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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”

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

Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.

And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.

10 I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

11 Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.