Hosea 6
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 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 He will revive us after two days: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall 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 And let us feel it, that we may strive to know the Lord; bright as the morning-dawn is his rising; and he will come as the rain unto us, as the latter rain that maketh fruitful 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 What shall I do unto thee, O Ephraim? what shall I do unto thee, O Judah? for your piety is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away.
[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 Therefore did I hew [them] down by means of the prophets; I slew them by the words of my mouth: and thy punishments go forth like the 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 For piety I desired, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God, more than 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 they, like an ordinary man, have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
But they have refused to obey my agreement, [just] like Adam did; they have not been faithful to me.
8 Gil'ad is become a city of workers of wickedness, is full of traces of 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 And as troops that lie in wait for a man, so is the band of priests, they murder on the way in unison; for they commit scandalous deeds.
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 On the house of Israel have I seen a horrible thing: there is lewdness in Ephraim, Israel is become defiled.
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 Also for thee, O Judah, will a harvest be prepared, when I bring back the captivity 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,”
