Come and let us return unto Jehovah: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After two days will he revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before his face;
and we shall know, we shall follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is assured as the morning dawn; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain which watereth the earth.
What shall I do unto thee, Ephraim? What shall I do unto thee, Judah? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that early passeth away.
Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and my judgment goeth forth as the light.
For I delight in loving-kindness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.
But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity; it is tracked with blood.
And as troops of robbers lie in wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way of Shechem; yea, they commit lewdness.
In the house of Israel have I seen a horrible thing: the whoredom of Ephraim is there; Israel is defiled.
Also, for thee, Judah, is a harvest appointed, when I shall turn again the captivity of my people.
Canonical academic citations for Hosea 6 (DBT) — copy in your preferred format.
Hosea 6 (DBT). Prime Bible, accessed August 6, 2026. https://primebible.com/dbt/hosea/6.
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Israel’s call to ‘return’ rings hollow; God wants steadfast love, not sacrifice. Their covenant-breaking, bloodshed and priestly crimes make their piety as fleeting as morning mist.
Marriage metaphor portrays Israel's unfaithfulness and God's persistent love.
Hosea 6 is presented with the full Hebrew interlinear, Strong's numbers, and verse-by-verse cross-references on Prime Bible — a free, nonprofit Bible study platform.