‘ “Return, you faithless children #– #this is the Lord’s declaration #– #for I am your master, , and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will freely forgive.
Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.
You have never heard; you have never known; for a long time your ears have not been open. For I knew that you were very treacherous, and were known as a rebel from birth.
All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord’s temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem.
So tell the people, “This is what the Lord of Armies says: Return to me #– #this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies #– #and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies.
Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say, “Return, unfaithful Israel. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not look on you with anger, for I am unfailing in my love. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not be angry for ever.