"Return,O faithlesssons,I will healyour faithlessness.""Behold,we cometo You; For You are the LORDour God.
Return,O Israel,to the LORDyour God,For you have stumbledbecause of your iniquity.
I will healtheir apostasy,I will lovethem freely,For My angerhas turnedawayfrom them.
"And I will bringthe thirdpartthrough the fire,Refinethem as silveris refined,And testthem as goldis tested.They will callon My name,And I will answerthem; I will say,They are My people,'And they will say,'The LORDis my God.'"
Yet I [have been] the LORDyour GodSincethe landof Egypt;And you were not to knowany godexceptMe, For thereis nosaviorbesidesMe.
Afterwardthe sonsof Israelwill returnand seekthe LORDtheir Godand Davidtheir king;and they will cometremblingto the LORDand to His goodnessin the lastdays.
For I will restoreyou to healthAnd I will healyou of your wounds,'declaresthe LORD,'Becausethey have calledyou an outcast,saying: "It is Zion;noonecaresfor her."'
"I have surelyheardEphraimgrieving,You have chastisedme, and I was chastised,Like an untrainedcalf;Bringme backthat I may be restored,For You are the LORDmy God.
"Drawme afteryou [and] let us run[together]! The kinghas broughtme into his chambers.""We will rejoicein you and be glad;We will extolyour lovemorethanwine.Rightlydo they loveyou."
O Ephraim,whatmorehave I to do with idols?It is I who answerand lookafter you. I am like a luxuriantcypress;From Me comesyour fruit.
Behold,I will bringto it healthand healing,and I will healthem; and I will revealto them an abundanceof peaceand truth.
You contendedwith them by banishingthem, by drivingthem away.With His fiercewindHe has expelled[them] on the dayof the eastwind.
Listen,O heavens,and hear,O earth;For the LORDspeaks,"SonsI have rearedand broughtup, But they have revoltedagainst Me.
"Because of the iniquityof his unjustgainI was angryand struckhim; I hid[My face] and was angry,And he wenton turningaway,in the wayof his heart.
"Goand proclaimthesewordstoward the northand say,Return,faithlessIsrael,'declaresthe LORD;I will not lookupon you in anger. For I am gracious,'declaresthe LORD;'I will not be angryforever.
"Ifyou will return,O Israel,"declaresthe LORD,"[Then] you should returnto Me. And ifyou will putawayyour detestedthingsfrom My presence,And will not waver,
"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?'
Returnto Him from whomyou have deeplydefected,O sonsof Israel.
"ThereforeI will judgeyou, O houseof Israel,eachaccording to his conduct,"declaresthe LordGOD."Repentand turnawayfrom allyour transgressions,so that iniquitymay not becomea stumblingblockto you.
I will be like the dewto Israel;He will blossomlike the lily,And he will takerootlike [the cedars of] Lebanon.
"Yet evennow,"declaresthe LORD,"Returnto Me with allyour heart,And with fasting,weepingand mourning;
