悔改帶來祝福
1以色列啊，
你被自己的罪惡絆倒了，
歸向你的上帝耶和華吧！
2你要歸向耶和華，
向祂懺悔說：
「求你赦免我們的罪，
施恩悅納我們，
好叫我們以讚美為祭獻給你！
3我們不再向亞述求救，
不再依靠戰馬，
也不再稱自己所造的神像為我們的上帝。
耶和華啊，只有在你那裡，
孤兒才能得到憐憫。」
4耶和華說：
「我要醫治他們的叛道，
心甘情願地愛他們，
因為我的怒氣已經轉離他們。
5我要像甘露一樣滋潤以色列，
使他綻放如百合花，
扎根如黎巴嫩的香柏樹。
6他要長出嫩枝，
他要像橄欖樹一樣榮美，
如黎巴嫩的香柏樹一般芳香。
7他要歸回，住在我的蔭下。
他要茂盛如五穀，
榮美如葡萄樹，
聲名遠揚如黎巴嫩的美酒。
8「以法蓮啊，你要遠離偶像。
我應允你的禱告，看顧你。
我像一棵青翠的松樹，
你的果實都來自於我。」
9讓那些智者明白這一切，
讓那些明哲瞭解這一切。
因為耶和華的道是正道，
義人要行走在上面，
罪人卻在上面跌倒。
The Lord Blesses Those Who Turn Away From Sin
1Israel, return to the Lord your God.
Your sins have destroyed you!
2Tell the Lord you are turning away from your sins.
Return to him.
Say to him,
“Forgive us for all our sins.
Please be kind to us.
Welcome us back to you.
Then our lips will offer you our praise.
3Assyria can’t save us.
We won’t trust in our war horses.
Our own hands have made statues of gods.
But we will never call them our gods again.
We are like children whose fathers have died.
But you show us your tender love.”
4Then the Lord will answer,
“My people always wander away from me.
But I will put an end to that.
My anger has turned away from them.
Now I will love them freely.
5I will be like the dew to Israel.
They will bloom like a lily.
They will send their roots down deep
like a cedar tree in Lebanon.
6They will spread out like new branches.
They will be as beautiful as an olive tree.
They will smell as sweet as the cedar trees in Lebanon.
7Once again my people will live
in the safety of my shade.
They will grow like grain.
They will bloom like vines.
And Israel will be as famous
as wine from Lebanon.
8Ephraim will have nothing more to do with other gods.
I will answer the prayers of my people.
I will take good care of them.
I will be like a healthy juniper tree to them.
All the fruit they bear will come from me.”
9If someone is wise, they will realize
that what I’ve said is true.
If they have understanding,
they will know what it means.
The ways of the Lord are right.
People who are right with God live the way he wants them to.
But those who refuse to obey him trip and fall.
