²⁰ Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

¹⁸ Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

¹⁹ He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

¹⁵ Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?

¹³ Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

⁴ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

³¹ For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

³² But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

¹⁶ And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

⁸ For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.