“ I have heard the groans of Ephraim’s people. They say,‘ You corrected us like a calf you were training. And we have been trained. Bring us back to you, and we will come back. You are the Lord our God.

我听见以法莲为自己悲叹说：“你责罚我，我便受责罚，像不惯负轭的牛犊一样。求你使我回转，我便回转，因为你是耶和华我的神。

我听见以法莲为自己悲叹说：‘你管教我，我便受管教，我如未驯服的牛犊。求你使我回转，我便回转，因为你是耶和华—我的上帝。

我听见以法莲为自己悲叹说：‘你管教我，我便受管教，我如未驯服的牛犊。求你使我回转，我便回转，因为你是耶和华—我的神。

我听见以法莲在为自己悲叹，‘我们就像未经驯服的牛犊，你管教我们，使我们顺服，求你使我们回到你身边，重新复兴，因为你是我们的上帝耶和华。

“我清楚听见以法莲为自己哀叹，说：‘你管教了我，我像一头不驯服的牛犊受管教；求你使我回转，我就得以回转，因为你是耶和华我的神。

我聽見以法蓮為自己悲歎說：你責罰我，我便受責罰，像不慣負軛的牛犢一樣。求你使我回轉，我便回轉，因為你是耶和華－我的神。

我聽見以法蓮為自己悲嘆說：『你管教我，我便受管教，我如未馴服的牛犢。求你使我回轉，我便回轉，因為你是耶和華－我的上帝。

我聽見以法蓮為自己悲嘆說：『你管教我，我便受管教，我如未馴服的牛犢。求你使我回轉，我便回轉，因為你是耶和華－我的神。

我聽見以法蓮在為自己悲歎，『我們就像未經馴服的牛犢，你管教我們，使我們順服，求你使我們回到你身邊，重新復興，因為你是我們的上帝耶和華。

“我清楚聽見以法蓮為自己哀歎，說：‘你管教了我，我像一頭不馴服的牛犢受管教；求你使我回轉，我就得以回轉，因為你是耶和華我的神。

我真地聽見以法蓮在為自己悲歎着說：「你督責了我，我便受督責，像訓練未馴的牛犢一樣；使我返回哦，我便得以返回，因為你是永恆主我的上帝。

我聞以法蓮為己悲歎曰、爾責我、而我受責、我若未習負軛之犢、求爾轉我、我則轉焉、蓋爾乃我之上帝耶和華也、

我聞以法蓮哭曰、昔予如放逸之犢、爾督責予、而我受責、爾耶和華乃我之上帝、俾我悛改。

我聞以法蓮哀哭曰、昔我如不習於負軛不習於負軛或作放逸之犢、主督責我、我受督責、求主俾我悛改、我則悛改、蓋主為我之天主、

“ I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:‘ You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the Lord my God.

I have heard Ephraim grieving,‘ You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the Lord my God.

I have heard Israel saying,‘ You disciplined me severely, like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the Lord my God.

I have surely heard Ephraim moaning,“ You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined like an untrained calf. Take me back, so that I can return, for you, LORD, are my God.

I have certainly heard Ephraim grieving,‘ You have disciplined me, and I was corrected, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the Lord my God.

“ I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself:‘ You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained bull; Restore me, and I will return, For You are the Lord my God.

I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God.

I have heard Ephraim moaning,“ You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined like an untrained calf. Restore me, and I will return, for you, Lord, are my God.

I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself[ thus]; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed[ to the yoke]: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou[ art] the LORD my God.

I have indeed heard the people of Israel say mournfully,‘ We were like a calf untrained to the yoke. You disciplined us and we learned from it. Let us come back to you and we will do so, for you are the LORD our God.

“ I have surely heard Ephraim grieving thus,‘ You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untrained calf. Turn me, and I will be turned; for you are Yahweh my God.

God, make us new again. May you be pleased with us. Then we will be saved.

A cry is heard on the bare hilltops. The people of Israel are weeping and begging for help. That’s because their lives are so twisted. They’ve forgotten the Lord their God.“ 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.

“ Blessed is the person God corrects. So don’t hate the Mighty One’s training.

So he got up and went to his father.“ While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him. He was filled with tender love for his son. He ran to him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Lord God who rules over all, make us new again. May you be pleased with us. Then we will be saved.

Their eyes will be filled with tears as they come. They will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water. I will lead them on a level path where they will not trip or fall. I am Israel’s father. And Ephraim is my oldest son.

Lord, heal me. Then I will be healed. Save me from my enemies. Then I will be saved. You are the one I praise.

God who rules over all, make us new again. May you be pleased with us. Then we will be saved.

Lord, blessed is the person you correct. Blessed is the person you teach from your law.

Then that person will come to others and say,‘ I sinned. I made what is wrong appear to be right. But I wasn’t punished as I should have been.God has set me free. He has kept me from going down into the darkness of the grave. So I’ll live to enjoy the light of life.’

‘ I warn and correct those I love. So be sincere, and turn away from your sins.

God raised up Jesus, who serves him. God sent him first to you. He did it to bless you. He wanted to turn each of you from your evil ways.”

Lord, please bring us back to you. Then we can return. Make our lives like new again.

Lord, don’t your eyes look for truth? You struck down your people. But they didn’t feel any pain. You crushed them. But they refused to be corrected. They made their faces harder than stone. They refused to turn away from their sins.

They don’t obey anyone. They don’t accept the Lord’ s warnings. They don’t trust in him. They don’t ask their God for his help.

I will be like a moth to Ephraim. I will cause Judah to rot away.“ The people of Ephraim saw how sick they were. The people of Judah saw that they were wounded. Then Ephraim turned to Assyria for help. They sent gifts to the great King Tiglath- Pileser. But he is not able to make you well. He can’t heal your wounds.

But his people have not returned to the God who struck them down. They haven’t turned for help to the Lord who rules over all.

Your children have fainted. They lie helpless at every street corner. They are like antelope that have been caught in a net. They have felt the full force of the Lord’ s great anger. Jerusalem, your God had to warn them strongly.

My dear brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone fool you.Every good and perfect gift is from God. This kind of gift comes down from the Father who created the heavenly lights. These lights create shadows that move. But the Father does not change like these shadows.God chose to give us new birth through the message of truth. He wanted us to be the first harvest of his new creation.

Elijah will bring peace between parents and their children. He will also bring peace between children and their parents. If that does not happen, I will come. And I will completely destroy the land.”

Save me from all the wrong things I’ve done. Don’t let foolish people make fun of me.I keep silent. I don’t open my mouth. You are the one who has caused all this to happen.

Don’t be like a horse or a mule. They can’t understand anything. They have to be controlled by bits and bridles. If they aren’t, they won’t come to you.

There will be a day when those on guard duty will cry out. They will stand on the hills of Ephraim. And they will shout,‘ Come! Let’s go up to Zion. Let’s go up to where the Lord our God is.’ ”

It is good for a man to carry a heavy load of suffering while he is young.Let him sit alone and not say anything. The Lord has placed that load on him.Let him bury his face in the dust. There might still be hope for him.Let him turn his cheek toward those who would slap him. Let him be filled with shame.

You are our Father. Abraham might not accept us as his children. Jacob might not recognize us as his family. But you are our Father, Lord. Your name is One Who Always Sets Us Free.

“ The days are coming,” announces the Lord.“ At that time the people of Israel and Judah will gather together. They will come in tears to me. I am the Lord their God.They will ask how to get to Zion. Then they will turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to me. They will enter into the covenant I make with them. It will last forever. It will never be forgotten.

Lord, I know that your laws are right. You were faithful to your promise when you made me suffer.

“ I punished your people. But it did not do them any good. They did not pay attention when they were corrected. You have killed your prophets by swords. You have swallowed them up like a hungry lion.

Ephraim was like a well- trained young cow. It loved to thresh grain. So I will put a yoke on its pretty neck. I will make Ephraim do hard work. Judah also must plow. So all the people of Jacob must break up the ground.

The people of Israel are stubborn. They are as stubborn as a young cow. So how can I take care of them like lambs in a meadow?

Let us lie down in our shame. Let our dishonor cover us. You are the Lord our God. But we have sinned against you. We and our people of long ago have sinned. We haven’t obeyed you from our earliest years until now.”

He was treated badly and made to suffer. But he didn’t open his mouth. He was led away like a lamb to be killed. Sheep are silent while their wool is being cut off. In the same way, he didn’t open his mouth.

Have you completely forgotten this word of hope? It speaks to you as a father to his children. It says,“ My son, think of the Lord’s training as important. Do not lose hope when he corrects you.

Israel, why do you want to be beaten all the time? Why do you always refuse to obey the Lord? Your head is covered with wounds. Your whole heart is weak.

My son, do not hate the Lord’ s training. Do not object when he corrects you.

And he will prepare the way for the Lord. He will have the same spirit and power that Elijah had. He will bring peace between parents and their children. He will teach people who don’t obey to be wise and do what is right. In this way, he will prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.”

Then the Lord will answer,“ My people always wander away from me. But I will put an end to that. My anger has turned away from them. Now I will love them freely.I will be like the dew to Israel. They will bloom like a lily. They will send their roots down deep like a cedar tree in Lebanon.They will spread out like new branches. They will be as beautiful as an olive tree. They will smell as sweet as the cedar trees in Lebanon.Once again my people will live in the safety of my shade. They will grow like grain. They will bloom like vines. And Israel will be as famous as wine from Lebanon.Ephraim will have nothing more to do with other gods. I will answer the prayers of my people. I will take good care of them. I will be like a healthy juniper tree to them. All the fruit they bear will come from me.”

The God who is highly honored lives forever. His name is holy. He says,“ I live in a high and holy place. But I also live with anyone who turns away from their sins. I live with anyone who is not proud. I give new life to them. I give it to anyone who turns away from their sins.I will not find fault with my people forever. I will not always be angry with them. If I were, I would cause their spirits to grow weak. The people I created would faint away.I was very angry with them. They always longed for more and more of everything. So I punished them for that sin. I turned my face away from them because I was angry. But they kept on wanting their own way.I have seen what they have done. But I will heal them. I will guide them. I will give those who mourn in Israel the comfort they had before.

A whip is for a horse, and a harness is for a donkey. And a beating is for the backs of foolish people.

Here is what should be written.“ The Lord looked down from his temple in heaven. From heaven he viewed the earth.He heard the groans of the prisoners. He set free those who were sentenced to death.”

I will go back to my lion’s den. I will stay there until they pay the price for their sin. Then they will turn to me. They will suffer so much that they will really want me to help them.”The people say,“ Come. Let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces. But he will heal us. He has wounded us. But he’ll bandage our wounds.After two days he will give us new life. On the third day he’ll make us like new again. Then we will enjoy his blessing.

God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to fulfill his good purpose.

Whoever still won’t obey after being warned many times will suddenly be destroyed. Nothing can save them.

The Lord continues,“ People of Ephraim, how can I give you up? Israel, how can I hand you over to your enemies? Can I destroy you as I did the town of Admah? Can I treat you like Zeboyim? My heart is stirred inside me. It is filled with pity for you.I will not be so angry with you anymore. I will not completely destroy you again. After all, I am God. I am not a mere man. I am the Holy One among you. I will not direct my anger against their cities.

God our Savior, make us new again. Stop being unhappy with us.