A Call to Repentance

6 Come, aand let us return to the Lord;

For bHe has torn, but cHe will heal us;

He has stricken, but He will 1bind us up.

2 dAfter two days He will revive us;

On the third day He will raise us up,

That we may live in His sight.

3 eLet us know,

Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.

His going forth is established fas the morning;

gHe will come to us hlike the rain,

Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

Impenitence of Israel and Judah

4 “O Ephraim, what shall I do to you?

O Judah, what shall I do to you?

For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud,

And like the early dew it goes away.

5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,

I have slain them by ithe words of My mouth;

And 2your judgments are like light that goes forth.

6 For I desire jmercy 3and knot sacrifice,

And the lknowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7 “But like 4men they transgressed the covenant;

There they dealt treacherously with Me.

8 mGilead is a city of evildoers

And 5defiled with blood.

9 As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man,

So the company of npriests omurder on the way to Shechem;

Surely they commit plewdness.

10 I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel:

There is the 6harlotry of Ephraim;

Israel is defiled.

11 Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,

When I return the captives of My people.