Hosea 6:6

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

biblegateway Hos 6:6

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

biblegateway Hos 6:6

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

biblegateway Hos 6:6

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.

biblegateway Hos 6:6

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

SABDAweb Hos 6:6

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

bibleoremus Hos 6:6

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

biblegateway Hos 6:6

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

biblegateway Hos 6:6

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

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).