Thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. 3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. 4Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel [America] hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. 7And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not... 9And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
12Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel [America], saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. 13Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 14Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD... 15And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. 20Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel [America], saith the LORD.
21A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel [America]: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. 22Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.
Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God. 23Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel [America].
24For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
~Excerpts from Jeremiah chapter 3