Impenitencia de Israel
1¡Vengan, volvámonos al Señor!
Él nos ha despedazado,
pero nos sanará;
nos ha herido,
pero nos vendará.
2Después de dos días nos dará vida nuevamente;
al tercer día nos levantará,
y así viviremos en su presencia.
3Conozcamos al Señor;
esforcémonos por conocerlo.
Tan cierto como que sale el sol,
él habrá de manifestarse;
vendrá a nosotros como la lluvia de invierno,
como la lluvia de primavera que riega la tierra.
4«¿Qué voy a hacer contigo, Efraín?
¿Qué voy a hacer contigo, Judá?
El amor de ustedes es como nube matutina,
como rocío que temprano se evapora.
5Por eso los hice pedazos por medio de los profetas;
los herí con las palabras de mi boca.
¡Mis juicios brillan como la luz!
6Lo que pido de ustedes es misericordia y no sacrificios,
conocimiento de Dios en lugar de holocaustos.
7Pero ellos, como Adán han quebrantado el pacto,
¡me han traicionado!
8Galaad es una ciudad de malhechores;
sus pisadas dejan huellas de sangre.
9Una pandilla de sacerdotes
está al acecho en el camino a Siquén
y, como banda de salteadores,
comete toda clase de infamias.
10En el reino de Israel he visto algo horrible:
se ha prostituido a Efraín
e Israel se ha contaminado.
11»¡A ti también, Judá,
te espera la cosecha de tu maldad!
»Cuando yo restaure la fortuna de mi pueblo
Israel Refuses to Turn Away From Their Sins
1The people say, “Come.
Let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces.
But he will heal us.
He has wounded us.
But he’ll bandage our wounds.
2After two days he will give us new life.
On the third day he’ll make us like new again.
Then we will enjoy his blessing.
3Let’s recognize him as the Lord.
Let’s keep trying to know him.
You can be sure the sun will rise.
And you can be just as sure the Lord will appear.
He will come to renew us like the winter rains.
He will be like the spring rains that water the earth.”
4The Lord says, “Ephraim, what can I do with you?
And what can I do with you, Judah?
Your love for me vanishes like the morning mist.
It soon disappears like the early dew.
5So I used the words of my prophets to cut you in pieces.
I used my words to put you to death.
Then my judgments blazed out like the sun.
6I want mercy and not sacrifice.
I want you to recognize me as God
instead of bringing me burnt offerings.
7Just as at the city of Adam, they disobeyed me,
they have broken the covenant I made with them.
They were not faithful to me there.
8Ramoth Gilead is a city where sinful people live.
It is stained with footprints of blood.
9On the road to Shechem, groups of priests act like robbers.
They hide and wait to attack people.
They murder them.
So they carry out their evil plans.
10I have seen a horrible thing in Israel.
The people of Ephraim are unfaithful to their own God.
The people of Israel are ‘unclean.’
11“People of Judah, I have also appointed a time
for you to be destroyed.
“I would like to bless my people
with great success again.
