The Unrepentance of Israel and Judah

1  לְכוּ֙ (Come), וְנָשׁ֣וּבָה (and let us return) אֶל־ (to) יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH).

כִּ֛י (For) ה֥וּא (He) טָרָ֖ף (has torn us),

וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑נוּ (and He will heal us)

יַ֖ךְ (He has struck us),

וְיַחְבְּשֵֽׁנוּ׃ (and He will bind us up).

2  יְחַיֵּ֖נוּ (He will revive us) מִיֹּמָ֑יִם (after two days)

בַּיּוֹם֙ (on the day) הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י (third) יְקִמֵ֖נוּ (He will raise us up),

וְנִחְיֶ֥ה (that we may live) לְפָנָֽיו׃ (before His face).

3  וְנֵדְעָ֣ה (And let us know),

נִרְדְּפָ֗ה (let us press on) לָדַ֙עַת֙ (to know) אֶת־ (-) יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH).

כְּשַׁ֖חַר (Like the dawn);

נָכ֣וֹן (is sure) מֽוֹצָא֑וֹ (His going forth)

וְיָב֤וֹא (and He will come) כַגֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ (like the rain), לָ֔נוּ (to us)

כְּמַלְק֖וֹשׁ (like the spring rain) י֥וֹרֶה (that showers) אָֽרֶץ׃ (the earth).

4  מָ֤ה (What) אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ (will I do) לְּךָ֙ (to you) אֶפְרַ֔יִם (O Ephraim),

מָ֥ה (what) אֶעֱשֶׂה־ (will I do) לְּךָ֖ (to you) יְהוּדָ֑ה (O Judah),

וְחַסְדְּכֶם֙ (and your⁺ faithfulness is) כַּֽעֲנַן־ (like a cloud), בֹּ֔קֶר (of the morning)

וְכַטַּ֖ל (and like the dew) מַשְׁכִּ֥ים (rising) הֹלֵֽךְ׃ (and going away).

5  עַל־ (For) כֵּ֗ן (thus) חָצַ֙בְתִּי֙ (I have hewn them) בַּנְּבִיאִ֔ים (by the prophets);

הֲרַגְתִּ֖ים (I have killed them) בְּאִמְרֵי־ (by the words) פִ֑י (of My mouth);

וּמִשְׁפָּטֶ֖יךָ (and My judgments) א֥וֹר (as the light) יֵצֵֽא׃ (go forth).

6  כִּ֛י (For) חֶ֥סֶד (mercy), חָפַ֖צְתִּי (I delight) וְלֹא־ (and not) זָ֑בַח (sacrifice);

וְדַ֥עַת (and the knowledge) אֱלֹהִ֖ים (of God)

מֵעֹלֽוֹת׃ (above burnt offerings).

7  וְהֵ֕מָּה (And they) כְּאָדָ֖ם (like Adam) עָבְר֣וּ (transgressed) בְרִ֑ית (the covenant);

שָׁ֖ם (there) בָּ֥גְדוּ (they were unfaithful) בִֽי׃ (with Me).

8  גִּלְעָ֕ד (Gilead is) קִרְיַ֖ת (a city) פֹּ֣עֲלֵי (of workers) אָ֑וֶן (of iniquity),

עֲקֻבָּ֖ה (with a footprint) מִדָּֽם׃ (of blood).

9  וּכְחַכֵּ֨י (Lying in wait) אִ֜ישׁ (for a man), גְּדוּדִ֗ים (like raiders)

חֶ֚בֶר (is the band) כֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים (of priests)

דֶּ֖רֶךְ (on the way) יְרַצְּחוּ־ (they murder) שֶׁ֑כְמָה (to Shechem)

כִּ֥י (surely) זִמָּ֖ה (wickedness) עָשֽׂוּ׃ (they have committed).

10  בְּבֵית֙ (In the house) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (of Israel);

רָאִ֖יתִי (I have seen) שַׁעֲרִירִיָּה (a horrible thing)

שָׁ֚ם (there is) זְנ֣וּת (the prostitution) לְאֶפְרַ֔יִם (of Ephraim),

נִטְמָ֖א (and is defiled) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (Israel).

11  גַּם־ (Also), יְהוּדָ֕ה (O Judah),

שָׁ֥ת (is set) קָצִ֖יר (a harvest) לָ֑ךְ (for you)

בְּשׁוּבִ֖י (in My turning back)

שְׁב֥וּת (the captivity) עַמִּֽי׃פ (of My people).