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A Call to Repentance

“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces;
    now he will heal us.
He has injured us;
    now he will bandage our wounds.
In just a short time he will restore us,
    so that we may live in his presence.
Oh, that we might know the Lord!
    Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
    or the coming of rains in early spring.”

“O Israel[a] and Judah,
    what should I do with you?” asks the Lord.
“For your love vanishes like the morning mist
    and disappears like dew in the sunlight.
I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces—
    to slaughter you with my words,
    with judgments as inescapable as light.
I want you to show love,[b]
    not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me[c]
    more than I want burnt offerings.
But like Adam,[d] you broke my covenant
    and betrayed my trust.

“Gilead is a city of sinners,
    tracked with footprints of blood.
Priests form bands of robbers,
    waiting in ambush for their victims.
They murder travelers along the road to Shechem
    and practice every kind of sin.
10 Yes, I have seen something horrible in Ephraim and Israel:
    My people are defiled by prostituting themselves with other gods!

11 “O Judah, a harvest of punishment is also waiting for you,
    though I wanted to restore the fortunes of my people.

Footnotes

  1. 6:4 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel.
  2. 6:6a Greek version translates this Hebrew term as to show mercy. Compare Matt 9:13; 12:7.
  3. 6:6b Hebrew to know God.
  4. 6:7 Or But at Adam.

The Response to God’s Rebuke

(A)Come, let’s return to the Lord.
For (B)He has torn us, but (C)He will heal us;
He has [a]wounded us, but He will (D)bandage us.
He will (E)revive us after two days;
He will (F)raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.
So let’s (G)learn, let’s press on to know the Lord.
His (H)appearance is as sure as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the (I)rain,
As the spring rain waters the earth.”

What shall I do with you, (J)Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, Judah?
For your loyalty is like a (K)morning cloud,
And like the dew which goes away early.
Therefore I have (L)cut them in pieces by the prophets;
I have slain them by the (M)words of My mouth;
And the judgments on you are like the light that [b]shines.
For (N)I [c]desire loyalty (O)rather than sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
But (P)like [d]Adam they have (Q)violated the covenant;
There they have (R)dealt treacherously with Me.
(S)Gilead is a city of wrongdoers,
Tracked with (T)bloody footprints.
And as a (U)band of robbers lie in wait for a person,
So a band of priests (V)murder on the way to Shechem;
Certainly they have committed an act of (W)infamy.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a (X)horrible thing;
Ephraim’s (Y)infidelity is there, Israel has defiled itself.
11 Also, Judah, there is a (Z)harvest appointed for you,
When I (AA)restore the fortunes of My people.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 6:1 Lit struck
  2. Hosea 6:5 Lit proceeds
  3. Hosea 6:6 Or take pleasure in
  4. Hosea 6:7 Or men

Israel Unrepentant

“Come, let us return(A) to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces(B)
    but he will heal us;(C)
he has injured us
    but he will bind up our wounds.(D)
After two days he will revive us;(E)
    on the third day(F) he will restore(G) us,
    that we may live in his presence.
Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,(H)
    like the spring rains that water the earth.(I)

“What can I do with you, Ephraim?(J)
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.(K)
Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth(L)
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.[a](M)
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,(N)
    and acknowledgment(O) of God rather than burnt offerings.(P)
As at Adam,[b] they have broken the covenant;(Q)
    they were unfaithful(R) to me there.
Gilead is a city of evildoers,(S)
    stained with footprints of blood.
As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,(T)
    so do bands of priests;
they murder(U) on the road to Shechem,
    carrying out their wicked schemes.(V)
10 I have seen a horrible(W) thing in Israel:
    There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
    Israel is defiled.(X)

11 “Also for you, Judah,
    a harvest(Y) is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes(Z) of my people,

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 6:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  2. Hosea 6:7 Or Like Adam; or Like human beings