A Call to Repentance
1Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will 6:1 Bandagebind us up.
2After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
3Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.
His going forth is established as the morning;
He will come to us like 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.
5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have slain them by the words of My mouth;
And 6:5 Or the judgments on youyour judgments are like light that goes forth.
6For I desire mercy6:6 Or faithfulness or loyalty and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
7“But like 6:7 Or Adammen they transgressed the covenant;
There they dealt treacherously with Me.
8Gilead is a city of evildoers
And 6:8 Lit. foot-trackeddefiled with blood.
9As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man,
So the company of priests murder on the way to Shechem;
Surely they commit lewdness.
10I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel:
There is the 6:10 Spiritual adulteryharlotry of Ephraim;
Israel is defiled.
11Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,
When I return the captives of My people.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.