Israel and Judah Are Unrepentant

6 “Come, let us yreturn to the Lord;

for zhe has torn us, that he may heal us;

he has struck us down, and ahe will bind us up.

2  After two days bhe will revive us;

on the third day he will raise us up,

that we may live before him.

3  cLet us know; clet us press on to know the Lord;

dhis going out is sure as the dawn;

he will come to us eas the showers,

fas the spring rains that water the earth.”

4  What shall I do with you, gO hEphraim?

What shall I do with you, O hJudah?

Your love is ilike a morning cloud,

ilike the dew that goes early away.

5  Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;

I have slain them jby the words of my mouth,

and my judgment goes forth as the light.

6  For kI desire steadfast love1 and not sacrifice,

lthe knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

7  But mlike Adam they ntransgressed the covenant;

othere they dealt faithlessly with me.

8  pGilead is a city of evildoers,

qtracked with blood.

9  As robbers rlie in wait for a man,

so the priests band together;

they murder on the way to sShechem;

they commit villainy.

10  In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;

tEphraim’s whoredom is there; uIsrael is defiled.

11  For you also, O uJudah, va harvest is appointed.

When wI restore the fortunes of my people,