“Come on! Let’s return to the Lord! He himself has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us! He has injured us, but he will bandage our wounds!

The company of priests is like a gang of robbers, lying in ambush to pounce on a victim. They commit murder on the road to Shechem; they have done heinous crimes!

They have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey that wanders off. Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers.

Even though they have hired lovers among the nations, I will soon gather them together for judgment. Then they will begin to waste away under the oppression of a mighty king.

Although Ephraim has built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning!

My God will reject them, for they have not obeyed him; so they will be fugitives among the nations.

But you have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your chariots; you have relied on your many warriors.

Yet it was I who led Ephraim, I took them by the arm; but they did not acknowledge that I had healed them.

They will return to Egypt! Assyria will rule over them because they refuse to repent!

He will roar like a lion, and they will follow the Lord; when he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sin has been your downfall!

“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger will turn away from them.

Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you wine drinkers, because the sweet wine has been taken away from you.

The crops of the fields have been destroyed. The ground is in mourning because the grain has perished. The fresh wine has dried up; the olive oil languishes.

Be distressed, farmers; wail, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley. For the harvest of the field has perished.

How awful that day will be! For the day of the Lord is near; it will come as destruction from the Divine Destroyer.

The grains of seed have shriveled beneath their shovels. Storehouses have been decimated and granaries have been torn down, for the grain has dried up.

Do not fear, my land! Rejoice and be glad, because the Lord has accomplished great things!

(4:1) For look! In those days and at that time I will return the exiles to Judah and Jerusalem.

Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision!