HOS 6:6 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=vital (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative, blue:Elohim.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Διότι ἔλεος θέλω ἢ θυσίαν, καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν Θεοῦ ἢ ὁλοκαυτώματα.
(Dioti eleos thelō aʸ thusian, kai epignōsin Theou aʸ holokautōmata. )

BrTr For I will have mercy rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than whole-burnt-offerings.

ULT For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
⇔ and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

UST Yahweh says, “I want you to be faithful to me forever.
⇔ I want that more than I want you to offer me sacrifices.
⇔ I want you to know me—that is much more important to me
⇔ than when you give me offerings that the priests burn on the altar.

OEB for it is love that I delight in and not sacrifice,
⇔ and knowledge of God and not burnt offerings.

CSB For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

NLT I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

NIV For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

CEV I'd rather for you to be faithful and to know me than to offer sacrifices.

ESV For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

NASB For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

LSB For I delight in lovingkindness rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

WEBBE For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice;
⇔ and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(4-7)“What am I to do with you, Ephraim?
  What do I make of you, Judah?
Your declarations of love last no longer
  than morning mist and predawn dew.
That’s why I use prophets to shake you to attention,
  why my words cut you to the quick:
To wake you up to my judgment
  blazing like light.
I’m after love that lasts, not more religion.
  I want you to know God, not go to more prayer meetings.
You broke the covenant—just like Adam!
  You broke faith with me—ungrateful wretches!

NET For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice;
⇔ I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings.

LSV For kindness I desired, and not sacrifice,
And a knowledge of God above burnt-offerings.

FBV I want your true love, not your sacrifices; I want you to know me, not your burnt offerings.

T4T I want my people to faithfully love me
⇔ more than I want them to offer sacrifices to me;
⇔ I want them to know me
⇔ more than I want them to completely burn sacrifices on the altar.

LEB • Because I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

NRSV For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

NKJV For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

NAB For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

BBE Because my desire is for mercy and not offerings; for the knowledge of God more than for burned offerings.

Moff love I desire, not sacrifice,
⇔ knowledge of God, not any offerings.

JPS For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.

ASV For I desire goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.

DRA For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts.

YLT For kindness I desired, and not sacrifice, And a knowledge of God above burnt-offerings.

Drby For I delight in loving-kindness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of [fn]God more than burnt-offerings.

6.6 Elohim

RV For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
(For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings. )

SLT For I delighted in mercy and not sacrifice; the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.

Wbstr For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.

KJB-1769 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
(For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings. )

KJB-1611 For I desired mercie, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more then burnt offerings.
(For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more then burnt-offerings.)

Bshps For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more then burnt offeringes.
(For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more then burnt-offerings.)

Gnva For I desired mercie, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more then burnt offrings.
(For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more then burnt-offerings. )

Cvdl For I haue pleasure in louynge kyndnesse, and not in offerynge: Yee in the knowlege of God, more then in burntsacrifice.
(For I have pleasure in loving-kindness, and not in offering: Ye/You_all in the knowledge of God, more then in burnt-sacrifice.)

Wycl and thi domes schulen go out as liyt. For Y wolde merci, and not sacrifice, and Y wolde the kunnyng of God, more than brent sacrificis.
(and thy/your judgements should go out as light. For I would mercy, and not sacrifice, and I would the cunning of God, more than burnt-sacrifices.)

Luth Denn ich habe Lust an der Liebe und nicht am Opfer und am Erkenntnis Gottes und nicht am Brandopfer.
(Because I have desire/lust(n) at/to the/of_the love(n) and not in/at/on_the victim/prey and in/at/on_the knowledge God’s and not in/at/on_the burnt-offering.)

ClVg Quia misericordiam volui, et non sacrificium; et scientiam Dei plus quam holocausta.
(Because mercy volui, and not/no sacrifice; and knowledge of_God plus how burnt_offerings. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:4–7:16: The people persisted in their sins

In this section, the LORD again spoke to the people of Israel and Judah. In contrast to the people’s future repentance (6:1–3), he gave examples of their current disloyalty and corruption, including their reliance on other nations instead of him. They continued to commit sins, and they refused to seek him. He announced that he would judge them, and he illustrated his coming judgment in various ways.

In this section, the Hebrew text sometimes uses second person pronouns (“you”) and sometimes third person pronouns (“they” or “he”) to refer to the people of Israel. The BSB follows the Hebrew pronoun usage. It uses “they” in 6:5–10, “you” in 6:4 & 11, and “they” or “he” in 7:1–16. Throughout these verses the LORD is the speaker, and he either addresses the people directly or speaks about them.

English versions all use “you” in 6:11 and “they” in chapter 7, but they differ in the way they use the pronouns in 6:5–10. You should use the most natural and least confusing way in your language to handle the pronouns in 6:5–10. In 6:7–10, the Display will follow the BSB pronoun choice in the first meaning line and give another pronoun choice in the second meaning line. See the note on “you” in 2:16b–c, where the pronoun changes are similar.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Transitory Faithfulness and Imminent Judgment (NET)

Impenitence of Israel and Judah (NRSV)

Paragraph 6:4–6

This paragraph contrasts with the previous one (6:1–3). That paragraph described a time when the people would truly repent. Here in 6:4–6, the LORD told the people of Israel and Judah how unreliable their love was. He expressed his despair over the way that the people truly behaved. He also told them what he desired from them.

In some languages, it may be helpful to make explicit the contrast between this paragraph and 6:1–3. For example:

But you, Ephraim, What am I to do with you?

Yet you people of Ephraim do not seek to know me. What can I do with you?

6:6a–b

(combined/reordered)

For it is not your^(plur) animal sacrifices that I care about. What I want is for you to know me, your God, and to show love to me and others.

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^6aFor I desire mercy, not sacrifice,

^6band the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

For: In this verse, the LORD explained to the people of Israel what he wanted from them. He told them the reason for his frustration and the motive for his discipline. The Hebrew text and some English versions indicate explicitly that this verse is an explanation or reason. For example:

For I desire steadfast love…. (NRSV)

Some versions rely on the context to clarify the relationship between the previous verses and this one. They do not indicate the relationship explicitly. For example:

I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices. (GNT)

Use a natural way in your language to indicate that this verse tells the reason for the LORD’s feelings and actions in the previous verses.

I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings: In these lines, the LORD told the people of Israel what was important to him. He wanted them to faithfully love him and one another. He also wanted them to show by their attitudes and actions that they truly knew him. Otherwise, he would not accept their sacrifices and burnt offerings.

It is implied from the previous context that the people did not show that they truly knew him. It is also implied that the kind of sacrifices and burnt offerings that the LORD rejected were mere rituals. He did not want the people to offer sacrifices at all, if the sacrifices were not accompanied by a loving relationship with him.

You may want to add a footnote that cross-references 1 Samuel 15:22 and Psalm 51:16–19. These verses have similar ideas.

mercy: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as mercy is the same word that it translates as “loving devotion” in 4:1c. See the note on that verse for the different aspects of meaning. Here it may refer particularly to faithful love for God that results in a concern for others. Translate this term in a way that fits naturally in the context.

the knowledge of God: See the notes on 4:1d and 5:4c, where this phrase has the same meaning.

God: The Hebrew word here is elohim and not Yahweh. Versions indicate this by translating this word as God and not as “LORD.”

sacrifice…burnt offerings: The parallel terms sacrifice and burnt offerings refer to animal sacrifices that the people offered to God.

The word sacrifice is the general word for an offering to God. The phrase burnt offerings refers to animals that were completely burned as offerings to God.

General Comment on 6:6a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine the parallel parts in these two lines. For example:

It is not your animal sacrifices that I care about. What I want is for you to know me, your God, and to show love to me and others.

6:6a

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,

For I desire that you love me. I do not desire the sacrifices that you offer with insincere hearts.
What I want is your loyal/unchanging love for me and others, not the animals that you sacrifice.

6:6b

and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

I want you^(plur) to know and obey me as your God rather than to burn animals as offerings to me.
I also want you to know me and to acknowledge my authority as God. I am not pleased with the offerings that you burn to me that are only rituals.