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Come, and let us return unto Hashem; for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath struck, and He will bind us up.

After two days He will revive us; in the Yom HaShelishi He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know Hashem; His going forth is prepared as the shachar (dawn); and He shall come unto us as the geshem (winter rain), as the malkosh (spring rain, i.e., as the latter and former rain, which is the winter and spring rain) unto ha’aretz.

O Ephrayim, what shall I do unto thee? O Yehudah, what shall I do with thee? For your chesed (faithfulness, loyalty) is as an anan boker (morning cloud), and as the early dew that disappears.

Therefore have I cut them to pieces with the nevi’im; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; thy mishpatim are as the ohr (light, lightning) that goeth forth.

For I desired chesed, and not zevach; and the da’as Elohim more than olot (burnt offerings). [Mt 9:13 OJBC]

But they are like Adam, they have transgressed the brit (covenant); there have they dealt treacherously against Me.

Gil`ad is a city of evildoers, is trodden with dahm.

And as gedudim (marauders) lie in wait for a man, so the chever (band) [of] kohanim murder in the way to Shechem; for they commit shameful crimes.

10 I have seen a horrible thing in Bais Yisroel: there is the zenut (whoredom) of Ephrayim; Yisroel is tameh (unclean, defiled).

11 Also, O Yehudah, he hath set a katzir (harvest [of punishment]) for thee, when I turn the Shevut Ami (Captivity of My people, i.e., restore their fortunes).

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