1  “Come, ^xlet us return to the Lord;

for he has ^ytorn us, that he may heal us;

he has struck us down, and he will ^zbind us up.

2  After two days he will revive us;

^aon the third day he will raise us up,

that we may live before him.

3  Let us know; let us press on to ^bknow the Lord;

his going out is sure as the dawn;

he will come to us as the showers,

as the spring rains that water the earth.”

4  ^cWhat shall I do with you, O Ephraim?

What shall I do with you, O Judah?

Your love is ^dlike a morning cloud,

like the dew that goes early away.

5  Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;

I have slain them by the words of my mouth,

and my judgment goes forth as the light.

6  For ^eI desire steadfast love¹ and not sacrifice,

the knowledge of God ^frather than burnt offerings.

7  But ^glike Adam they transgressed the covenant;

there they ^hdealt faithlessly with me.

8  ⁱGilead is a city of evildoers,

tracked with blood.

9  As robbers lie in wait for a man,

so the ^jpriests band together;

they murder on the way to Shechem;

they commit villainy.

10  In the house of Israel I have seen a ^khorrible thing;

^lEphraim’s whoredom is there; Israel is defiled.

11  For you also, O Judah, a ^mharvest is appointed.

When I ⁿrestore the fortunes of my people,