Hosea 6

1 “Come on! Let's go back to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but now he will heal us. He has struck us down, but now he will bind up our wounds.

[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].

2 In two days he will heal us; after three days he will raise us up so we can live in his presence.

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.

3 Let's get to know the Lord, really strive to know him, and he will appear to us as surely as the sun will rise; he will come to us as certainly as the spring rains fall on the earth.”

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).”

4 Ephraim, what shall I do with you? Judah, what shall I do with you? Your love disappears like mist at dawn; it vanishes like dew in the morning.

[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].

5 So I cut you down through the prophets; I killed you with my words. My judgment shines out like a light.

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.

6 I want your true love, not your sacrifices; I want you to know me, not your burnt offerings.

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].

7 But you, just like Adam, broke our agreement, there you were unfaithful to me.

But they have refused to obey my agreement, [just] like Adam did; they have not been faithful to me.

8 Gilead is a city of evil people where footprints are tracked in blood.

Gilead is a city [full] of people who do wicked things; [in the streets] are the bloody footprints [of those who have murdered others].

9 Priests are like a gang of bandits, lying in wait to ambush travelers on the road. They commit murder in Shechem, carrying out wicked crimes.

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.

10 I have seen in the house of Israel something totally disgusting: Ephraim engages in prostitution and Israel is sexually corrupt.

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.

11 And as for you, Judah, your harvest-time has been set! When I restore the fortunes of my people,

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,”