not return, and her sister Judah, who has not been faithful, saw it.
8 She saw that for all of Israel's sins and how she had not been faithful, I had sent her away and given her a paper of divorce. Yet her sister Judah had no fear, but she went and sold the use of her body also.
9 And because this sin was so easy for her, she sinned by worshiping stones and trees.
10 Even with all this, her sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but in a false way," says the Lord.
11 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.
12 Go and make these words known to the north, saying, 'Return, Israel, who has not been faithful,' says the Lord. 'I will not look on you in anger. For I show loving-kindness,' says the Lord. 'I will not be angry forever.
13 Only know and tell of your guilt, that you have sinned against the Lord your God and have given your favors to the strangers under every green tree. Know that you have not obeyed My voice,' says the Lord.
14 'Return, O sons who are not faithful,' says the Lord. 'For you belong to Me. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.'
15 Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with much learning and understanding.
16 And in those days when you have become many in the land," says the Lord, "they will no more say, 'The special box with the Law of the Lord.' It will not come to mind, and they will not remember it. They will not miss it, and it will not be made again.
17 At that time they will call Jerusalem 'The throne of the Lord.' And all the nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. They will not follow the strong-will of their sinful heart any more.
18 In those days the people of Judah will walk with the people of Israel. They will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as a gift.
19 "Then I said, 'How I would like to make you My sons and give you a pleasing land, the most beautiful land of the nations!' And I said, 'You will call Me, "My Father," and not turn away from following Me.'
20 For sure, as a woman is not faithful and leaves her husband, so you have not been faithful to Me, O people of Israel," says the Lord.
21 A voice is heard on the open hill-tops, the cries and prayers of the sons of Israel, because they have made their way sinful. They have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 "Return, O sons who are not faithful. I will heal you and make you faithful." "See, we come to You, for You are the Lord our God.
23 For sure the hills are a false hope, a noise on the mountains. In truth, the saving of Israel is in the Lord our God.
24 But false gods have brought us shame and have destroyed what our fathers worked for since we were young, their flocks and cattle, their sons and their daughters.
25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our shame cover us. For we and our fathers have sinned against the Lord our God ever since we were young. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God."
The New Life Version (NLV)
The New Life Version (NLV) is a unique English translation of the Bible designed to be exceptionally easy to read and understand. First published in 1969, the NLV was created by Gleason Ledyard, a missionary and linguist, to make the Scriptures accessible to people who have limited English proficiency or are new to the language. Ledyard’s aim was to provide a Bible that even those with minimal education could read and comprehend, thus opening the door for a wider audience to engage with the biblical texts.
A defining characteristic of the New Life Version is its use of a limited vocabulary of about 850 basic English words, along with some necessary theological terms. This restricted vocabulary ensures that the language remains simple and straightforward, making the text accessible to young readers, new Christians, and those for whom English is a second language. The translators also avoided idiomatic expressions and complex sentence structures, further enhancing clarity and understanding. This makes the NLV a particularly valuable resource for educational and missionary work.
The NLV also emphasizes faithfulness to the original texts, despite its simplified language. The translation aims to maintain the integrity and message of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. By carefully choosing words that accurately convey the meaning of the original texts while ensuring simplicity, the NLV provides a balance between accessibility and fidelity. Additionally, the NLV includes explanatory footnotes and cross-references that help readers understand the context and deeper meanings of the passages, making it a useful tool for both personal study and group teaching.
However, the New Life Version is not without its critics. Some scholars and traditionalists argue that the limited vocabulary and simplified language can lead to a loss of nuance and depth found in the original texts. They suggest that the NLV’s focus on simplicity may sometimes oversimplify complex theological concepts. Despite these criticisms, the New Life Version remains a valuable translation for its intended audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps a wide range of readers engage with the Scriptures and grow in their faith.