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The People Are Not Faithful

“Come, let’s ·go back [return] to the Lord.
He has ·hurt us [torn us to pieces], but he will heal us.
    He has wounded us, but he will ·bandage [bind up] our wounds.
·In [After] two days he will ·put new life in [revive; restore] us;
    on the third day he will raise us up [C in a short time]
so that we may live in his presence     and know him.
Let’s ·try [press on] to ·learn about [know] the Lord;
    he will come to us as surely as the dawn comes.
He will come to us ·like rain [or as sure as the winter rains come],
    like the ·spring [latter] rain that waters the ·ground [earth].”

The Lord says, “·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17], what should I do with you?
    Judah, what should I do with you?
Your faithfulness is like a morning mist,
    like the dew that goes away early in the day.
I have ·warned you [L cut you into pieces; hewn you] by my prophets
    that I will kill you with ·my words [L the words of my mouth].
    My ·justice [judgment] comes out like ·bright light [or the morning dawn].
I ·want [desire; delight in] ·faithful love [mercy; lovingkindness]
    ·more than I want animal sacrifices [L and not sacrifice].
I want ·people to know me [the knowledge of God]
    more than I want burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17].
But they ·have broken [transgressed] the ·agreement [covenant] as ·Adam did [or human beings did; or they did at Adamah; Josh. 3:16];
    they have ·been unfaithful to [dealt treacherously with] me.
Gilead is a city of ·people who do evil [sinners; evildoers];
    ·their footprints are bloody [tracked with bloody footprints].
The ·priests [L company of priests] are like robbers ·waiting [lying in ambush] to attack people;
    they murder people on the road to Shechem [C a city of refuge for someone who committed involuntary manslaughter; Josh. 20:7; 21:21; 1 Chr. 6:67]
    and do wicked things.
10 I have seen horrible things in ·Israel [or the temple of Israel; L the house of Israel].
Look at ·Israel’s [L Ephraim’s; 4:17] prostitution;
Israel has become ·unclean [defiled].

11 “Judah, I have ·set [appointed] a harvest time for you
    when I will ·make the lives of my people good again [restore the fortunes of my people; or return my people from captivity].

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