God’s Mercy to Israel

“ Therefore, behold, I will allure her

and lead her to the wilderness,

and speak to her tenderly.

15 

There I will give back her vineyards

and make the Valley of Achor[fn]

into a gateway of hope.

There she will respond as she did

in the days of her youth,

as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

16 

In that day,”

declares the LORD,

“ you will call Me‘my Husband,’[fn]

and no longer call Me‘my Master.’[fn]

17 

For I will remove from her lips the names of the Baals;

no longer will their names be invoked.

18 

On that day I will make a covenant for them

with the beasts of the field [and] the birds of the air

and the creatures that crawl on the ground.

And I will abolish bow and sword

and battle in the land,

and will make them lie down in safety.

19 

So I will betroth you to Me forever;

I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,

in loving devotion[fn] and compassion.

20 

And I will betroth you in faithfulness,

and you will know the LORD.”

21 

On that day I will respond —”

declares the LORD —

“ I will respond to the heavens,

and they will respond to the earth.

22 

And the earth will respond to the grain,

to the new wine and oil,

and they will respond to Jezreel.[fn]

23 

And I will sow her as My own in the land,

and I will have compassion on‘No Compassion.’[fn]

I will say to those [called]‘Not My People,’[fn]

‘You are My people,’[fn]

and they will say,

‘You are my God.’ ” 3