The Rewards of Coming Back to the Lord
1“Come, let’s go back to the LORD. He hurt us, but he will heal us. He wounded us, but he will put bandages on us.
2After two days he will bring us back to life. He will raise us up on the third day. Then we can live near him.
3Let’s learn about the LORD. Let’s try very hard to know him. We know he is coming, just as we know the dawn is coming. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the ground.”
The People Are Not Faithful
4“Ephraim, what should I do with you? Judah, what should I do with you? Your love for me is like a morning mist, like the dew that is gone as soon as the day begins.
5That's why I sent my prophets to cut you down, to speak my message that warned you of death. And everyone can see that my judgment is fair. That is as clear as the morning sun.
6I want faithful love more than I want sacrifice; I want people to know God, not just to bring burnt offerings.
7But the people broke the agreement as Adam did. They were unfaithful to me in their country.
8Gilead is a city of people who do evil— people who have tricked and killed others.
9The priests are like gangs of robbers hiding and waiting on the road to attack someone. They murder people before they reach safety in Shechem. They do such evil things.
10“I have seen a terrible thing in the nation of Israel. Ephraim was unfaithful to God. Israel is dirty with sin.
11Judah, there is also a time of harvest for you. It will happen when I bring my people back from captivity.