Hosea 6:4-11
New King James Version
Impenitence of Israel and Judah
4 “O Ephraim, what shall I do to you?
O Judah, what shall I do to you?
For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud,
And like the early dew it goes away.
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have slain them by (A)the words of My mouth;
And [a]your judgments are like light that goes forth.
6 For I desire (B)mercy[b] and (C)not sacrifice,
And the (D)knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
7 “But like [c]men they transgressed the covenant;
There they dealt treacherously with Me.
8 (E)Gilead is a city of evildoers
And [d]defiled with blood.
9 As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man,
So the company of (F)priests (G)murder on the way to Shechem;
Surely they commit (H)lewdness.
10 I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel:
There is the [e]harlotry of Ephraim;
Israel is defiled.
11 Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,
When I return the captives of My people.
Footnotes
- Hosea 6:5 Or the judgments on you
- Hosea 6:6 Or faithfulness or loyalty
- Hosea 6:7 Or Adam
- Hosea 6:8 Lit. foot-tracked
- Hosea 6:10 Spiritual adultery
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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