Hosea 6:6

NETBible

For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight 1  in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings. 2 

NIV ©

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment 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.

NLT ©

I want you to be merciful; I don’t want your sacrifices. I want you to know God; that’s more important than burnt offerings.

MSG ©

I'm after love that lasts, not more religion. I want you to know GOD, not go to more prayer meetings.

BBE ©

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

KJV
For I desired
<02654> (8804)
mercy
<02617>_,
and not sacrifice
<02077>_;
and the knowledge
<01847>
of God
<0430>
more than burnt offerings
<05930>_.
NASB ©
For I delight
<2654>
in loyalty
<2617>
rather
<3808>
than
<3808>
sacrifice
<2077>
, And in the knowledge
<1847>
of God
<430>
rather
<4480>
than
<4480>
burnt
<5930>
offerings
<5930>
.
LXXM
dioti
<1360> 
CONJ
eleov
<1656> 
N-ASN
yelw
<2309> 
V-PAI-1S
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
ou
<3364> 
ADV
yusian
<2378> 
N-ASF
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
epignwsin
<1922> 
N-ASF
yeou
<2316> 
N-GSM
h
<2228> 
CONJ
olokautwmata
<3646> 
N-APN
NET [draft] ITL
For
<03588>
I delight
<02654>
in faithfulness
<02617>
, not
<03808>
simply in sacrifice
<02077>
; I delight in acknowledging
<01847>
God
<0430>
, not simply in whole burnt offerings
<05930>
.
HEBREW
twlem
<05930>
Myhla
<0430>
tedw
<01847>
xbz
<02077>
alw
<03808>
ytupx
<02654>
dox
<02617>
yk (6:6)
<03588>
NETBible

For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight 1  in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings. 2 

NET Notes

1 tn The phrase “I delight” does not appear in the Hebrew text a second time in this verse, but is implied from the parallelism in the preceding line.

2 sn Contrary to popular misunderstanding, Hosea does not reject animal sacrifice nor cultic ritual, and advocate instead obedience only. Rather, God does not delight in ritual sacrifice without the accompanying prerequisite moral obedience (1 Sam 15:22; Pss 40:6-8; 51:16-17; Prov 21:3; Isa 1:11-17; Jer 7:21-23; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6-8). However, if prerequisite moral obedience is present, he delights in sacrificial worship as an outward expression (Ps 51:19). Presented by a repentant obedient worshiper, whole burnt offerings were “an aroma pleasing” to the Lord (Lev 1:9, 13).