And it came about, when the Angel of Jehovah spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.

Only, acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against Jehovah your God and have scattered your ways to strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice, says Jehovah.

Return, O backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come to You; for You are Jehovah our God.

For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way; they shall not stumble in it, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.

And I will pour on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplication. And they shall look on Me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they shall be bitter over Him, like the bitterness over the firstborn.

In that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be great, like the mourning of Hadad- rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vengeance! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.