Hosea 6-7

New International Version

Israel Unrepentant

6 “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)
²After two days he will revive us;^(E)
    on the third day^(F) he will restore^(G) us,
    that we may live in his presence.
³Let 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)”

⁴“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)
⁵Therefore 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)
⁶For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^(N)
    and acknowledgment^(O) of God rather than burnt offerings.^(P)
⁷As at Adam,^[b] they have broken the covenant;^(Q)
    they were unfaithful^(R) to me there.
⁸Gilead is a city of evildoers,^(S)
    stained with footprints of blood.
⁹As 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)
¹⁰I 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,

7 ¹whenever I would heal Israel,
the sins of Ephraim are exposed
    and the crimes of Samaria revealed.^(AA)
They practice deceit,^(AB)
    thieves break into houses,^(AC)
    bandits rob in the streets;^(AD)
²but they do not realize
    that I remember^(AE) all their evil deeds.^(AF)
Their sins engulf them;^(AG)
    they are always before me.

³“They delight the king with their wickedness,
    the princes with their lies.^(AH)
⁴They are all adulterers,^(AI)
    burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
    from the kneading of the dough till it rises.
⁵On the day of the festival of our king
    the princes become inflamed with wine,^(AJ)
    and he joins hands with the mockers.^(AK)
⁶Their hearts are like an oven;^(AL)
    they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
⁷All of them are hot as an oven;
    they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,^(AM)
    and none of them calls^(AN) on me.

⁸“Ephraim mixes^(AO) with the nations;
    Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
⁹Foreigners sap his strength,^(AP)
    but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
    but he does not notice.
¹⁰Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,^(AQ)
    but despite all this
he does not return^(AR) to the Lord his God
    or search^(AS) for him.

¹¹“Ephraim is like a dove,^(AT)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,^(AU)
    now turning to Assyria.^(AV)
¹²When they go, I will throw my net^(AW) over them;
    I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
    I will catch them.
¹³Woe^(AX) to them,
    because they have strayed^(AY) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me^(AZ) falsely.^(BA)
¹⁴They do not cry out to me from their hearts^(BB)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,^[c] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,^(BC)
    but they turn away from me.^(BD)
¹⁵I trained^(BE) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil^(BF) against me.
¹⁶They do not turn to the Most High;^(BG)
    they are like a faulty bow.^(BH)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent^(BI) words.
For this they will be ridiculed^(BJ)
    in the land of Egypt.^(BK)

Footnotes

Hosea 6:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
Hosea 6:7 Or Like Adam; or Like human beings
Hosea 7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together

1 Peter 2

New International Version

2 Therefore, rid yourselves^(A) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander^(B) of every kind. ²Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^(C) so that by it you may grow up^(D) in your salvation, ³now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.^(E)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴As you come to him, the living Stone^(F)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(G) and precious to him— ⁵you also, like living stones, are being built^(H) into a spiritual house^[a]^(I) to be a holy priesthood,^(J) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^(K) ⁶For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,^(L)
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”^[b]^(M)

⁷Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^(N)

“The stone the builders rejected^(O)
has become the cornerstone,”^[c]^(P)

⁸and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d]^(Q)

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.^(R)

⁹But you are a chosen people,^(S) a royal priesthood,^(T) a holy nation,^(U) God’s special possession,^(V) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^(W) ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(X) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹Dear friends,^(Y) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(Z) to abstain from sinful desires,^(AA) which wage war against your soul.^(AB) ¹²Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^(AC) and glorify God^(AD) on the day he visits us.

¹³Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:^(AE) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong^(AF) and to commend those who do right.^(AG) ¹⁵For it is God’s will^(AH) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.^(AI) ¹⁶Live as free people,^(AJ) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^(AK) live as God’s slaves.^(AL) ¹⁷Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,^(AM) fear God, honor the emperor.^(AN)

¹⁸Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,^(AO) not only to those who are good and considerate,^(AP) but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^(AQ) ²⁰But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.^(AR) ²¹To this^(AS) you were called,^(AT) because Christ suffered for you,^(AU) leaving you an example,^(AV) that you should follow in his steps.

²²“He committed no sin,^(AW)
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”^[e]^(AX)

²³When they hurled their insults at him,^(AY) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(AZ) Instead, he entrusted himself^(BA) to him who judges justly.^(BB) ²⁴“He himself bore our sins”^(BC) in his body on the cross,^(BD) so that we might die to sins^(BE) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^(BF) ²⁵For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[f]^(BG) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(BH) and Overseer of your souls.^(BI)

Footnotes

1 Peter 2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit
1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16
1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22
1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14
1 Peter 2:22 Isaiah 53:9
1 Peter 2:25 Isaiah 53:4,5,6 (see Septuagint)

Psalm 135:8-14

New International Version

⁸He struck down the firstborn^(A) of Egypt,
    the firstborn of people and animals.
⁹He sent his signs^(B) and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
    against Pharaoh and all his servants.^(C)
¹⁰He struck down many^(D) nations
    and killed mighty kings—
¹¹Sihon^(E) king of the Amorites,^(F)
    Og king of Bashan,^(G)
    and all the kings of Canaan^(H)—
¹²and he gave their land as an inheritance,^(I)
    an inheritance to his people Israel.

¹³Your name, Lord, endures forever,^(J)
your renown,^(K) Lord, through all generations.
¹⁴For the Lord will vindicate his people^(L)
and have compassion on his servants.^(M)