Hosea 6
1 [The Israeli people say, ] “Come, let’s return to Yahweh! He has caused [us] to be injured, but he will heal us. He has caused [us] to be wounded, but [it is as though] he will put bandages on our wounds [MET].
In their affliction they will seek me early, saying, Let us go, and return to the Lord our God; for he has torn, and will heal us; he will smite, and bind us up.
2 After a very short time he will revive us; in less than three days he will restore us in order that we may live in his presence.
After two days he will heal us: in the third day we shall arise, and live before him, and shall know [him]:
3 We must try to know Yahweh; [if we do that, ] he will come [and help] us, as surely as the sun rises [every morning], as surely as rain falls every winter/cold season, and as surely as the rain falls again (in the springtime/at the end of the cold season).”
let us follow on to know the Lord: we shall find him ready as the morning, and he will come to us as the early and latter rain to the earth.
4 [But Yahweh knows they are insincere; ] [so he says to them, ] “You [people of] Israel, and you [people of] Judah, [I do not know] [RHQ] what I should do to you. Your being faithful [to me will disappear as quickly] as [SIM] the morning mist [disappears], like [SIM] the dew [on the ground] that disappears quickly [when the sun shines].
What shall I do unto thee, Ephraim? What shall I do to thee, Juda? whereas your mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that goes away.
5 I warned [HYP] you by [the messages that I gave to] the prophets, [but you did not pay attention to my messages]. Therefore I will completely destroy you; the punishment that I give you will strike you like lightning.
Therefore have I mown down your prophets; I have slain them with the word of my mouth: and my judgment shall go forth as the light.
6 I want [my people] to faithfully love [me] more than [I want them to offer] sacrifices [to me]; [I want them] to know me more than [I want them to] completely burn sacrifices [on the altar].
For I will [have] mercy rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than whole-burnt-offerings.
7 But they have refused to obey my agreement, [just] like Adam did; they have not been faithful to me.
But they are as a man transgressing a covenant:
8 Gilead is a city [full] of people who do wicked things; [in the streets] are the bloody footprints [of those who have murdered others].
there the city Galaad despised me, working vanity, troubling water.
9 The priests are like [SIM] bandits who wait (in ambushes/along the road) to attack people; they murder [people who are walking] on the road to Shechem, and they commit other disgraceful crimes.
And thy strength [is that] of a robber: the priests have hid the way, they have murdered [the people of] Sicima; for they have wrought iniquity in the house of Israel.
10 I have seen horrible things [being done] in Israel [MTY]. The people have abandoned me [like prostitutes who have abandoned their husbands] [MET]; [so the people of] Israel have become unacceptable to me.
I have seen horrible [things] there, [even] the fornication of Ephraim: Israel and Juda are defiled;
11 And you [people of] Judah, I have appointed a time when I will punish [MET] you, too. Whenever I wanted to enable my people to prosper again,”
begin together grapes for thyself, when I turn the captivity of my people.
