But suppose your people change their ways in the land where they are held as prisoners. They turn away from their sins. They beg you to help them in the land where they are prisoners. They say,‘ We have sinned. We’ve done what is wrong. We’ve done what is evil.’

他们若在掳到之地想起罪来，回心转意，恳求你说：‘我们有罪了，我们悖逆了，我们作恶了’；

他们若在被掳之地那里回心转意，在被掳之地悔改，向你恳求说：‘我们有罪了，我们悖逆了，我们作恶了’；

他们若在被掳之地那里回心转意，在被掳之地悔改，向你恳求说：‘我们有罪了，我们悖逆了，我们作恶了’；

若他们在那里回心转意，向你恳求，承认自己犯罪作恶了；

如果他们在被掳去的地方回心转意，在被掳去的地方祈求你说：‘我们犯了罪了，我们作了孽了，我们行了恶了。’

他們若在擄到之地想起罪來，回心轉意，懇求你說：『我們有罪了，我們悖逆了，我們作惡了』；

他們若在被擄之地那裏回心轉意，在被擄之地悔改，向你懇求說：『我們有罪了，我們悖逆了，我們作惡了』；

他們若在被擄之地那裏回心轉意，在被擄之地悔改，向你懇求說：『我們有罪了，我們悖逆了，我們作惡了』；

若他們在那裡回心轉意，向你懇求，承認自己犯罪作惡了；

如果他們在被擄去的地方回心轉意，在被擄去的地方祈求你說：‘我們犯了罪了，我們作了孽了，我們行了惡了。’

他們若在被擄到之地心裏回想起來、而回心轉意，而在他們被擄之地懇求你說：「我們犯了罪了，我們作了孽了，我們行了惡了」；

如在俘囚之地、思念改悔、懇求於爾曰、我儕犯罪、悖逆作惡、

如在被虜之地翻然易念、悔改前非、祈求於爾、自陳其過、負罪引慝。

如在被擄之地、問心悔罪、在擄至之地、哀懇於主曰、我儕犯罪、我儕違逆、我儕作惡、

and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say,‘ We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’;

yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying,‘ We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’

But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray,‘ We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’

and when they come to their senses in the land where they were deported and repent and petition you in their captors’ land, saying,“ We have sinned and done wrong; we have been wicked,”

if they take it to heart in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and plead to You in the land of their captivity, saying,‘ We have sinned, we have done wrong and have acted wickedly’;

yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying,‘ We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’;

yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly;

and when they come to their senses in the land where they were deported and repent and petition You in their captors’ land, saying:“ We have sinned and done wrong; we have been wicked,”

Yet[ if] they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;

When your people come to their senses in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting,‘ We have sinned and gone astray, we have done evil!’

yet if they come to their senses in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of their captivity, saying,‘ We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly;’

We have sinned, just as our people of long ago did. We too have done what is evil and wrong.

I prayed,“ I’m filled with shame and dishonor, my God. I can hardly look to you and pray. That’s because our sins are piled up above our heads. Our guilt reaches all the way to the heavens.We are filled with it. It has been like that ever since the days of our people who lived long ago. Kings of other countries have killed many of us and our kings and priests with their swords. They’ve forced others to leave their own land. They’ve taken them away as prisoners. They’ve robbed others. They’ve made still others feel ashamed and dishonored. All these things have happened to us because we’ve committed so many sins. And that’s how things still are to this day.

Go. Announce this message to the people in the north. Tell them,“‘ Israel, you have not been faithful,’ announces the Lord.‘ Return to me. Then I will do good things for you again. That’s because I am faithful,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will not be angry with you forever.Admit that you are guilty of doing what is wrong. You have refused to obey me. I am the Lord your God. You have committed adultery with other gods. You worshiped them under every green tree. And you have not obeyed me,’ ” announces the Lord.“ You people have not been faithful,” announces the Lord.“ Return to me. I am your husband. I will choose one of you from each town. I will choose two from each territory. And I will bring you to the city of Zion.

“ But they didn’t obey you. Instead, they turned against you. They turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets. The prophets had warned them to return to you. But they did very evil things that dishonored you.So you handed them over to their enemies, who treated them badly. Then they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them. You loved them very much. So you sent leaders to help them. The leaders saved them from the power of their enemies.“ Then the people were enjoying peace and rest again. That’s when they did what you did not want them to do. Then you handed them over to their enemies. So their enemies ruled over them. When they cried out to you again, you heard them from heaven. You loved them very much. So you saved them time after time.“ You warned them so that they would obey your law again. But they became proud. They didn’t obey your commands. They sinned against your rules. You said,‘ Anyone who obeys my rules will live by them.’ But the people didn’t care about that. They turned their backs on you. They became very stubborn. They refused to listen to you.For many years you put up with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. In spite of that, they didn’t pay any attention. So you handed them over to the nations that were around them.

“‘ But suppose you admit that both you and your people who lived before you have sinned. You admit the evil and dishonest things you have done against me. And you admit you have become my enemy.What you did made me become your enemy. I let your enemies take you into their land. But suppose you stop being stubborn. You stop being proud. And you pay for your sin.Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob. I will remember my covenant with Isaac. I will remember my covenant with Abraham. I will remember what I said to them about the land.You will leave the land. It will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies deserted because you are not there. You will pay for your sins because you said no to my laws. You turned away from my rules.But even after all that, I will not say no to you or turn away from you. I will not destroy you completely in the land of your enemies. I will not break my covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.Because of you, I will remember the covenant I made with the people of Israel who lived before you. I brought them out of Egypt to be their God. The nations saw me do it. I am the Lord.’ ”

All of us have become like someone who is“ unclean.” All the good things we do are like dirty rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind.No one prays to you. No one asks you for help. You have turned your face away from us. You have let us feel the effects of our sins.Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay. You are the potter. Your hands made all of us.Don’t be so angry with us, Lord. Don’t remember our sins anymore. Please have mercy on us. All of us belong to you.Your sacred cities have become a desert. Even Zion is a desert. Jerusalem is a dry and empty place.Our people of long ago used to praise you in our holy and glorious temple. But now it has been burned down. Everything we treasured has been destroyed.Lord, won’t you help us even after everything that’s happened? Will you keep silent and punish us more than we can stand?

Then that person will come to others and say,‘ I sinned. I made what is wrong appear to be right. But I wasn’t punished as I should have been.God has set me free. He has kept me from going down into the darkness of the grave. So I’ll live to enjoy the light of life.’

“ I have heard the groans of Ephraim’s people. They say,‘ You corrected us like a calf you were training. And we have been trained. Bring us back to you, and we will come back. You are the Lord our God.After we wandered away from you, we turned away from our sins. After we learned our lesson, we beat our chests in sorrow. We were full of shame. What we did when we were young brought dishonor on us.’Aren’t the people of Ephraim my dear children? Aren’t they the children I take delight in? I often speak against them. But I still remember them. So my heart longs for them. I love them with a tender love,” announces the Lord.

Please pay careful attention to my prayer. See how your people are suffering. Please listen to me. I’m praying to you day and night. I’m praying for the people of Israel. We Israelites have committed sins against you. All of us admit it. I and my family have also sinned against you.

I have told you about all these blessings and curses. The Lord your God will bring them on you. Then you will think carefully about the blessings and curses. You will think about them everywhere the Lord your God scatters you among the nations.You and your children will return to the Lord your God. You will obey him with all your heart and with all your soul. That will be according to everything I’m commanding you today.When all that happens, the Lord your God will bless you with great success again. He will be very kind to you. He’ll bring you back from all the nations where he scattered you.

Perhaps while you are there, you will seek the Lord your God. You will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.All the things I’ve told you about might happen to you. And you will be in trouble. But later you will return to the Lord your God. You will obey him.

“ Then he began to think clearly again. He said,‘ How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough food! But here I am dying from hunger!I will get up and go back to my father. I will say to him,“ Father, I have sinned against heaven. And I have sinned against you.I am no longer fit to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’

We have sinned and done what is wrong. We have been evil. We have refused to obey you. We have turned away from your commands and laws.We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets. They spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our people of long ago. They also brought your message to all our people in the land.“ Lord, you always do what is right. But we are covered with shame today. We are the people of Judah and Jerusalem. All of us are Israelites, no matter where we live. We are now living in many countries. You scattered us among the nations because we weren’t faithful to you.Lord, we are covered with shame. So are our kings and princes, and our people of long ago. We have sinned against you.You are the Lord our God. You show us your tender love. You forgive us. But we have turned against you.You are the Lord our God. But we haven’t obeyed you. We haven’t kept the laws you gave us through your servants the prophets.All the people of Israel have broken your law and turned away from it. They have refused to obey you.“ Curses and warnings are written down in the Law of Moses. He was your servant. Those curses have been poured out on us. That’s because we have sinned against you.