The Unrepentance of Israel and Judah 1 Brenton 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. BSB BSB: Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds.
2 Brenton After two days he will heal us: in the third day we shall arise, and live before him, and shall know him : BSB BSB: After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.
3 Brenton 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. BSB BSB: So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.
4 Brenton 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. BSB BSB: What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.
5 Brenton 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. BSB BSB: Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth, and My judgments go forth like lightning.
6 Brenton For I will have mercy rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than whole-burnt-offerings. BSB BSB: For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
7 Brenton But they are as a man transgressing a covenant: BSB BSB: But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they were unfaithful to Me.
8 Brenton there the city Galaad despised me, working vanity, troubling water. BSB BSB: Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with footprints of blood.
9 Brenton 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. BSB BSB: Like raiders who lie in ambush, so does a band of priests; they murder on the way to Shechem; surely they have committed atrocities.
10 Brenton I have seen horrible things there, even the fornication of Ephraim: Israel and Juda are defiled; BSB BSB: In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing: Ephraim practices prostitution there, and Israel is defiled.
11 Brenton begin to gather grapes for thyself, when I turn the captivity of my people. BSB BSB: Also for you, O Judah, a harvest is appointed, when I restore My people from captivity.