Hosea

Hosea, chapter 6, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 6 New English Translation

Superficial Repentance Breeds False Assurance of God's Forgiveness

   1 "Come on! Let's return to the LORD! He himself has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us! He has injured us, but he will bandage our wounds!
   2 He will restore us in a very short time; he will heal us in a little while, so that we may live in his presence.
   3 So let us acknowledge him! Let us seek to acknowledge the LORD! He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn, as certainly as the winter rain comes, as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land."

Transitory Faithfulness and Imminent Judgment

   4 What am I going to do with you, O Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, O Judah? For your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist; it disappears as quickly as dawn's dew!
   5 Therefore, I will certainly cut you into pieces at the hands of the prophets; I will certainly kill you in fulfillment of my oracles of judgment; for my judgment will come forth like the light of the dawn.
   6 For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings.

Indictments Against the Cities of Israel and Judah

   7 At Adam they broke the covenant; Oh how they were unfaithful to me!
   8 Gilead is a city full of evildoers; its streets are stained with bloody footprints!
   9 The company of priests is like a gang of robbers, lying in ambush to pounce on a victim. They commit murder on the road to Shechem; they have done heinous crimes!
   10 I have seen a disgusting thing in the temple of Israel: there Ephraim practices temple prostitution and Judah defiles itself.
   11 I have appointed a time to reap judgment for you also, O Judah!

King James Version

   1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
   2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
   3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
   4 ¶ O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
   5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
   6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
   7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
   8 Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.
   9 And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.
   10 I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
   11 Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.