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She will pursue her lovers,
    but she won’t catch up with them.
She will seek them,
    but she won’t find them.
Then she will say,
    ‘I’ll go back and return to my first husband,
        because it was better for me then than now.’
She didn’t recognize
    that it was I who provided her grain, wine, and oil,
and it was I who gave her silver,
    while they crafted gold for Baal.

“Therefore I’ll return
    and take back my grain at harvest time
        and my new wine in its season.
I’ll take back my wool and my flax
    that was to have covered her nakedness.

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She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
    she will look for them but not find them.(A)
Then she will say,
    ‘I will go back to my husband(B) as at first,(C)
    for then I was better off(D) than now.’
She has not acknowledged(E) that I was the one
    who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,(F)
who lavished on her the silver and gold(G)
    which they used for Baal.(H)

“Therefore I will take away my grain(I) when it ripens,
    and my new wine(J) when it is ready.
I will take back my wool and my linen,
    intended to cover her naked body.

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