And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that {it is} an evil {thing} and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear {is} not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day {that} I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: {although...: or, should I have continued an husband unto them?}

For thy Maker {is} thine husband; the LORD of hosts {is} his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. {Maker: Heb. Makers}

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, {even} I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man {that is} my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, {and} with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

And it shall come to pass in that day, {that} the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

But yet in it {shall be} a tenth, and {it} shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance {is} in them, when they cast {their leaves: so} the holy seed {shall be} the substance thereof. {and it...: or, when it is returned, and hath been broused} {substance: or, stock, or, stem}

And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land {that was} not sown. {thee: or, for thy sake}

For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, {yet} a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. {of them: Heb. in, or, among, etc} {with: or, in}

Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, {and} we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, {there shall be} as the shaking of an olive tree, {and} as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.

They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. {They say: Heb. Saying}

But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to {the image of} Baal.

Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two {or} three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four {or} five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. {Hephzibah: that is, My delight is in her} {Beulah: that is, Married}

And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

Turn ye unto {him from} whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, {that} thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. {Ishi: that is, My husband} {Baali: that is, My lord}

And it shall come to pass in that day, {that} the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.

Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; {and} I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I {am} merciful, saith the LORD, {and} I will not keep {anger} for ever.

Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day {that} I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: {although...: or, should I have continued an husband unto them?}

Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, {saying}, Who shall come unto me? {thy...: or, thy valley floweth away}

What hath my beloved to do in mine house, {seeing} she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest. {What...: Heb. What is to my beloved in my house} {when...: or, when thy evil is}

Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

For thy Maker {is} thine husband; the LORD of hosts {is} his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. {Maker: Heb. Makers}

If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.

But {if} ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, {yet} will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, {even} the way {which} thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.

How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending {them}, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.