A Call to Repentance

¹Come, let us return to the Lord ,

for He has torn,

and He will heal us.

He has struck,

and He will bind us up.

²After two days He will revive us.

On the third day He will raise us up,

that we may live before Him.

³Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord .

His appearance is as sure as the dawn.

He will come to us like the rain;

like the spring rains He will water the earth.

Impenitence of Israel and Judah

⁴What shall I do to you, O Ephraim?

What shall I do to you, O Judah?

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 killed them by the words of My mouth,

and My judgments go forth like light.

⁶For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice,[#Mt 9:13; 12:7]

and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

⁷But like men they have transgressed the covenant.[#6:7 Or like/at Adam .]

There they dealt faithlessly with Me.

⁸Gilead is a city of evildoers,[#2Sa 2:9; Hos 12:11]

polluted with blood.

⁹As robbers lie in wait for someone,

so a company of priests

murder on the way to Shechem.

They commit a shameful deed.

¹⁰I have seen a horrible thing[#Jer 5:30–31]

in the house of Israel.

The harlotry of Ephraim is there;

Israel is defiled.

¹¹Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,[#Jer 51:33; Joel 3:13]

when I restore the fortunes of My people.