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The Rewards of Coming Back to the Lord

“Come, let’s go back to the Lord.
    He hurt us, but he will heal us.
    He wounded us, but he will put bandages on us.
After two days he will bring us back to life.
    He will raise us up on the third day.
    Then we can live near him.
Let’s learn about the Lord.
    Let’s try very hard to know him.
We know he is coming,
    just as we know the dawn is coming.
He will come to us like the rain,
    like the spring rain that waters the ground.”

The People Are Not Faithful

“Ephraim, what should I do with you?
    Judah, what should I do with you?
Your faithfulness is like a morning mist.
    Your faithfulness is like the dew that goes away early in the morning.
I used the prophets
    and made laws for the people.
The people were killed at my command,
    but good things will come from those decisions.[a]
This is because I want faithful love,
    not sacrifice.
I want people to know God,
    not to bring burnt offerings.
But the people broke the agreement as Adam did.[b]
    They were unfaithful to me in their country.
Gilead is a city of people who do evil—
    people who have tricked and killed others.
The priests are like gangs of robbers
    hiding and waiting on the road to attack someone.
They murder people before they reach safety in Shechem.
    They do such evil things.
10 I have seen a terrible thing in the nation[c] of Israel.
Ephraim was unfaithful to God.
    Israel is dirty with sin.
11 Judah, there is also a time of harvest for you.
    It will happen when I bring my people back from captivity.[d]

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 6:5 but good things … decisions Or “I cut them with the prophets. I killed them with the words from my mouth. Light will come from your decisions.”
  2. Hosea 6:7 as Adam did See Gen. 3.
  3. Hosea 6:10 nation Literally, “house.” This might mean the royal family of that country.
  4. Hosea 6:11 It will … captivity Or “It will happen when I restore my people’s fortune.”

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