Hosea 6

The Response to God’s Rebuke

1“Come and let us return [in repentance] to the Lord, For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.

2After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up That we may live before Him.

The Reply of the Lord

3So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] Lord [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him]. His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn, And He will come to us [in salvation] like the [heavy] rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”

4O Ephraim, what shall I do with you? O Judah, what shall I do with you? For your [wavering] loyalty and kindness are [transient] like the morning cloud And like the dew that goes away early.

5Therefore, I have hewn them in pieces by [the words of] the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; My judgments [pronounced upon them by the prophets] are like the light that shines forth [obvious to all].

6For I desire and delight in [steadfast] loyalty [faithfulness in the covenant relationship], rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me.

8Gilead is a city of wrongdoers; It is tracked with bloody footprints.

9And as bands of robbers [lie in] wait for a man, So a band of priests murder on the road toward Shechem [covering their crimes in that city of refuge]; Certainly they have committed crimes and outrages.

10I have seen a horrible thing [sins of every kind] in the house of Israel! Ephraim’s prostitution (idolatry) is there; Israel has defiled itself.

11Also, O Judah, there is a harvest [of divine judgment] appointed for you, When I restore the fortunes of My people [who have been slaves to the misery of sin].