19. “I wanted to treat you like childrenand give you a pleasant land,the most beautiful property among the nations.I thought that you would call me Father and wouldn’t turn away from me.
20. But like a wife who betrays her husband,so you, nation of Israel, betrayed me,” declares the Lord.
21. The sound of crying is heard on the hills.It is the crying and the pleading of the people of Israel.They have become crookedand have forgotten the Lord their God.
22. “Come back, you rebellious people,and I will forgive you for being unfaithful.”Here we are!We have come to you because you are the Lord our God.
23. Truly, the noise from the hills, from the mountains,is the noise of false worship.Truly, the Lord our God will rescue us.
24. Ever since we were young,the shameful worship ⌊of Baal⌋has taken everything our ancestors worked for,their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
25. We must lie down in our shameand be covered by our disgrace.Ever since we were young, we and our ancestors have sinnedagainst the Lord our God.We haven’t obeyed the Lord our God.