¹⁸ I have certainly heard Ephraim ^(A)grieving,
‘You have ^(B)disciplined me, and I was corrected,
Like an untrained ^(C)calf;
^(D)Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
¹⁹ For after I turned back, I ^(E)repented;
And after I was instructed, I ^[a](F)slapped my thigh;
I was ^(G)ashamed and also humiliated
Because I bore the shame of my youth.’
²⁰ Is ^(H)Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a delightful child?
Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him;
Therefore My ^[b](I)heart yearns for him;
I will certainly ^(J)have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.