“ Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from My statutes; you have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Hosts. But you ask:“ How can we return?”

万军之耶和华说：从你们列祖的日子以来，你们常常偏离我的典章而不遵守。现在你们要转向我，我就转向你们。你们却问说：‘我们如何才是转向呢？’

从你们祖先的日子以来，你们就偏离我的律例而不遵守。现在你们要转向我，我就转向你们。这是万军之耶和华说的。你们却说：‘我们如何转向呢？’

从你们祖先的日子以来，你们就偏离我的律例而不遵守。现在你们要转向我，我就转向你们。这是万军之耶和华说的。你们却说：‘我们如何转向呢？’

万军之耶和华说：“从你们祖先开始，你们就常常偏离我的律例，不肯遵从。现在你们要转向我，我就转向你们。可是你们竟然说，‘我们怎么转向你呢？’

“从你们列祖的日子以来，你们就偏离了我的律例而不遵守。现在你们要转向我，我就必转向你们。你们还问：‘我们要怎样回转呢？’

万军之耶和华说：“从你们祖先的日子以来，你们就偏离我的律例而不遵守。现在你们当转向我，我就转向你们！你们竟然问：‘我们怎样转向你呢？’

萬軍之耶和華說：從你們列祖的日子以來，你們常常偏離我的典章而不遵守。現在你們要轉向我，我就轉向你們。你們卻問說：『我們如何才是轉向呢？』

從你們祖先的日子以來，你們就偏離我的律例而不遵守。現在你們要轉向我，我就轉向你們。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。你們卻說：『我們如何轉向呢？』

從你們祖先的日子以來，你們就偏離我的律例而不遵守。現在你們要轉向我，我就轉向你們。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。你們卻說：『我們如何轉向呢？』

萬軍之耶和華說：「從你們祖先開始，你們就常常偏離我的律例，不肯遵從。現在你們要轉向我，我就轉向你們。可是你們竟然說，『我們怎麼轉向你呢？』

“從你們列祖的日子以來，你們就偏離了我的律例而不遵守。現在你們要轉向我，我就必轉向你們。你們還問：‘我們要怎樣回轉呢？’

萬軍之永恆主說：從你們列祖的日子以來，你們總偏離了我的律例、而不遵守。現在你們要轉向着我，我就轉向着你們。但你們卻還問說：「我們要在甚麼事上轉向呢？」

萬軍之耶和華說：「從你們祖先的日子以來，你們就偏離我的律例而不遵守。現在你們當轉向我，我就轉向你們！你們竟然問：『我們怎樣轉向你呢？』

萬軍之耶和華曰、自爾列祖之日、爾偏離我律例、而不守之、當返於我、我則返於爾、爾乃曰於何而返乎、

萬有之主耶和華曰、自列祖以來、爾背我法度、不遵我道、然爾歸誠於我、而我必復加眷顧、爾曰、若何為之歸誠、

萬有之主曰、自爾列祖之日以來、爾棄我律例而不守之、今當歸誠於我、則我必復眷顧爾、則我必復眷顧爾原文作則我必歸於爾爾曰、如何方為歸誠、

Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.“ But you ask,‘ How are we to return?’

You have turned away from my rules. You have not obeyed them. You have lived that way ever since the days of your people of long ago. Return to me. Then I will return to you,” says the Lord who rules over all.“ But you ask,‘ How can we return?’

From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say,‘ How shall we return?’

Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.“ But you ask,‘ How can we return when we have never gone away?’

“ Since the days of your ancestors, you have turned from my statutes; you have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Armies. Yet you ask,“ How can we return?”

“ From the days of your fathers you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of armies.“ But you say,‘ How shall we return?’

Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts.“ But you said,‘ In what way shall we return?’

From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?

Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept[ them]. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

From the days of your ancestors you have ignored my commandments and have not kept them! Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD who rules over all.“ But you say,‘ How should we return?’

From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of Armies.“ But you say,‘ How shall we return?’

So tell the people: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Return to Me”— this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“ and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts.

When I bring them into the land I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. They will turn to other gods and worship them, despising Me and breaking My covenant.

But to Israel he says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people.

“ But if they will confess their sin and the sin of their fathers— their unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, and how they acted with hostility toward Me,and I acted with hostility toward them and brought them into the land of their enemies— and if their uncircumcised hearts will be humbled, and if they will pay the penalty for their sin,then I will remember My covenant with Jacob. I will also remember My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call to Him while He is near.Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive.

But as soon as they had relief, they again did what was evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the power of their enemies, who dominated them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven and rescued them many times in Your compassion.You warned them to turn back to Your law, but they acted arrogantly and would not obey Your commands. They sinned against Your ordinances, which a person will live by if he does them. They stubbornly resisted, stiffened their necks, and would not obey.You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit warned them through Your prophets, but they would not listen. Therefore, You handed them over to the surrounding peoples.

He longed to eat his fill from the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any.

Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say: Return, unfaithful Israel. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not look on you with anger, for I am unfailing in My love. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not be angry forever.Only acknowledge your guilt— you have rebelled against the Lord your God. You have scattered your favors to strangers under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice. This is the Lord’s declaration.“ Return, you faithless children”— this is the Lord’s declaration—“ for I am your master, and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

Israel, return to Yahweh your God, for you have stumbled in your sin.

Because they disregarded the righteousness from God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to God’s righteousness.

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!

Return, you faithless children. I will heal your unfaithfulness.“ Here we are, coming to You, for You are the Lord our God.

But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, you will return to the Lord your God in later days and obey Him.He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your fathers that He swore to them by oath, because the Lord your God is a compassionate God.

“ When all these things happen to you— the blessings and curses I have set before you— and you come to your senses while you are in all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you,and you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and all your soul by doing everything I am giving you today,then He will restore your fortunes, have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.Even if your exiles are at the ends of the earth, He will gather you and bring you back from there.

I spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in the wrong path, following their own thoughts.

But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands.They refused to listen and did not remember Your wonders You performed among them. They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in faithful love, and You did not abandon them.

“ Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God in the wilderness. You have been rebelling against the Lord from the day you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place.You provoked the Lord at Horeb, and He was angry enough with you to destroy you.When I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant the Lord made with you, I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights. I did not eat bread or drink water.On the day of the assembly the Lord gave me the two stone tablets, inscribed by God’s finger. The exact words were on them, which the Lord spoke to you from the fire on the mountain.The Lord gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant, at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights.“ The Lord said to me,‘ Get up and go down immediately from here. For your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned from the way that I commanded them; they have made a cast image for themselves.’The Lord also said to me,‘ I have seen this people, and indeed, they are a stiff-necked people.Leave Me alone, and I will destroy them and blot out their name under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.’“ So I went back down the mountain, while it was blazing with fire, and the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.I saw how you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made a calf image for yourselves. You had quickly turned from the way the Lord had commanded for you.So I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my hands, shattering them before your eyes.Then I fell down like the first time in the presence of the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights; I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you committed, doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and provoking Him to anger.I was afraid of the fierce anger the Lord had directed against you, because He was about to destroy you. But again the Lord listened to me on that occasion.The Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. But I prayed for Aaron at that time also.I took the sinful calf you had made, burned it up, and crushed it, thoroughly grinding it to powder as fine as dust. Then I threw it into the stream that came down from the mountain.

“ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity.

“ Your words against Me are harsh,” says the Lord. Yet you ask:“ What have we spoken against You?”

“ But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances— the person who does them will live by them. They also completely profaned My Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them in the wilderness to put an end to them.

Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses:“ If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples.But if you return to Me and carefully observe My commands, even though your exiles were banished to the ends of the earth, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have My name dwell.”

and when they come to their senses in the land where they were deported and repent and petition You in their captors’ land:“ We have sinned and done wrong; we have been wicked,”and when they return to You with their whole mind and heart in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of their land that You gave their ancestors, the city You have chosen, and the temple I have built for Your name,may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition and uphold their cause.

When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices and presented their offensive offerings there. They also sent up their pleasing aromas and poured out their drink offerings there.

“ A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me? says Yahweh of Hosts to you priests, who despise My name.” Yet you ask:“ How have we despised Your name?”

But they were disobedient and rebelled against You. They flung Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who warned them in order to turn them back to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.

Therefore, you are witnesses that you approve the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments.Because of this, the wisdom of God said,‘ I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’so that this generation may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world—from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.“ Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible.

Then they would not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.The Ephraimite archers turned back on the day of battle.They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by His law.

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are rebelling against the Lord now, while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after I am dead!Assemble all your tribal elders and officers before me so that I may speak these words directly to them and call heaven and earth as witnesses against them.For I know that after my death you will become completely corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. Disaster will come to you in the future, because you will do what is evil in the Lord’s sight, infuriating Him with what your hands have made.”

“ But the children rebelled against Me. They did not follow My statutes or carefully keep My ordinances— the person who does them will live by them. They also profaned My Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them and exhausting My anger against them in the wilderness.

“ But they rebelled against Me and were unwilling to listen to Me. None of them threw away the detestable things that were before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them, exhausting My anger against them within the land of Egypt.

“ Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.“ Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so they will not be a stumbling block that causes your punishment.Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.“ So repent and live!

However, they wouldn’t listen to Me or pay attention but became obstinate; they did more evil than their ancestors.

“ You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit; as your ancestors did, so do you.Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They even killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.

Once I was alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life