God's
Lament
Have I been a desert
for Israel or
a land of deepest
gloom?
Then why do my people
say,
We will go our own
way,
we will no longer
come to you?
Does a girl forget
her ornaments,
a bride her sash?
And yet my people
have forgotten me,
for days beyond number.
Who was it you dreaded
and feared,
that you should disown
me
and not remember me
and refuse me a place
in your heart?
Your salvation is
in conversion and tranquillity,
Your strength in complete
trust
and you would have
none of it.
And I was thinking,
How I wanted to rank
you with my children,
and give you a country
of delights,
the finest heritage
of all the nations
I had thought you
would call me, my father,
and would never cease
to follow me
But like a woman betraying
her lover,
the house of Israel
had betrayed me.
The
Nurturing One
When Israel was an
infant I loved them
and called my child
out of Egypt.
But the more I called
to them, the further they went from me.
I myself taught Ephraim
to walk,
I took them in my
arms
yet they have not
understood that I was looking after them.
I was leading them
with the reins of kindness, with bands of love.
I was to them like
those who lift infants to their cheeks
stooping down to them
I fed them.
Is Ephraim, so dear
a child, so favoured,
that after each threat
of mine
I must still be deeply
moved for them,
and let my tenderness
yearn over them?
Ephraim, how could
I part with you?
Israel, how could
I give you up?
My heart recoils from
it, my whole being trembles at the thought.
Does a woman forget
her baby at the breast,
or fail to cherish
the child of her womb?
Yet even if these forget
I will never forget you,
for I am God, not
a mere human;
I am the Holy One
in your midst
and have no wish to
destroy.
Israel you are sinful!
Jacob, you have not
invoked me,
you have not troubled
yourself, Israel, on my behalf.
I have never burdened
you with oblations,
nor troubled you for
incense.
Instead you have burdened
me with your sins,
troubled me with your
iniquities.
It is I who must blot
out everything
and not remember your
sins.
The
Promise
Do not be afraid, you
will not be put to shame,
do not be dismayed,
you will not be disgraced.
I will betroth you
to myself forever,
with integrity and
justice,
with tenderness and
love.
I will betroth you
to myself with faithfulness,
and you will come
to know your Caring God,
for your creator will
be your spouse.
I have called you
by name, you are mine.
Because you are precious
in my eyes,
because you are honoured
and I love you,
I will make you an
eternal pride, a joy forever and ever.
The
Reconciliation
A noise is heard on
the bare heights
the weeping and entreaty
of the heirs of Israel,
because they have
gone so wildly astray,
and forgotten the
Almighty, their God.
"Come back, my disloyal
offspring, I want to heal your disloyalty"
"We are here, we are
coming to you,
for you are the Holy
One, our God ...
The heights are a
delusion after all,
so is the tumult of
the mountains.
Our God, our only
God is, after all, the saviour of Israel."
