Blessing or Curse

If you return,[a] Israel—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
you will return to me,(A)
if you remove your abhorrent idols(B)
from my presence
and do not waver,
then you can swear, “As the Lord lives,”(C)
in truth,(D) justice, and righteousness,(E)
and then the nations will be blessed[b] by him(F)
and will boast in him.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 4:1 Or Repent
  2. 4:2 Or will bless one another

“O Israel,” says the Lord,
    “if you wanted to return to me, you could.
You could throw away your detestable idols
    and stray away no more.
Then when you swear by my name, saying,
    ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’
you could do so
    with truth, justice, and righteousness.
Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,
    and all people would come and praise my name.”

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