“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.

“You have bought Me not

sweet cane with money,

Nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Rather you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your iniquities.

“You have not heard, you have not known.
Even from long ago your ear has not been open,
Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;
And you have been called a

rebel from birth.

“I have surely heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained calf;

Bring me back that I may be restored,

For You are the Lord my God.

“Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and

embraced him and kissed him.

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

Will heal

“Return, O faithless sons,

I will heal your faithlessness.”

“Behold, we come to You;
For You are the Lord our God.

The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.

Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.

I will heal their apostasy,
I will love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from them.

Will lead

“They will not hunger or thirst,
Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down;
For He who has compassion on them will lead them
And will guide them to springs of water.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside

quiet waters.

for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the

water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Restore

For thus says the high and exalted One
Who

lives forever, whose name is Holy,

“I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.

Then you will say on that day,
“I will give thanks to You, O Lord;
For although You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away,
And You comfort me.

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,

“Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her;
Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her,

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.

To his

But if you will not listen to it,
My soul will sob in secret for such pride;
And my eyes will bitterly weep
And flow down with tears,
Because the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.

For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.

General references

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.