Return to the Lord
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"Now, therefore," says the LORD,
u "Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
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So v rend your heart, and not w your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is x gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
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y Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave z a blessing behind Him -
a A grain offering and a drink offering
For the LORD your God?
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b Blow the trumpet in Zion,
c Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
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Gather the people,
d Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
e Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
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Let the priests, who minister to the LORD,
Weep f between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, g "Spare Your people, O LORD,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them.
h Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?' "
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 4:29
But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Jeremiah 4:1
If you will return, O Israel," says the LORD, "Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved.
Ezekiel 33:11
"Say to them: ' As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'
Hosea 12:6
So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually.
Hosea 14:1
O Israel, return to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
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Cross References
Psalms 34:18
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalms 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.
Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
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Cross References
Genesis 37:34
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
2 Samuel 1:11
Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.
Job 1:20
Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
Jeremiah 41:5
That certain men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, eighty men with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.
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Cross References
Exodus 34:6
And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.
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Cross References
Joshua 14:12
"Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said."
2 Samuel 12:22
And he said, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
2 Kings 19:4
'It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"
Jeremiah 26:3
'Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.'
Jonah 3:9
Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
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Cross References
Haggai 2:19
'Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.'"
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Cross References
Joel 1:9
The grain offering and the drink offering Have been cut off from the house of the LORD; The priests mourn, who minister to the LORD.
Joel 1:13
Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; Wail, you who minister before the altar; Come, lie all night in sackcloth, You who minister to my God; For the grain offering and the drink offering Are withheld from the house of your God.
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Cross References
Numbers 10:3
When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
2 Kings 10:20
And Jehu said, "Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal." So they proclaimed it.
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Cross References
Joel 1:14
Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.
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Cross References
Exodus 19:10
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.
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Cross References
Psalms 19:5
Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
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Cross References
Matthew 23:35
That on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
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Cross References
Exodus 32:11
Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: "LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
Exodus 32:12
Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.
Isaiah 37:20
"Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD, You alone."
Amos 7:2
And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said: "O Lord GOD, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, For he is small!
Amos 7:5
Then I said: "O Lord GOD, cease, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, For he is small!
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Cross References
Psalms 42:10
As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.