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A Call to Repentance

“Come, let us return to the Lord,
    for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
    he has struck down, and he will bind us up.(A)
After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will raise us up,
    that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
    his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
    like the spring rains that water the earth.”(B)

Impenitence of Israel and Judah

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
    What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that goes away early.(C)
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
    I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
    and my[a] judgment goes forth as the light.(D)
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.(E)

But at[b] Adam they transgressed the covenant;
    there they dealt faithlessly with me.
Gilead is a city of evildoers,
    tracked with blood.
As robbers lie in wait[c] for someone,
    so the priests are banded together;[d]
they murder on the road to Shechem;
    they commit a monstrous crime.(F)
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;
    Ephraim’s prostitution is there; Israel is defiled.(G)

11 For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed.

When I would restore the fortunes of my people,(H)

Footnotes

  1. 6.5 Gk Syr: Heb your
  2. 6.7 Cn: Heb like
  3. 6.9 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 6.9 Syr: Heb are a company

A Call to Yahweh

Come, let us return to Yahweh;
because it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
he has struck us down and will bind us up.
    He will revive us after two days;
on the third day he will raise us up,
    that we may live in his presence.[a]
Let us know, let us press on to know Yahweh;
    his rising is sure like the dawn.
He will come like the showers to us,
    like the spring rain that waters the earth.
What will I do with you, O Ephraim?
    What will I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that goes away early in the morning.
Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets;
    I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
    and my judgment[b] goes forth like the light.
Because I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
But like Adam, they transgressed the covenant;
    there they dealt faithlessly with me.
Gilead is a city of evil,
    a cunning city because of blood.[c]
Like bandits lying in wait,
    so is a band of priests;
they murder on the road to Shechem;
    indeed, they commit a monstrous crime.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen something horrible;
    Ephraim’s unfaithfulness is there.
        Israel is defiled.

Ephraim’s Guilt

11 For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed,
    when I restore the fortunes of my people,

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 6:2 Or “before his face”
  2. Hosea 6:5 Hebrew “your judgments”
  3. Hosea 6:8 The Hebrew is difficult; NRSV translates “tracked with blood”