Hos.6.1

"Come on, let's go back to GOD. He hurt us, but he'll heal us. He hit us hard, but he'll put us right again.

Hos.6.1

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.

Hos.6.1

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.

Hos.6.1

"Come, let us return to the LORD! He has torn us in pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds.

Hos.6.2

In a couple of days we'll feel better. By the third day he'll have made us brand-new, Alive and on our feet, fit to face him.

Hos.6.2

After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.

Hos.6.2

After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.

Hos.6.2

In just a short time, he will restore us so we can live in his presence.

Hos.6.3

We're ready to study GOD, eager for God-knowledge. As sure as dawn breaks, so sure is his daily arrival. He comes as rain comes, as spring rain refreshing the ground." [JC]

Hos.6.3

Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

Hos.6.3

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.

Hos.6.3

Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him! Then he will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring."

Hos.6.4

"What am I to do with you, Ephraim? What do I make of you, Judah? Your declarations of love last no longer than morning mist and predawn dew.

Hos.6.4

"What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.

Hos.6.4

"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.

Hos.6.4

"O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?" asks the LORD. "For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight.

Hos.6.5

That's why I use prophets to shake you to attention, why my words cut you to the quick: To wake you up to my judgment blazing like light.

Hos.6.5

Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth; my judgments flashed like lightning upon you.

Hos.6.5

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.

Hos.6.5

I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces. I have slaughtered you with my words, threatening you with death. My judgment will strike you as surely as day follows night.

Hos.6.6

I'm after love that lasts, not more religion. I want you to know GOD, not go to more prayer meetings.

Hos.6.6

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hos.6.6

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Hos.6.6

I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices. I want you to know God; that's more important than burnt offerings.

Hos.6.7

You broke the covenant--just like Adam! You broke faith with me--ungrateful wretches!

Hos.6.7

Like Adam, they have broken the covenant- they were unfaithful to me there.

Hos.6.7

"But like men they transgressed the covenant; There they dealt treacherously with Me.

Hos.6.7

"But like Adam, you broke my covenant and rebelled against me.

Hos.6.8

"Gilead has become Crime City--blood on the sidewalks, blood on the streets.

Hos.6.8

Gilead is a city of wicked men, stained with footprints of blood.

Hos.6.8

Gilead is a city of evildoers And defiled with blood.

Hos.6.8

Gilead is a city of sinners, tracked with footprints of blood.

Hos.6.9

It used to be robbers who mugged pedestrians. Now it's gangs of priests Assaulting worshipers on their way to Shechem. Nothing is sacred to them.

Hos.6.9

As marauders lie in ambush for a man, so do bands of priests; they murder on the road to Shechem, committing shameful crimes.

Hos.6.9

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.

Hos.6.9

Its citizens are bands of robbers, lying in ambush for their victims. Gangs of priests murder travelers along the road to Shechem and practice every kind of sin.

Hos.6.10

"I saw a shocking thing in the country of Israel: Ephraim worshiping in a religious whorehouse, and Israel in the mud right there with him.

Hos.6.10

I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel. There Ephraim is given to prostitution and Israel is defiled.

Hos.6.10

I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel: There is the harlotry of Ephraim; Israel is defiled.

Hos.6.10

Yes, I have seen a horrible thing in Israel: My people have defiled themselves by chasing after other gods!

Hos.6.11

"You're as bad as the worst of them, Judah. You've been sowing wild oats. Now it's harvest time.

Hos.6.11

"Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed. "Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,

Hos.6.11

Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you, When I return the captives of My people.

Hos.6.11

"O Judah, a harvest of punishment is also waiting for you, though I wanted so much to restore the fortunes of my people!

Hos.7.1

"Every time I gave Israel a fresh start, wiped the slate clean and got them going again, Ephraim soon filled the slate with new sins, the treachery of Samaria written out in bold print. Two-faced and double-tongued, they steal you blind, pick you clean.

Hos.7.1

whenever I would heal Israel, the sins of Ephraim are exposed and the crimes of Samaria revealed. They practice deceit, thieves break into houses, bandits rob in the streets;

Hos.7.1

"When I would have healed Israel, Then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, And the wickedness of Samaria. For they have committed fraud; A thief comes in; A band of robbers takes spoil outside.

Hos.7.1

"I wanted to heal Israel, but its sins were far too great. Samaria is filled with liars, thieves, and bandits!

Hos.7.2

It never crosses their mind that I keep account of their every crime. They're mud-spattered head to toe with the residue of sin. I see who they are and what they've done.

Hos.7.2

but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me.

Hos.7.2

They do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness; Now their own deeds have surrounded them; They are before My face.

Hos.7.2

Its people don't realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them; I see them all!

Hos.7.3

"They entertain the king with their evil circus, delight the princes with their acrobatic lies.

Hos.7.3

"They delight the king with their wickedness, the princes with their lies.

Hos.7.3

They make a king glad with their wickedness, And princes with their lies.

Hos.7.3

The people make the king glad with their wickedness. The princes laugh about the people's many lies.

Hos.7.4

They're a bunch of overheated adulterers, like an oven that holds its heat From the kneading of the dough to the rising of the bread.

Hos.7.4

They are all adulterers, burning like an oven whose fire the baker need not stir from the kneading of the dough till it rises.

Hos.7.4

"They are all adulterers. Like an oven heated by a baker-- He ceases stirring the fire after kneading the dough, Until it is leavened.

Hos.7.4

They are all adulterers, always aflame with lust. They are like an oven that is kept hot even while the baker is still kneading the dough.

Hos.7.5

On the royal holiday the princes get drunk on wine and the frenzy of the mocking mob.

Hos.7.5

On the day of the festival of our king the princes become inflamed with wine, and he joins hands with the mockers.

Hos.7.5

In the day of our king Princes have made him sick, inflamed with wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers.

Hos.7.5

"On royal holidays, the princes get drunk. The king makes a fool of himself and drinks with those who are making fun of him.

Hos.7.6

They're like wood stoves, red-hot with lust. Through the night their passion is banked; in the morning it blazes up, flames hungrily licking.

Hos.7.6

Their hearts are like an oven; they approach him with intrigue. Their passion smolders all night; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

Hos.7.6

They prepare their heart like an oven, While they lie in wait; Their baker sleeps all night; In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.

Hos.7.6

Their hearts blaze like a furnace with intrigue. Their plot smolders through the night, and in the morning it flames forth like a raging fire.

Hos.7.7

Murderous and volcanic, they incinerate their rulers. Their kings fall one by one, and no one pays any attention to me.

Hos.7.7

All of them are hot as an oven; they devour their rulers. All their kings fall, and none of them calls on me.

Hos.7.7

They are all hot, like an oven, And have devoured their judges; All their kings have fallen. None among them calls upon Me.

Hos.7.7

They kill their kings one after another, and no one cries out to me for help.

Hos.7.8

"Ephraim mingles with the pagans, dissipating himself. Ephraim is half-baked.

Hos.7.8

"Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is a flat cake not turned over.

Hos.7.8

"Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned.

Hos.7.8

"My people of Israel mingle with godless foreigners, picking up their evil ways. Now they have become as worthless as a half-baked cake!

Hos.7.9

Strangers suck him dry but he doesn't even notice. His hair has turned gray--he doesn't notice.

Hos.7.9

Foreigners sap his strength, but he does not realize it. His hair is sprinkled with gray, but he does not notice.

Hos.7.9

Aliens have devoured his strength, But he does not know it; Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, Yet he does not know it.

Hos.7.9

Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don't even know it. Israel is like an old man with graying hair, unaware of how weak and old he has become.

Hos.7.10

Bloated by arrogance, big as a house, Israel's a public disgrace. Israel lumbers along oblivious to GOD, despite all the signs, ignoring GOD.

Hos.7.10

Israel's arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this he does not return to the LORD his God or search for him.

Hos.7.10

And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, But they do not return to the LORD their God, Nor seek Him for all this.

Hos.7.10

His arrogance testifies against him, yet he doesn't return to the LORD his God or even try to find him.

Hos.7.11

"Ephraim is bird-brained, mindless, clueless, First chirping after Egypt, then fluttering after Assyria.

Hos.7.11

"Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless- now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria.

Hos.7.11

"Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense-- They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria.

Hos.7.11

"The people of Israel have become like silly, witless doves, first calling to Egypt, then flying to Assyria.

Hos.7.12

I'll throw my net over them. I'll clip their wings. I'll teach them to mind me!

Hos.7.12

When they go, I will throw my net over them; I will pull them down like birds of the air. When I hear them flocking together, I will catch them.

Hos.7.12

Wherever they go, I will spread My net on them; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will chastise them According to what their congregation has heard.

Hos.7.12

But as they fly about, I will throw my net over them and bring them down like a bird from the sky. I will punish them for all their evil ways.

Hos.7.13

Doom! They've run away from home. Now they're really in trouble! They've defied me. And I'm supposed to help them while they feed me a line of lies?

Hos.7.13

Woe to them, because they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me! I long to redeem them but they speak lies against me.

Hos.7.13

"Woe to them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction to them, Because they have transgressed against Me! Though I redeemed them, Yet they have spoken lies against Me.

Hos.7.13

"How terrible it will be for my people who have deserted me! Let them die, for they have rebelled against me. I wanted to redeem them, but they have only spoken lies about me.

Hos.7.14

Instead of crying out to me in heartfelt prayer, they whoop it up in bed with their whores, Gash themselves bloody in their sex-and-religion orgies, but turn their backs on me.

Hos.7.14

They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me.

Hos.7.14

They did not cry out to Me with their heart When they wailed upon their beds. "They assemble together for grain and new wine, They rebel against Me;

Hos.7.14

They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts. Instead, they sit on their couches and wail. They cut themselves, begging foreign gods for crops and prosperity.

Hos.7.15

I'm the one who gave them good minds and healthy bodies, and how am I repaid? With evil scheming!

Hos.7.15

I trained them and strengthened them, but they plot evil against me.

Hos.7.15

Though I disciplined and strengthened their arms, Yet they devise evil against Me;

Hos.7.15

"I trained them and made them strong, yet now they plot evil against me.

Hos.7.16

They turn, but not to me--turn here, then there, like a weather vane. Their rulers will be cut down, murdered--just deserts for their mocking blasphemies. And the final sentence? Ridicule in the court of world opinion.

Hos.7.16

They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent words. For this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.

Hos.7.16

They return, but not to the Most High; They are like a treacherous bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword For the cursings of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Hos.7.16

They look everywhere except to heaven, to the Most High. They are like a crooked bow that always misses its target. Their leaders will be killed by their enemies because of their insolence toward me. Then the people of Egypt will laugh at them.