The LORD said to me, *Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Yisra'el, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.*
He dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Yisra'el, both to men and women, to everyone a cake of bread, and a portion [of flesh], and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed everyone to his house.
But the LORD was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and had respect to them, because of his covenant with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya`akov, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes look to the LORD, our God, until he has mercy on us.
They rose up early on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought shalom offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
Is Efrayim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD.
*How can I give you up, Efrayim? How can I hand you over, Yisra'el? How can I make you like Admah? How can I make you like Tzevoyim? My heart is turned within me, my compassion is aroused.
For their mother has played the prostitute. She who conceived them has done shamefully; for she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'
and they lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.
Therefore thus says the LORD: *I have returned to Yerushalayim with mercy. My house shall be built in it,* says the LORD of Armies, *and a line shall be stretched forth over Yerushalayim.*'
For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.
They went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod [the grapes], and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Avimelekh.