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“Come! Let’s return to Yahweh;

    for he has torn us to pieces,
    and he will heal us;
he has injured us,
    and he will bind up our wounds.
After two days he will revive us.
    On the third day he will raise us up,
    and we will live before him.
Let’s acknowledge Yahweh.
    Let’s press on to know Yahweh.
As surely as the sun rises,
    Yahweh will appear.
He will come to us like the rain,
    like the spring rain that waters the earth.”

“Ephraim, what shall I do to you?
    Judah, what shall I do to you?
    For your love is like a morning cloud,
    and like the dew that disappears early.
Therefore I have cut them to pieces with the prophets;
    I killed them with the words of my mouth.
    Your judgments are like a flash of lightning.
For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice;
    and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
But they, like Adam, have broken the covenant.
    They were unfaithful to me, there.
Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity;
    it is stained with blood.
As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man,
    so the company of priests murder on the path toward Shechem,
    committing shameful crimes.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing.
    There is prostitution in Ephraim.
    Israel is defiled.

11 “Also, Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you,
    when I restore the fortunes of my people.

A Call to Repentance

Come, let us return to the Lord,
for He has torn,
    and He will heal us.
He has struck,
    and He will bind us up.
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 appearance is as sure as the dawn.
He will come to us like the rain;
    like the spring rains He will water the earth.

Impenitence of Israel and Judah

What shall I do to you, O Ephraim?
    What shall I do to you, O Judah?
Your faithfulness is like a morning cloud,
    and like the early dew it goes away.
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets.
    I have killed them by the words of My mouth,
    and My[a] judgments go forth like light.
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice,
    and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
But like men[b] they have transgressed the covenant.
    There they dealt faithlessly with Me.
Gilead is a city of evildoers,
    polluted with blood.
As robbers lie in wait for someone,
    so a company of priests
murder on the way to Shechem.
    They commit a shameful deed.
10 I have seen a horrible thing
    in the house of Israel.
The harlotry of Ephraim is there;
    Israel is defiled.

11 Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,
    when I restore the fortunes of My people.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 6:5 Gk. Syr.: Heb. Your.
  2. Hosea 6:7 Or like/at Adam.