en_tn_condensed/jer/03/01.md

# General Information:

Yahweh continues speaking. This is part of the prophecy that he starts revealing to Jeremiah in [Jeremiah 2:1](../02/01.md).

# will he return to her again?

God uses this question to remind the people that a man would never return to his wife if another man marries her. This question can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "he would not return to her again." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])

# Would that land not be greatly polluted?

God uses this question to remind the people that a married man would not return to his wife if she married another man, because he knows that the land would become ceremonially unclean. This question can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "He knows that if he did, the land would be greatly polluted." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])

# greatly polluted

This is a metaphor for being terribly unacceptable to God. Alternate translation: "completely unacceptable to God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])

# You have lived as a prostitute who has many lovers

God speaks of Israel worshiping many idols as being like a woman having sex with many men. Alternate translation: "You have given your love and trust to idols the way a prostitute gives her body to men who are not her husband" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-simile]])

# this is Yahweh's declaration

Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in [Jeremiah 1:8](../01/08.md). Alternate translation: "this is what Yahweh has declared" or "this is what I, Yahweh, have declared" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person]])