Israel Unrepentant
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.
2After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.
3Let 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.”
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.
5Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
I killed you with the words of my mouth—
then my judgments go forth like the sun.6:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
6For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
7As at Adam,6:7 Or Like Adam; or Like human beings they have broken the covenant;
they were unfaithful to me there.
8Gilead is a city of evildoers,
stained with footprints of blood.
9As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,
so do bands of priests;
they murder on the road to Shechem,
carrying out their wicked schemes.
10I have seen a horrible thing in Israel:
There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
Israel is defiled.
11“Also for you, Judah,
a harvest is appointed.
“Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,
以色列和猶大不思悔改
1「來吧,我們歸向耶和華!
祂撕裂我們,也必醫治我們;
祂打傷我們,也必為我們包紮。
2過兩天,祂必復興我們;
第三天,祂必使我們站立起來,
我們好在祂面前存活。
3讓我們認識耶和華,
竭力認識耶和華!
祂如曙光一樣必然出現,
祂必像甘霖一樣臨到我們,
又如滋潤大地的春雨。」
4耶和華說:
「以法蓮啊,我該怎樣待你呢?
猶大啊,我該怎樣待你呢?
你們對我的愛像晨霧,
如轉瞬即逝的朝露。
5所以,我藉先知砍碎你們,
用我的話殺戮你們,
我的審判必如光臨到你們。
6我要的是憐憫,而非祭物;
我喜愛人認識我,勝於燔祭。
7可是,你們卻如亞當一樣背約,
以詭詐待我。
8基列是罪惡之城,
到處血跡斑斑。
9祭司如同埋伏的強盜一樣結夥打劫,
在通往示劍的路上行凶作惡。
10我在以色列家看見了可怕之事,
以法蓮不忠不貞,玷污了自己。
11「猶大啊,當我使我被擄的子民返鄉時,
你必得到我給你定的下場6·11 「你必得到我給你定的下場」希伯來文是「我已經為你定下收割的時間」。。