Hosea 6

1 “Come! Let’s return to the LORD; for he has torn us to pieces, and he will heal us; he has injured us, and he will bind up our wounds.

saying, ‘Come let us return to the Lord, for he has torn us but he will heal us, he has injured us but he will bandage our wounds,

2 After two days he will revive us. On the third day he will raise us up, and we will live before him.

he will revive in a couple of days, on the third day he will raise us up again, to live in his presence.

3 Let’s acknowledge the LORD. Let’s press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, the LORD will appear. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth.”

Let us know, let us eagerly seek to know the Lord. His coming is as sure as the sunrise. He will come to us like the winter rain, as the spring rain that waters the earth.’

4 “Ephraim, what shall I do to you? Judah, what shall I do to you? For your love is like a morning cloud, and like the dew that disappears early.

What can I make of you, Ephraim! What can I make of you, Judah! Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew which early goes away.

5 Therefore I have cut them to pieces with the prophets; I killed them with the words of my mouth. Your judgements are like a flash of lightning.

That is why I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth. My judgment is like the light that goes forth,

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

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

7 But they, like Adam, have broken the covenant. They were unfaithful to me there.

But they after the manner of men have transgressed the covenant, there they have played me false.

8 Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood.

Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with bloody footprints,

9 As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man, so the company of priests murder on the path towards Shechem, committing shameful crimes.

and as bandits lie in wait for a man, so a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem. How terrible is the evil they do!

10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing. There is prostitution in Ephraim. Israel is defiled.

In Bethel I have seen a horrible thing. There Ephraim plays the prostitute, Israel is defiled.

11 “Also, Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you, when I restore the fortunes of my people.

Judah for you also a harvest is set. When I would restore the fortunes of my people,