Israel’s Unfaithfulness Condemned

1 ISay° to your brothers°, “IIAmmi°,” and to your sisters°, “IIIRuhamah°.”
  2 “Contend° with your mother°, acontend°,
  For she is bnot my wife°, and I am not her husband°;
  And let her put° away° her charlotry° from her face°
  And her adultery° from between° her breasts°,
  3 Or° I will strip° her anaked°
  And expose° her as on the bday° when she was born°.
  I will also cmake° her like a wilderness°,
  Make° her like desert° land°
  And slay° her with dthirst°.
  4 “Also, I will have° no° compassion° on her children°,
  Because° they are achildren° of harlotry°.
  5 “For their mother° has aplayed° the harlot°;
  She who conceived° them has acted° shamefully°.
  For she said°, ‘aI will go° after° my lovers°,
  Who bgive° [me] my bread° and my water°,
  My wool° and my flax°, my coil° and my drink°.’
  6 “Therefore°, behold°, I will ahedge° up Iher way° with bthorns°,
  And I will build° IIa wall° against her so that she cannot° find° her cpaths°.
  7 “She will apursue° her lovers°, but she will not overtake° them;
  And she will seek° them, but will not find° [them].
  Then she will say°, ‘bI will go° back° to my cfirst° husband°,
  For it was dbetter° for me then° than° now°!’

  8 ¶ “For she does anot know° that it was bI who gave° her the grain°, the new° wine° and the oil°,
  And lavished° on her silver° and gold°,
  [Which] they Iused° for Baal°.
  9 “Therefore°, I will atake° back° My grain° at Iharvest time°
  And My new° wine° in its season°.
  I will also take° away° My wool° and My flax°
  [Given] to cover° her nakedness°.
  10 “And then° I will auncover° her lewdness°
  In the sight° of her lovers°,
  And no° one° will rescue° her out of My hand°.
  11 “I will also aput° an end° to all° her gaiety°,
  Her bfeasts°, her cnew° moons°, her sabbaths°
  And all° her festal° assemblies°.
  12 “I will adestroy° her vines° and fig° trees°,
  Of which° she said°, ‘These° are my wages°
  Which° my lovers° have given° me.’
  And I will bmake° them a forest°,
  And the cbeasts° of the field° will devour° them.
  13 “I will punish° her for the adays° of the Baals°
  When° she used to Iboffer° sacrifices° to them
  And cadorn° herself with her IIearrings° and jewelry°,
  And follow°° her lovers°, so that she dforgot° Me,” declares° the LORD°.

Restoration of Israel

  14 ¶ “Therefore°, behold°, I will allure° her,
  aBring° her into the wilderness°
  And speak° Ikindly° to her.
  15 “Then I will give° her her avineyards° from there°,
  And bthe valley° of Achor° as a door° of hope°.
  And she will Icsing° there° as in the days° of her youth°,
  As in the dday° when she came° up from the land° of Egypt°.
  16 “It will come° about in that day°,” declares° the LORD°,
  “That you will call° Me IaIshi°
  And will no° longer° call° Me IIBaali°.
  17 “For aI will remove° the names° of the Baals° from her mouth°,
  So that they will be Imentioned° by their names° no° more°.
  18 “In that day° I will also make° a covenant° for them
  With the abeasts° of the field°,
  The birds° of the sky°
  And the creeping° things° of the ground°.
  And I will Ibabolish° the bow°, the sword° and war° from the land°,
  And will make them clie° down° in safety°.
  19 “I will abetroth° you to Me forever°;
  Yes, I will betroth° you to Me in brighteousness° and in justice°,
  In lovingkindness° and in compassion°,
  20 And I will betroth° you to Me in faithfulness°.
  Then you will aknow° the LORD°.

  21 ¶ “It will come° about in that day° that aI will respond°,” declares° the LORD°.
  “I will respond° to the heavens°, and they will respond° to the earth°,
  22 And the aearth° will respond° to the grain°, to the new° wine° and to the oil°,
  And they will respond° to IJezreel°.
  23 “I will asow° her for Myself in the land°.
  bI will also have° compassion° on Iher who had not obtained° compassion°,
  And cI will say° to IIthose who were dnot My people°,
  ‘You are My people°!’
  And IIIthey will say°, ‘[You are] my God°!’”