The Unrepentance of Israel and Judah 1 UST { They will say to each other,}“Come, let us start obeying Yahweh again! Although he is the one who has hurt us, he will heal us; he has wounded us, but he will bandage our wounds. 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 UST In a very short time he will make us strong again; in just a few days he will restore us so that we may live in his presence. 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 UST We need to know Yahweh; let us try hard to do that. He will certainly help us, as surely as the dawn comes every morning. He will restore us again like the rain, as the spring rain restores the land.” 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 UST { Yahweh says,}“You people of Ephraim and you people of Judah, I do not know what more I can do with you! You say that you will faithfully love me, but you love me about as long as the mist stays in the morning; you love me about as long as the dew stays that is gone early in the day. 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 UST That is why I sent my prophets{ to tell you} to reform yourselves; the messages that I told them to speak{ warned you that soldiers} were coming to kill you. What I have justly decided to do will happen as{ surely as} the sun will shine. 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 UST I do all of this because I want you to faithfully love me rather than to offer me sacrifices; I want you to truly know me rather than to give me burnt offerings. BSB BSB: For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
7 UST However, on their part, they broke my covenant, just as Adam did; in that way they were unfaithful to me. BSB BSB: But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they were unfaithful to Me.
8 UST Gilead is a city full of people who do wicked things.{ People murder others there so often, it is as though} their footprints leave trails of blood everywhere. BSB BSB: Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with footprints of blood.
9 UST The priests are like bandits who lie in wait to ambush a man; they join together to murder people on the road to Shechem. Indeed, they have done terrible and shameful things. 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 UST Among the people of Israel I have seen something horrible: the people of Ephraim{ stopped worshiping me and} became prostitutes. Yes, the people of Israel made themselves unacceptable to me{ by sinning}. BSB BSB: In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing: Ephraim practices prostitution there, and Israel is defiled.
11 UST People of Judah, I have also appointed a time when I will judge you. Whenever I consider enabling my people to prosper again, BSB BSB: Also for you, O Judah, a harvest is appointed, when I restore My people from captivity.