A plea: Return to God

¹Return, Israel, to the LORD your God;[#14.1 14:2 in Heb]

²Prepare to speak

and return to the LORD ;

say to the LORD ,

Instead of bulls,

³Assyria won’t save us;

we will no longer say, ‘Our God,’

In you the orphan finds compassion.”

Divine promise of healing

⁴I will heal their faithlessness;

⁵I will be like the dew to Israel;

⁶His branches will spread out;

⁷They will again live beneath my shadow,

they will blossom like the vine,

⁸Ephraim, what do idols have to do with me?

I am like a green cypress tree;

Be careful

⁹Whoever is wise understands these things.

Whoever observes carefully knows them.

Truly, the LORD ’s ways are right,