1勸人民誠心歸向 神“來吧！讓我們回轉歸向耶和華；因為，他雖然撕裂了我們，但必定醫治我們；他雖然擊傷了我們，卻必替我們裹傷。
1Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2兩天以後，他要使我們復原；第三天，他使我們起來，我們就可以活在他的面前。
2After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him.
3讓我們認識，竭力追求認識耶和華。他必定出現，像晨光一樣，他必臨到我們，如雨水一般，又像滋潤大地的春雨。
3And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.
4指摘人民虛偽的行為“以法蓮啊！我要怎樣待你呢？猶大啊，我要怎樣待你呢？你們的愛心像早晨的雲霧；又像瞬即消逝的朝露。
4O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth early away.
5因此，我藉眾先知砍碎他們，用我口中的話殺戮他們；我的審判必如光一般發出。
5Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are [as] the light that goeth forth.
6我喜愛憐恤，不喜愛祭祀；我喜愛人認識 神的知識，勝過人獻的燔祭。
6For I desire goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.
7可是他們卻在亞當城背約，在那裡向我行詭詐。
7But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
8基列是作孽之人的城，他們的腳蹤染滿了血漬。
8Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity; it is stained with blood.
9在往示劍的路上，祭司結黨殺害人，就像埋伏路旁的強盜；他們行了邪惡的事。
9And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem; yea, they have committed lewdness.
10在以色列家！我看見了可怕的事；那裡有以法蓮的淫行，以色列被玷污了。
10In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing: there whoredom is [found] in Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
11猶大啊！我使我的子民歸回的時候，必有為你定下的一個收割時期。”
11Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for thee, when I bring back the captivity of my people.