A Call to Repentance

6 Come, and let us return to the Lord;For He has torn, but He will heal us;He has stricken, but He will bind us up.² After two days He will revive us;On the third day He will raise us up,That we may live in His sight.³ Let us know,Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.His going forth is established as the morning;He will come to us like the rain,Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

Impenitence of Israel and Judah

⁴ “O Ephraim, what shall I do to you?O Judah, what shall I do to you?For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud,And like the early dew it goes away.⁵ Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,I have slain them by the words of My mouth;And your judgments are like light that goes forth.⁶ For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

⁷ “But like men^[a] they transgressed the covenant;There they dealt treacherously with Me.⁸ Gilead is a city of evildoersAnd defiled with blood.⁹ As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man,So the company of priests murder on the way to Shechem;Surely they commit lewdness.¹⁰ I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel:There is the harlotry of Ephraim;Israel is defiled.¹¹ Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,When I return the captives of My people.