Ephraim will have nothing more to do with other gods. I will answer the prayers of my people. I will take good care of them. I will be like a healthy juniper tree to them. All the fruit they bear will come from me.”

以法莲必说：‘我与偶像还有什么关涉呢？’我耶和华回答他，也必顾念他。我如青翠的松树；你的果子从我而得。”

以法莲说：“我与偶像有何相干？”我应允他，顾念他：我如青翠的松树，你的果实从我而来。

以法莲说：“我与偶像有何相干？”我应允他，顾念他：我如青翠的松树，你的果实从我而来。

“以法莲啊，你要远离偶像。我应允你的祷告，看顾你。我像一棵青翠的松树，你的果实都来自于我。”

以法莲与偶像还有什么关系呢？答允他的是我，看顾他的也是我。我像一棵青翠的松树，你的果子是从我而得。”

以法蓮必說：我與偶像還有甚麼關涉呢？我－耶和華回答他，也必顧念他。我如青翠的松樹；你的果子從我而得。

以法蓮說：「我與偶像有何相干？」我應允他，顧念他：我如青翠的松樹，你的果實從我而來。

以法蓮說：「我與偶像有何相干？」我應允他，顧念他：我如青翠的松樹，你的果實從我而來。

「以法蓮啊，你要遠離偶像。我應允你的禱告，看顧你。我像一棵青翠的松樹，你的果實都來自於我。」

以法蓮與偶像還有甚麼關係呢？答允他的是我，看顧他的也是我。我像一棵青翠的松樹，你的果子是從我而得。”

以法蓮哪，我和偶像還有甚麼關係呢？是我應了他，也是我監視他。以法蓮唱：『我如同青翠的松樹。』永恆主和：『你的果子是從我而來的。』

以法蓮將曰、我與偶像猶有何涉、我耶和華既應之、必加眷顧、我若青松、爾將由我而結實、

以法蓮族與偶像何涉、我垂念之、使之扶疏若松、賴我而結實、

以法蓮將云、我與偶像何涉、我耶和華必應允之、眷顧之、我若根深葉茂之柏樹、爾欲獲果、惟由我而獲、爾欲獲果惟由我而獲或作爾惟賴我而結實

Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a flourishing juniper; your fruitfulness comes from me.”

O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.

“ O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”

Ephraim, why should I have anything more to do with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing pine tree; your fruit comes from me.

Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant juniper; From Me comes your fruit.

“ Ephraim shall say,‘ What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me.”

Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered, and will regard him: I am like a green fir- tree; from me is thy fruit found.

Ephraim, why should I have anything more to do with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing pine tree; your fruit comes from Me.

Ephraim[ shall say], What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard[ him], and observed him: I[ am] like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.

O Ephraim, I do not want to have anything to do with idols anymore! I will answer him and care for him. I am like a luxuriant cypress tree; your fruitfulness comes from me!

Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols? I answer, and will take care of him. I am like a green cypress tree; from me your fruit is found.”

Show me my sins that I’m not aware of. If I’ve done what is wrong, I won’t do it again.’

Every good and perfect gift is from God. This kind of gift comes down from the Father who created the heavenly lights. These lights create shadows that move. But the Father does not change like these shadows.

I will make trees grow in the desert. I will plant cedar and acacia trees there. I will plant myrtle and olive trees there. I will make juniper trees grow in the dry and empty desert. I will plant fir and cypress trees there.

You have spent enough time in the past doing what ungodly people choose to do. You lived a wild life. You longed for evil things. You got drunk. You went to wild parties. You worshiped statues of gods, which the Lord hates.Ungodly people are surprised that you no longer join them in what they do. They want you to join them in their wild and wasteful living. So they say bad things about you.

“ Lebanon’s glorious trees will be brought to you. Its junipers, firs and cypress trees will be brought. They will be used to make my temple beautiful. And I will bring glory to the place where my throne is.

You will be filled with the fruit of right living produced by Jesus Christ. All these things bring glory and praise to God.

God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to fulfill his good purpose.

Many who believed now came and openly admitted what they had done.A number of those who had practiced evil magic brought their scrolls together. They set them on fire out in the open. They added up the value of the scrolls. The scrolls were worth more than someone could earn in two lifetimes.The word of the Lord spread everywhere. It became more and more powerful.

The believers themselves report the kind of welcome you gave us. They tell about how you turned away from statues of gods. And you turned to serve the living and true God.

You should obey your Father. You shouldn’t give in to evil desires. They controlled your life when you didn’t know any better.The God who chose you is holy. So you should be holy in all that you do.It is written,“ Be holy, because I am holy.”( Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2)

So he got up and went to his father.“ While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him. He was filled with tender love for his son. He ran to him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him.

God is full of grace. From him we have all received grace in place of the grace already given.

“ I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener.He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit.You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.Remain joined to me, just as I also remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can’t bear fruit unless you remain joined to me.“ I am the vine. You are the branches. If you remain joined to me, and I to you, you will bear a lot of fruit. You can’t do anything without me.If you don’t remain joined to me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned.If you remain joined to me and my words remain in you, ask for anything you wish. And it will be done for you.When you bear a lot of fruit, it brings glory to my Father. It shows that you are my disciples.

The light produces what is completely good, right and true.

Juniper trees will grow where there used to be bushes that had thorns on them. And myrtle trees will grow where there used to be thorns. That will bring me great fame. It will be a lasting reminder of what I can do. It will stand forever.”

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.

But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithfuland gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind.

Tell the Lord you are turning away from your sins. Return to him. Say to him,“ Forgive us for all our sins. Please be kind to us. Welcome us back to you. Then our lips will offer you our praise.Assyria can’t save us. We won’t trust in our war horses. Our own hands have made statues of gods. But we will never call them our gods again. We are like children whose fathers have died. But you show us your tender love.”

“ 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.

Jesus saw Nathanael approaching. Here is what Jesus said about him.“ He is a true Israelite. Nothing about him is false.”“ How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered,“ I saw you while you were still under the fig tree. I saw you there before Philip called you.”

I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.