Israel was set apart for Yahweh. It was the best part of the harvest. All who devoured it became guilty, and disaster struck them,’” declares Yahweh.

Listen to the word of Yahweh, descendants of Jacob, all the families in the nation of Israel.

“Are the people of Israel slaves? Were they born into slavery? Why, then, have they become someone’s property?

People from Noph and Tahpanhes have cracked your skulls, Israel.

“As a thief feels ashamed when he’s caught, so the nation of Israel will feel ashamed. Their kings, princes, priests, and prophets will also feel ashamed.

“Consider the word of Yahweh, people of this generation. Haven’t I been a desert, a land of thick darkness, for Israel? Why do my people say that they are free to wander around and no longer come to me?

The Lord Offers to Forgive the Ten Tribes of Israel Despite Their Idolatry

When Josiah was king, Yahweh asked me, “Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She went up every high mountain and under every large tree, and she acted like a prostitute there.

Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away because of her adultery and that I gave Israel her divorce papers. But treacherous Judah, her sister, wasn’t afraid. She also acted like a prostitute.

Even after all this, Israel’s treacherous sister Judah didn’t wholeheartedly come back to me. She was deceitful,” declares Yahweh.

Then Yahweh said to me, “Unfaithful Israel was less guilty than treacherous Judah.

Go and proclaim these things to the north: “‘Come back, unfaithful Israel. It is Yahweh speaking. I will no longer frown on you because I’m merciful,’ declares Yahweh. ‘I will no longer be angry with you.

In those days the nation of Judah will live with the nation of Israel. They will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave their ancestors as their own property.

But like a wife who betrays her husband, so you, nation of Israel, betrayed me,” declares Yahweh.

The sound of crying is heard on the hills. It is the crying and the pleading of the people of Israel. They have become crooked and have forgotten Yahweh their Elohim.

Yahweh declares, “If you come back, Israel, if you come back to me, if you take your disgusting idols out of my sight and you don’t wander away from me,

The nations of Israel and Judah are unfaithful to me,” declares Yahweh.

Nation of Israel, I’m going to bring a nation from far away to attack you, declares Yahweh. It is a nation that has lasted a long time. It is an ancient nation. You don’t know the language of this nation. You can’t understand what its people say.

This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: Thoroughly pick through the faithful few of Israel like someone picks through a grapevine. Like someone picking grapes, pass your hand over its branches again.

This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth, the Elohim of Israel, says: Change the way you live and act, and I will let you live in this place.

“‘But go to my place that was at Shiloh, where I first made a dwelling place for my name. See what I did to Shiloh because of the evil done by my people Israel.

“This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth, the Elohim of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the meat.

This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth, the Elohim of Israel, says: I am going to feed these people bitterness and give them poison to drink.

I will punish Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, and Moab. I will punish all who shave the hair on their foreheads or live in the desert. Even though these nations are circumcised, all Israel has uncircumcised hearts.”

Listen to the message that Yahweh has spoken to you, nation of Israel.

Jacob’s God isn’t like them. He made everything, and Israel is the tribe that belongs to him. His name is Yahweh Tsebaoth.