Rend Your Heart

12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,

“returng to me with all your heart,h

with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

13 Rend your hearti

and not your garments.j

Returnk to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and compassionate,l

slow to anger and abounding in love,m

and he relents from sending calamity.n

14 Who knows? He may turno and relentp

and leave behind a blessingq—

grain offerings and drink offeringsr

for the Lord your God.

15 Blow the trumpets in Zion,t

declare a holy fast,u

call a sacred assembly.v

16 Gather the people,

consecratew the assembly;

bring together the elders,x

gather the children,

those nursing at the breast.

Let the bridegroomy leave his room

and the bride her chamber.

17 Let the priests, who ministerz before the Lord,

weepa between the portico and the altar.b

Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.

Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,c

a bywordd among the nations.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their God?e’ ”

The Lord’s Answer

18 Then the Lord was jealousf for his land

and took pityg on his people.

19 The Lord replieda to them:

“I am sending you grain, new wineh and olive oil,i

enough to satisfy you fully;j

never again will I make you

an object of scornk to the nations.

20 “I will drive the northern hordel far from you,

pushing it into a parched and barren land;

its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea

and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.

And its stenchm will go up;

its smell will rise.”

Surely he has done great things!

21 Do not be afraid,n land of Judah;

be glad and rejoice.o

Surely the Lord has done great things!p