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?’

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?’

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?

“ 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?”

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?’

And now he says to us,“ Return to me. Then I will return to you,” announces the Lord.

I will bring them into a land that has plenty of milk and honey. I promised the land to their people of long ago. In that land they will eat until they have had enough. They will get fat. When they do, they will turn to other gods and worship them. They will turn their backs on me. They will break my covenant.

But Isaiah also speaks about what God says concerning Israel. God said,“ All day long I have held out my hands. I have held them out to a stubborn people who do not obey me.”( Isaiah 65:2)

“‘ But suppose you admit that both you and your people who lived before you have sinned. You admit the evil and dishonest things you have done against me. And you admit you have become my enemy.What you did made me become your enemy. I let your enemies take you into their land. But suppose you stop being stubborn. You stop being proud. And you pay for your sin.Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob. I will remember my covenant with Isaac. I will remember my covenant with Abraham. I will remember what I said to them about the land.

Turn to the Lord before it’s too late. Call out to him while he’s still ready to help you.Let those who are evil stop doing evil things. And let them quit thinking evil thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord. The Lord will show them his tender love. Let them turn to our God. He is always ready to forgive.

“ Then the people were enjoying peace and rest again. That’s when they did what you did not want them to do. Then you handed them over to their enemies. So their enemies ruled over them. When they cried out to you again, you heard them from heaven. You loved them very much. So you saved them time after time.“ You warned them so that they would obey your law again. But they became proud. They didn’t obey your commands. They sinned against your rules. You said,‘ Anyone who obeys my rules will live by them.’ But the people didn’t care about that. They turned their backs on you. They became very stubborn. They refused to listen to you.For many years you put up with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. In spite of that, they didn’t pay any attention. So you handed them over to the nations that were around them.

The son wanted to fill his stomach with the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything.

Go. Announce this message to the people in the north. Tell them,“‘ Israel, you have not been faithful,’ announces the Lord.‘ Return to me. Then I will do good things for you again. That’s because I am faithful,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will not be angry with you forever.Admit that you are guilty of doing what is wrong. You have refused to obey me. I am the Lord your God. You have committed adultery with other gods. You worshiped them under every green tree. And you have not obeyed me,’ ” announces the Lord.“ You people have not been faithful,” announces the Lord.“ Return to me. I am your husband. I will choose one of you from each town. I will choose two from each territory. And I will bring you to the city of Zion.

Israel, return to the Lord your God. Your sins have destroyed you!

They didn’t know that God’s power makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way.

Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Make your hearts pure, you who can’t make up your minds.

“ You have not been faithful,” says the Lord.“ Return to me. I will heal you. Then you will not turn away from me anymore.”“ Yes,” the people say.“ We will come to you. You are the Lord our God.

Perhaps while you are there, you will seek the Lord your God. You will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.All the things I’ve told you about might happen to you. And you will be in trouble. But later you will return to the Lord your God. You will obey him.The Lord your God is tender and loving. He won’t leave you or destroy you. He won’t forget the covenant he made with your people of long ago. He gave his word when he made it.

I have told you about all these blessings and curses. The Lord your God will bring them on you. Then you will think carefully about the blessings and curses. You will think about them everywhere the Lord your God scatters you among the nations.You and your children will return to the Lord your God. You will obey him with all your heart and with all your soul. That will be according to everything I’m commanding you today.When all that happens, the Lord your God will bless you with great success again. He will be very kind to you. He’ll bring you back from all the nations where he scattered you.Suppose you have been forced to go away to the farthest land on earth. The Lord your God will bring you back even from there.

All day long I have held out my hands to welcome a stubborn nation. They lead sinful lives. They go where their evil thoughts take them.

“ But our people before us became proud and stubborn. They didn’t obey your commands.They refused to listen to you. They forgot the miracles you had done among them. So they became stubborn. When they refused to obey you, they appointed a leader for themselves. They wanted to go back to being slaves in Egypt. But you are a God who forgives. You are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. So you didn’t desert them.

Here is something you must remember. Never forget it. You made the Lord your God angry in the desert. You refused to obey him from the day you left Egypt until you arrived here.At Mount Horeb you made the Lord angry enough to destroy you.I went up the mountain. I went there to receive the tablets of the covenant law. They were made out of stone. It was the covenant the Lord had made with you. I stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. I didn’t eat any food or drink any water.The Lord gave me two stone tablets. The words on them were written by the finger of God. All the commandments the Lord gave you were written on the tablets. He announced them to you out of the fire on the mountain. He wrote them on the day you gathered together there.The 40 days and 40 nights came to an end. Then the Lord gave me the two stone tablets. They were the tablets of the covenant law.The Lord told me,“ Go down from here right away. The people you brought out of Egypt have become very sinful. They have quickly turned away from what I commanded them. They have made a statue of a god for themselves.”The Lord also said to me,“ I have seen these people. They are so stubborn!Do not try to stop me. I am going to destroy them. I will wipe them out from the earth. Then I will make you into a great nation. Your people will be stronger than they were. There will be more of you than there were of them.”So I turned and went down the mountain. It was blazing with fire. I was carrying the two tablets of the covenant law.When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God. You had made for yourselves a metal statue of a god. It looked like a calf. You had quickly turned away from the path the Lord had commanded you to follow.So I threw the two tablets out of my hands. You watched them break into pieces.Then once again I fell down flat in front of the Lord with my face toward the ground. I lay there for 40 days and 40 nights. I didn’t eat any food or drink any water. You had committed a terrible sin. You had done an evil thing in the Lord’ s sight. You had made him angry.I was afraid of the Lord’ s great anger. He was so angry with you he wanted to destroy you. But the Lord listened to me again.And he was so angry with Aaron he wanted to destroy him too. But at that time I prayed for Aaron.I also got that sinful calf you had made. I burned it in the fire. I crushed it and ground it into fine powder. Then I threw the powder into a stream that was flowing down the mountain.

“ How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You are like tombs that are painted white. They look beautiful on the outside. But on the inside they are full of the bones of the dead. They are also full of other things that are not pure and‘ clean.’

“ You have spoken with pride against me,” says the Lord.“ But you ask,‘ What have we spoken against you?’

“‘ “But in the desert the people of Israel refused to obey me. They did not follow my rules. They turned their backs on my laws. The person who obeys them will live by them. They totally misused my Sabbath days. So I said I would pour out my great anger on them. I would destroy them in the desert.

“ Remember what you told him. You said,‘ If you people are not faithful, I will scatter you among the nations.But if you return to me, I will bring you back. If you obey my commands, I will gather you together again. I will bring you back from the farthest places on earth. I will bring you to the special place where I have chosen to put my Name.’

But suppose your people change their ways in the land where they are held as prisoners. They turn away from their sins. They beg you to help them in the land of those who won the battle over them. They say,‘ We have sinned. We’ve done what is wrong. We’ve done what is evil.’And they turn back to you with all their heart and soul. Suppose it happens in the land of their enemies who took them away as prisoners. There they pray to you toward the land you gave their people long ago. They pray toward the city you have chosen. And they pray toward the temple I’ve built for your Name.Then listen to them from heaven. It’s the place where you live. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them when they ask you to help them. Stand up for them.

But I brought them into the land. I had promised to give the land to them. Then they offered sacrifices that made me very angry. They did it on every high hill and under every green tree. There they brought their sweet- smelling incense. And there they poured out their drink offerings.

“ A son honors his father. A slave honors his master. If I am a father, where is the honor I should have? If I am a master, where is the respect you should give me?” says the Lord who rules over all.“ You priests look down on me.“ But you ask,‘ How have we looked down on you?’

“ But they didn’t obey you. Instead, they turned against you. They turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets. The prophets had warned them to return to you. But they did very evil things that dishonored you.

So you show that you agree with what your people did long ago. They killed the prophets, and now you build the prophets’ tombs.So God in his wisdom said,‘ I will send prophets and apostles to them. They will kill some. And they will try to hurt others.’So the people of today will be punished. They will pay for all the prophets’ blood spilled since the world began.I mean from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah. He was killed between the altar and the temple. Yes, I tell you, the people of today will be punished for all these things.

They would not be like their people who lived long ago. Those people were stubborn. They refused to obey God. They turned away from him. Their spirits were not faithful to him.The soldiers of Ephraim were armed with bows. But they ran away on the day of battle.They didn’t keep the covenant God had made with them. They refused to live by his law.

I know how you refuse to obey the Lord. I know how stubborn you are. You have refused to obey him while I’ve been living among you. So you will certainly refuse to obey him after I’m dead!Gather together all the elders of your tribes and all your officials. Bring them to me. Then I can speak these words to them. I can call for the heavens and the earth to be witnesses against them.I know that after I’m dead you will certainly become very sinful. You will turn away from the path I’ve commanded you to take. In days to come, trouble will fall on you. That’s because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. You will make him very angry because of the statues of gods your hands have made.”

“‘ “But their children refused to obey me. They did not follow my rules. They were not careful to keep my laws. The person who obeys them will live by them. They misused my Sabbath days. So I said I would pour out all my great anger on them in the desert.

“‘ “But they refused to obey me. They would not listen to me. They did not get rid of the evil gods they worshiped. And they did not turn away from Egypt’s gods. So I said I would pour out all my great anger on them in Egypt.

“ So I will judge you Israelites. I will judge each of you in keeping with what you have done,” announces the Lord and King.“ Turn away from your sins! Turn away from all the evil things you have done. Then sin will not bring you down.Get rid of all the evil things you have done. Let me give you a new heart and a new spirit. Then you will be faithful to me. Why should you die, people of Israel?When anyone dies, it does not give me any joy,” announces the Lord and King.“ So turn away from your sins. Then you will live!

But your people of long ago did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They did more evil things than their people who lived before them.

“ You stubborn people! You won’t obey! You won’t listen! You are just like your people of long ago! You always oppose the Holy Spirit!Was there ever a prophet your people didn’t try to hurt? They even killed those who told about the coming of the Blameless One. And now you have handed him over to his enemies. You have murdered him.

Before I knew about the law, I was alive. But then the commandment came. Sin came to life, and I died.