<t /><p class="poetry">Although they bring their flocks and herds<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">to seek<n id="2" /> the favor of the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They will not find him &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">he has withdrawn himself from them!p>

<p class="poetry">Then I will return again to my lairp> <p class="poetry">until they have suffered their punishment.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Then they will seek me;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in their distress they will earnestly seek me.p>

Afterward, the Israelites will turn and seek the <sc>Lordsc> their God and their Davidic king.<n id="1" /> Then they will submit to the <sc>Lordsc> in fear and receive his blessings<n id="2" /> in the future.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The arrogance of Israel testifies against him,p> <p class="poetry">yet they refuse to return to the <sc>Lordsc> their God!p> <p class="poetry">In spite of all this they refuse to seek him!p>

<p class="poetry">Then she will pursue her lovers, but she will not catch<n id="1" /> them;p> <p class="poetry">she will seek them, but she will not find them.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Then she will say,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will go back<n id="3" /> to my husband,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">because I was better off then than I am now.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>