16IT WILL BE HELD GUILTY SAMARIA FOR IT HAS REBELLED AGAINST GOD ITS BY THE SWORD THEY WILL FALL CHILDREN THEIR THEY WILL BE DASHED IN PIECES AND PREGNANT [WOMEN] ITS THEY WILL BE RIPPED OPEN 16Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
1RETURN! O ISRAEL TO YAHWEH GOD YOUR FOR YOU HAVE STUMBLED ON INIQUITY YOUR A Call to Repentance (Jeremiah 3:11–25; Zechariah 1:1–6) 1Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity.
2TAKE WITH YOU WORDS AND RETURN TO YAHWEH SAY TO HIM EVERY YOU WILL FORGIVE INIQUITY AND TAKE GOOD THING[S] SO LET US PAY BULLS LIPS OUR 2Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: “Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.*NoteCloseLXX and Syriac; Hebrew that we may present our lips as sacrificial bulls
3ASSYRIA NOT IT WILL SAVE US ON HORSE[S] NOT WE WILL RIDE AND NOT WE WILL SAY AGAIN GODS OUR TO [THE] WORK OF HANDS OUR THAT BY YOU HE IS SHOWN COMPASSION [THE] FATHERLESS 3Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.”
4I WILL HEAL APOSTASY THEIR I WILL LOVE THEM VOLUNTARINESS FOR IT HAS TURNED AWAY ANGER MY FROM HIM A Promise of God’s Blessing 4I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for My anger has turned away from them.
5I WILL BE LIKE THE DEW TO ISRAEL IT WILL BLOSSOM LIKE <THE> LILY AND IT MAY STRIKE ROOTS ITS LIKE <THE> LEBANON 5I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
6THEY WILL GO YOUNG SHOOTS ITS AND IT MAY BE LIKE <THE> OLIVE TREE SPLENDOR ITS AND FRAGRANCE OF IT LIKE <THE> LEBANON 6His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.
7THEY WILL RETURN [THOSE WHO] DWELL IN SHADE ITS THEY WILL CAUSE TO GROW GRAIN SO THEY MAY BLOSSOM LIKE <THE> VINE MEMORIAL ITS [WILL BE] LIKE [THE] WINE OF LEBANON 7They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8O EPHRAIM WHAT? TO ME AGAIN TO <THE> IDOLS I I WILL ANSWER AND I WILL WATCH OVER IT I [AM] LIKE A CYPRESS TREE LUXURIANT FROM ME FRUIT YOUR IT IS FOUND 8O Ephraim,*NoteCloseThat is, the northern kingdom of Israel what have I to do anymore with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing cypress;*NoteCloseOr pine or juniper or fir your fruit comes from Me.
9WHO? [IS] WISE AND LET HIM UNDERSTAND THESE [THINGS] DISCERNING? AND LET HIM KNOW THEM FOR [ARE] UPRIGHT [THE] WAYS OF YAHWEH AND RIGHTEOUS [PEOPLE] THEY WALK IN THEM AND TRANSGRESSORS THEY STUMBLE IN THEM 9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in them.