| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. | 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! |
| 2After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. | 2He will restore us in a very short time; he will heal us in a little while, so that we may live in his presence. |
| 3Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” | 3So 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." |
| 4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. | 4What 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! |
| 5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. | 5Therefore, 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. |
| 6For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. | 6For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings. |
| 7But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me. | 7At Adam they broke the covenant; Oh how they were unfaithful to me! |
| 8Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with blood. | 8Gilead is a city full of evildoers; its streets are stained with bloody footprints! |
| 9As robbers lie in wait for a man, so the priests band together; they murder on the way to Shechem; they commit villainy. | 9The 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! |
| 10In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim’s whoredom is there; Israel is defiled. | 10I have seen a disgusting thing in the temple of Israel: there Ephraim practices temple prostitution and Judah defiles itself. |
| 11For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed. When I restore the fortunes of my people, | 11I have appointed a time to reap judgment for you also, O Judah! If Israel Would Repent of Sin, God Would Relent of Judgment Whenever I want to restore the fortunes of my people, |
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