Return to the Lord
12 "Yet even now," declares the Lord,
Deut. 4:30;1 Sam. 7:3;Jer. 4:1;Hos. 12:6"return to me with all your heart,
[1 Sam. 7:6]with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and [Ps. 34:18] rend your hearts and not See Gen. 37:29your garments."
Return to the Lord your God,
Ex. 34:6;Ps. 86:5,15;Jonah 4:2for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
[Num. 23:19;Ezek. 24:14]and he relents over disaster.
14 Jonah 3:9Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and Hag. 2:19;Mal. 3:10leave a blessing behind him,
ch. 1:9,13a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?
15 See ver. 1Blow the trumpet in Zion;
See ch. 1:14consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16 gather the people.
See Josh. 3:5Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
[2 Chr. 20:13] gather the children,
even nursing infants.
[Deut. 24:5;Eccles. 3:5;Zech. 12:12-14;1 Cor. 7:5]Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
17 Ezek. 8:16Between the 1 Kgs. 6:3;2 Chr. 3:4vestibule and the 2 Chr. 4:1altar
See ch. 1:9let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, "Spare your people, O Lord,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
a byword among the nations.2:17 Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them
Ps. 42:3;79:10;115:2Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’"