19 After I strayed,I repented;after I came to understand,I beat my breast.I was ashamed and humiliatedbecause I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,the child in whom I delight?Though I often speak against him,I still remember him.Therefore my heart yearns for him;I have great compassion for him,’declares the Lord.
21 ‘Set up road signs;put up guideposts.Take note of the highway,the road that you take.Return, Virgin Israel,return to your towns.
22 How long will you wander,unfaithful Daughter Israel?The Lord will create a new thing on earth –the woman will return to the man.’
23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: “The Lord bless you, you prosperous city, you sacred mountain.”
24 People will live together in Judah and all its towns – farmers and those who move about with their flocks.
25 I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.’