לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִם־תָּשׁ֤וּב וַאֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֙ לְפָנַ֣י תַּֽעֲמֹ֔ד וְאִם־תֹּוצִ֥יא יָקָ֛ר מִזֹּולֵ֖ל כְּפִ֣י תִֽהְיֶ֑ה יָשֻׁ֤בוּ הֵ֨מָּה֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹֽא־תָשׁ֥וּב אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
Therefore thus says YHWH: If you return, then I will restore you—you shall stand before Me. And if you bring out the precious from the worthless, as My mouth you shall be. They shall return to you, but you shall not return to them.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: —; Form: Adverb/conjunction; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a conclusion or divine response.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces prophetic speech.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Standard formula introducing divine utterance.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- אִם־תָּשׁוּב (im-tashuv) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Conditional particle + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “If you return”; Notes: Marks the beginning of a conditional statement.
- וַאֲשִׁיבְךָ (va-ʾashivkha) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix with vav-consecutive; Translation: “then I will restore you”; Notes: Causative stem; God will bring him back to favor.
- לְפָנַי (lefanai) – Root: פן (panim); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “before Me”; Notes: Denotes restored standing in divine presence.
- תַּעֲמֹד (taʿamod) – Root: עמד (ʿamad); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall stand”; Notes: Implies service, readiness, or restored office.
- וְאִם־תֹּוצִיא (ve-im-totzi) – Root: יצא (yatza); Form: Conjunction + conditional particle + Hifil imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and if you bring out”; Notes: Causative—extract or distinguish.
- יָקָר (yaqar) – Root: יקר (yaqar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the precious”; Notes: Something valuable, true, or righteous.
- מִזֹּולֵל (mi-zolel) – Root: זול (zalal); Form: Preposition מִן + adjective/noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the worthless”; Notes: Describes what is profane or despised.
- כְּפִי (ke-fi) – Root: פה (peh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “as My mouth”; Notes: Metaphor for being YHWH’s spokesperson.
- תִּהְיֶה (tihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall be”; Notes: Result of proper discernment in speech.
- יָשׁוּבוּ (yashuvu) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall return”; Notes: Subject is the people or listeners; they will come back.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphatic contrast with “you.”
- אֵלֶיךָ (eleikha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Return of others to the prophet.
- וְאַתָּה (ve-ʾattah) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + pronoun 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “but you”; Notes: Emphatic disjunction.
- לֹא־תָשׁוּב (lo-tashuv) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall not return”; Notes: The prophet must not conform to them.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: The people from whom the prophet must remain distinct.