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Israel Refuses to Turn Away From Their Sins

The people say, “Come.
    Let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces.
    But he will heal us.
He has wounded us.
    But he’ll bandage our wounds.
After two days he will give us new life.
    On the third day he’ll make us like new again.
    Then we will enjoy his blessing.
Let’s recognize him as the Lord.
    Let’s keep trying to know him.
You can be sure the sun will rise.
    And you can be just as sure the Lord will appear.
He will come to renew us like the winter rains.
    He will be like the spring rains that water the earth.”

The Lord says, “Ephraim, what can I do with you?
    And what can I do with you, Judah?
Your love for me vanishes like the morning mist.
    It soon disappears like the early dew.
So I used the words of my prophets to cut you in pieces.
    I used my words to put you to death.
    Then my judgments blazed out like the sun.
I want mercy and not sacrifice.
    I want you to recognize me as God
    instead of bringing me burnt offerings.
Just as at the city of Adam, they disobeyed me,
    they have broken the covenant I made with them.
    They were not faithful to me there.
Ramoth Gilead is a city where sinful people live.
    It is stained with footprints of blood.
On the road to Shechem, groups of priests act like robbers.
    They hide and wait to attack people.
They murder them.
    So they carry out their evil plans.
10 I have seen a horrible thing in Israel.
The people of Ephraim are unfaithful to their own God.
    The people of Israel are ‘unclean.’

11 “People of Judah, I have also appointed a time
    for you to be destroyed.

“I would like to bless my people
    with great success again.

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