if My people who have been called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from the heavens, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of Jehovah that was before the porch of Jehovah.

He took away the foreign gods and the idol out of the house of Jehovah, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of Jehovah and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city.

The instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it up; or to pull it down, and to destroy it;

if that nation, against whom I have spoken, will turn from their evil, I will be moved with compassion regarding the evil that I thought to do to them.

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord Jehovah. Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity shall not be a stumbling block to you.

For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, declares the Lord Jehovah. Therefore turn and live!

O Israel, return to Jehovah your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity.

Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses. We shall not say any more to the work of our hands, You are our gods! For in You the fatherless finds mercy.

And Jehovah regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved to His heart.

Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry;

and remembered His covenant toward them, and was moved to compassion according to the abundance of His mercies.

In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them, and carried them all the days of old.

Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? For as often as I spoke against him, I call to mind and remember him still. Therefore My heart is stirred for him; I will have mercy and compassion upon him, says Jehovah.

How shall I give you up, Ephraim? Shall I deliver you up, Israel? How shall I make you like Admah? Shall I set you as Zeboim? My heart churns within Me; My compassions are kindled together.

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

And as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,

And He said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.