A Call to Repentance (Jeremiah 3:11–25; Zechariah 1:1–6)
1 ULT Return, Israel, to Yahweh your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity. BSB BSB: Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity.
2 ULT Take with you words and return to Yahweh. Say to him,“Take away all iniquity and accept{ what} is good, and let us repay{ with} bulls of our lips. BSB BSB: Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: “Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.
3 ULT Assyria will not save us; we will not ride on a horse. And we will not say anymore,‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands, who by you the fatherless is shown compassion.” BSB BSB: Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.”
A Promise of God’s Blessing 4 ULT “I will heal their turning away; I will love them freely, for my nose has turned away from them. BSB BSB: I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for My anger has turned away from them.
5 ULT I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily, and he will strike his roots like Lebanon. BSB BSB: I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
6 ULT His shoots will go forth, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, and the scent of him like Lebanon.” BSB BSB: His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.
7 ULT They will return, dwellers in his shadow; they will revive grain and blossom like the vine. His remembrance{ will be} like the wine of Lebanon. BSB BSB: They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 ULT “Ephraim, what to me still to idols? I, I have answered and I will look after him. I{ am} like a luxuriant cypress; from me your fruit is found.” BSB BSB: O Ephraim, what have I to do anymore with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing cypress; your fruit comes from Me.
9 ULT Who{ is} wise? Then let him understand these things. Discerning? Then let him know them. For the ways of Yahweh{ are} right, and the righteous will walk in them, but the transgressors will stumble in them. BSB BSB: Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in them.