²⁰ Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart yearneth for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah.

¹⁵ Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where are thy zeal and thy mighty acts? the yearning of thy heart and thy compassions are restrained toward me.

⁷ let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

¹⁶ And they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Jehovah; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

⁴ My beloved put in his hand by the hole `of the door', And my heart was moved for him.

¹¹ Wherefore my heart soundeth like a harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-heres.

⁴ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him.

⁸ For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

²⁴ for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

¹⁸ Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in lovingkindness.

¹⁹ He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

⁸ How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? `how' shall I cast thee off, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? `how' shall I set thee as Zeboiim? my heart is turned within me, my compassions are kindled together.

⁹ I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee; and I will not come in wrath.

³¹ For the Lord will not cast off for ever.

³² For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

³⁶ Therefore my heart soundeth for Moab like pipes, and my heart soundeth like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: therefore the abundance that he hath gotten is perished.

³⁰ And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

³⁶ For Jehovah will judge his people, And repent himself for his servants; When he seeth that `their' power is gone, And there is none `remaining', shut up or left at large.

²⁶ Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine; divide it.

¹³ Like as a father pitieth his children, So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him.

¹² For whom Jehovah loveth he reproveth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

¹⁶ For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made.

¹⁷ For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid `my face' and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

¹⁸ I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

¹⁹ But I said, How I will put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.

⁹ They shall come with weeping; and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born.

³² But it was meet to make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive `again'; and `was' lost, and is found.