If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.

If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;

Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding will rebuke you.
Consider then and realise
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the Lord your God
and have no awe of me,’
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

Your evil will chastise you,
and your apostasy will reprove you.
Know and see that it is evil and bitter
for you to forsake the Lord your God;
the fear of me is not in you,

declares the Lord God of hosts.

During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, ‘Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there.

The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore?

I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.

She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore.

The Lord said to me, ‘Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.

And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Go, proclaim this message towards the north:

‘“Return, faithless Israel,” declares the Lord,
“I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,” declares the Lord,
“I will not be angry for ever.

Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,

“‘Return, faithless Israel,

declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
for I am merciful,

declares the Lord;
I will not be angry forever.

‘Return, faithless people;
I will cure you of backsliding.’
‘Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.

“Return, O faithless sons;
I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.

Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage them,
a leopard will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.

Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them down;
a wolf from the desert shall devastate them.
A leopard is watching their cities;
everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,
because their transgressions are many,
their apostasies are great.

Why then have these people turned away?
Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;
they refuse to return.

Why then has this people turned away
in perpetual backsliding?
They hold fast to deceit;
they refuse to return.

Although our sins testify against us,
do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.
For we have often rebelled;
we have sinned against you.

“Though our iniquities testify against us,
act, O Lord, for your name’s sake;
for our backslidings are many;
we have sinned against you.

My people are determined to turn from me.
Even though they call me God Most High,
I will by no means exalt them.

My people are bent on turning away from me,
and though they call out to the Most High,
he shall not raise them up at all.

‘I will heal their waywardness
and love them freely,
for my anger has turned away from them.

I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.