Liber Ieremiae, 3

1. vulgo dicitur si dimiserit vir uxorem suam et recedens ab eo duxerit virum alterum numquid revertetur ad eam ultra numquid non polluta et contaminata erit mulier illa tu autem fornicata es cum amatoribus multis tamen revertere ad me dicit Dominus

1. It is commonly said: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and marry another man, shall he return to her any more? shall not that woman be polluted, and defiled? but thou hast prostituted thyself to many lovers: nevertheless return to me, saith the Lord, and I will receive thee.

2. leva oculos tuos in directum et vide ubi non prostrata sis in viis sedebas expectans eos quasi latro in solitudine et polluisti terram in fornicationibus tuis et in malitiis tuis

2. Lift up thy eyes on high: and see where thou hast not prostuted thyself: Thou didst sit in the ways, waiting for them as a robber in the wilderness: and thou hast polluted the land with thy fornications, and with thy wickedness.

3. quam ob rem prohibitæ sunt stillæ pluviarum et serotinus imber non fuit frons mulieris meretricis facta est tibi noluisti erubescere

3. Therefore the showers were withholden, and there was no lateward rain: thou hadst a harlot's forehead, thou wouldst not blush.

4. ergo saltim amodo voca me pater meus dux virginitatis meæ tu es

4. Therefore at least at this time call to me: Thou art my father, the guide of my virginity:

5. numquid irasceris in perpetuum aut perseverabis in finem ecce locuta es et fecisti mala et potuisti

5. Wilt thou be angry for ever, or wilt thou continue until the end? Behold, thou hast spoken, and hast done evil things, and hast been able.

6. et dixit Dominus ad me in diebus Josiæ regis numquid vidisti quæ fecerit aversatrix Israël abiit sibimet super omnem montem excelsum et sub omne lignum frondosum et fornicata est ibi

6. And the Lord said to me in the days of king Josias: Hast thou seen what rebellious Israel hast done? she hath gone out of herself upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and hath played the harlot there.

7. et dixi cum fecisset hæc omnia ad me convertere et non est reversa et vidit prævaricatrix soror ejus Juda

7. And when she had done all these things, I said: Return to me, and she did not return. And her treacherous sister Juda saw,

8. quia pro eo quod mœchata esset aversatrix Israël dimisissem eam et dedissem ei libellum repudii et non timuit prævaricatrix Juda soror ejus sed abiit et fornicata est etiam ipsa

8. That because the rebellious Israel had played the harlot, I had put her away, and had given her a bill of divorce: yet her treacherous sister Juda was not afraid, but went and played the harlot also herself.

9. et facilitate fornicationis suæ contaminavit terram et mœchata est cum lapide et cum ligno

9. And by the facility of her fornication she defiled the land, and played the harlot with stones and with stocks.

10. et in omnibus his non est reversa ad me prævaricatrix soror ejus Juda in toto corde suo sed in mendacio ait Dominus

10. And after all this, her treacherous sister Juda hath not returned to me with her whole heart, but with falsehood, saith the Lord.

11. et dixit Dominus ad me justificavit animam suam aversatrix Israël conparatione prævaricatricis Juda

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

12. vade et clama sermones istos contra aquilonem et dices revertere aversatrix Israël ait Dominus et non avertam faciem meam a vobis quia sanctus ego sum dicit Dominus et non irascar in perpetuum

12. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and thou shalt say: Return, O rebellious Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not turn away my face from you: for I am holy, saith the Lord, and I will not be angry for ever.

13. tamen scito iniquitatem tuam quia in Dominum Deum tuum prævaricata es et dispersisti vias tuas alienis sub omni ligno frondoso et vocem meam non audisti ait Dominus

13. But yet acknowledge thy iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God: and thou hast scattered thy ways to strangers under every green tree, and hast not heard my voice, saith the Lord.

14. convertimini filii revertentes dicit Dominus quia ego vir vester et adsumam vos unum de civitate et duos de cognatione et introducam vos in Sion

14. Return, O ye revolting children, saith the Lord: for I am your husband: and I will take you, one of a city, and two of a kindred, and will bring you into Sion.

15. et dabo vobis pastores juxta cor meum et pascent vos scientia et doctrina

15. And I will give you pastors according to my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine.

16. cumque multiplicati fueritis et creveritis in terra in diebus illis ait Dominus non dicent ultra arca testamenti Domini neque ascendet super cor neque recordabuntur illius nec visitabitur nec fiet ultra

16. And when you shall be multiplied, and increase in the land in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more: The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come upon the heart, neither shall they remember it, neither shall it be visited, neither shall that be done any more.

17. in tempore illo vocabunt Hierusalem solium Domini et congregabuntur ad eam omnes gentes in nomine Domini in Hierusalem et non ambulabunt post pravitatem cordis sui pessimi

17. At that time Jerusalem shall be called the thrown of the Lord: and all the nations shall be gathered together to it, in the name of the Lord to Jerusalem, and they shall not walk after the perversity of their most wicked heart.

18. in diebus illis ibit domus Juda ad domum Israël et venient simul de terra aquilonis ad terram quam dedi patribus vestris

18. In those days the house of Juda shall go to the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land which I gave to your fathers.

19. ego autem dixi quomodo ponam te in filiis et tribuam tibi terram desiderabilem hereditatem præclaram exercituum gentium et dixi patrem vocabis me et post me ingredi non cessabis

19. But I said: How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a lovely land, the goodly inheritance of the armies of the Gentiles? And I said: Thou shalt call me father and shalt cease to walk after me.

20. sed quomodo si contemnat mulier amatorem suum sic contempsit me domus Israël dicit Dominus

20. But as a woman that despiseth her lover, so hath the house of Israel despised me, saith the Lord.

21. vox in viis audita est ploratus et ululatus filiorum Israël quoniam iniquam fecerunt viam suam obliti sunt Domini Dei sui

21. A voice was heard in the highways, weeping and howling of the children of Israel: because they have made their way wicked, they have forgotten the Lord their God.

22. convertimini filii revertentes et sanabo aversiones vestras ecce nos venimus ad te tu enim es Dominus Deus noster

22. Return, you rebellious children, and I will heal your rebellions. Behold we come to thee: for thou art the Lord our God.

23. vere mendaces erant colles multitudo montium vere in Domino Deo nostro salus Israël

23. In very deed the hills were liars. and the multitude of the mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.

24. confusio comedit laborem patrum nostrorum ab adulescentia nostra greges eorum et armenta eorum filios eorum et filias eorum

24. Confusion hath devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

25. dormiemus in confusione nostra et operiet nos ignominia nostra quoniam Domino Deo nostro peccavimus nos et patres nostri ab adulescentia nostra usque ad hanc diem et non audivimus vocem Domini Dei nostri

25. We shall sleep in our confusion, and our shame shall cover us, because we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers from our youth even to this day, and we have not hearkened to the voice of theLord our God.