1 Come, let us return to Yahweh.
He who shattered us to pieces, will heal us as well;
he has struck us down, but he will bind up our wounds.
2 Two days later he will bring us back to life;
on the third day, he will raise us up,
and we shall live in his presence.
3 Let us strive to know Yahweh.
His coming is as certain as the dawn;
4 O Ephraim, what shall I do with you?
O Judah, how shall I deal with you?
This love of yours is like morning mist,
like morning dew that quickly disappears.
5 c his judgment will burst forth like the light;
he will come to us as showers come,
like spring rain that waters the earth.
This is why I smote you through the prophets,
and have slain you by the words of my mouth.
6 For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice;
it is knowledge of God, not burnt offerings.
7 At Adam they broke my covenant; there they were unfaithful to me. 8 Gilead is a city of evildoers, stained with footprints of blood. 9 Like thieves in an ambush, so are the priests; they murder on the road to Shechem and commit adultery. 10 In Bethel I saw their disgraceful conduct; that is where Ephraim played the harlot and was defiled. 11 (For you, too, Ju dah, I have a harvest stored when I bring back my captive people and heal Israel.)
- Lamentations 3,40
- Psalms 116,9
- Isaiah 49,2
- Letter to the Hebrews 4,12
- 1 Kings 18,1
- Jeremiah 5,14
- Jeremiah 22,16
- Amos 5,22
- Mathew 9,13
- Mathew 12,7
People regret their errors, but they are not so sincere as to abandon their sins. They think they will please God by offering a few sacrifices but are far from real love which manifests itself in obedience; they prefer to offer the costly sacrifices which they choose rather than to do what God asks of them.
It is love that I desire, not sacrifice. On several occasions Jesus refuted the Pharisees by quoting this saying (see Mt 9:13).
Adam, Gilead, Bethel: places where the worship of Yahweh is mixed with pagan customs.
