Hosea 6

Israel Unrepentant

6“Come, let us return^k to the Lord.

He has torn us to pieces^l

but he will heal us;^m

he has injured us

but he will bind up our wounds.ⁿ

²After two days he will revive us;^o

on the third day^p he will restore^q us,

that we may live in his presence.

³Let 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,^r

like the spring rains that water the earth.^s”

⁴“What can I do with you, Ephraim?^t

What can I do with you, Judah?

Your love is like the morning mist,

like the early dew that disappears.^u

⁵Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,

I killed you with the words of my mouth^v—

then my judgments go forth like the sun.^aw

⁶For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^x

and acknowledgment^y of God rather than burnt offerings.^z

⁷As at Adam,^b they have broken the covenant;^a

they were unfaithful^b to me there.

⁸Gilead is a city of evildoers,^c

stained with footprints of blood.

⁹As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,^d

so do bands of priests;

they murder^e on the road to Shechem,

carrying out their wicked schemes.^f

¹⁰I have seen a horrible^g thing in Israel:

There Ephraim is given to prostitution,

Israel is defiled.^h

¹¹“Also for you, Judah,

a harvestⁱ is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes^j of my people,