Return,O Israel,to the LORDyour God,For you have stumbledbecause of your iniquity.
Hazaelsaid,"Whydoes my lordweep?"Then he answered,"BecauseI knowthe evilthat you will doto the sonsof Israel:their strongholdsyou will seton fire,and their youngmenyou will killwith the sword,and their littleonesyou will dashin pieces,and their womenwith childyou will ripup."
The LORDwill strikeEgypt,strikingbut healing;so they will returnto the LORD,and He will respondto them and will healthem.
"Your own wickednesswill correctyou, And your apostasieswill reproveyou; Knowtherefore and seethat it is eviland bitterFor you to forsakethe LORDyour God,And the dreadof Me is not in you," declaresthe LordGODof hosts.
"Ifyou will return,O Israel,"declaresthe LORD,"[Then] you should returnto Me. And ifyou will putawayyour detestedthingsfrom My presence,And will not waver,
The crownhas fallenfrom our head;Woeto us, for we have sinned!
"Now your oldersisteris Samaria,who livesnorthof you with her daughters;and your youngersister,who livessouthof you, is Sodomwith her daughters.
"Sayto them, 'As I live!'declaresthe LordGOD,'I takenopleasurein the deathof the wicked,but ratherthat the wickedturnfrom his wayand live.Turnback,turnbackfrom your evilways!Whythen will you die,O houseof Israel?'
"But when I sayto the wicked,'You will surelydie,'and he turnsfrom his sinand practicesjusticeand righteousness,
Sowwith a view to righteousness,Reapin accordancewith kindness;Breakup your fallowground,For it is timeto seekthe LORDUntilHe comesto rainrighteousnesson you.
Therefore, returnto your God,Observekindnessand justice,And waitfor your Godcontinually.
And Ephraimsaid,"SurelyI have becomerich,I have foundwealthfor myself; In allmy laborsthey will findin me Noiniquity,which[would be] sin."
[It is] your destruction,O Israel,That [you are] against Me, against your help.
They feedon the sinof My peopleAnd directtheir desiretowardtheir iniquity.
Moreover, the prideof Israeltestifiesagainsthim, And Israeland Ephraimstumblein their iniquity;Judahalsohas stumbledwith them.
"Come,let us returnto the LORD.For He has torn[us], but He will healus; He has wounded[us], but He will bandageus.
Ephraim,as I have seen,Is plantedin a pleasant meadowlike Tyre;But Ephraimwill bringout his childrenfor slaughter.
The daysof punishmenthave come,The daysof retributionhave come;Let Israelknow[this]! The prophetis a fool,The inspiredmanis demented,Becauseof the grossnessof your iniquity,And [because] your hostilityis [so] great.
Thussaysthe LORD,"For threetransgressionsof the sonsof Ammonand for fourI will not revokeits [punishment], Becausethey rippedopenthe pregnantwomenof GileadIn orderto enlargetheir borders.
