Osee 6

1 In their affliction they will seek me early, saying, Let us go, and return to the Lord our God; for he has torn, and will heal us; he will strike, and bind us up.

Come, and let us return to the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

2 After two days he will heal us: in the third day we shall arise, and live before him, and shall know [him]:

After two days will he revive us: in the third day will he raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

3 let us follow on to know the Lord: we shall find him ready as the morning, and he will come to us as the early and latter rain to the earth.

Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he will come to us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain to the earth.

4 What shall I do to you, Ephraim? What shall I do to you, Juda? whereas your mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that goes away.

O Ephraim, what shall I do to thee? O Judah, what shall I do to thee? for your goodness [is] as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

5 Therefore have I mown down your prophets; I have slain them with the word of my mouth: and my judgement shall go forth as the light.

Therefore 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 For I will [have] mercy rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than whole burnt offerings.

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

7 But they are as a man transgressing a covenant:

But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

8 there the city Galaad despised me, working vanity, troubling water.

Gilead [is] a city of them that work iniquity, [and is] polluted with blood.

9 And your strength [is that] of a robber: the priests have hid the way, they have murdered [the people of] Sicima; for they have wrought iniquity in the house of Israel.

And as troops of robbers wait for a man, [so] the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.

10 I have seen horrible [things] there, [even] the fornication of Ephraim: Israel and Juda are defiled;

I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel: there [is] the prostitution of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

11 begin together grapes for yourself, when I turn the captivity of my people.

Also, O Judah, he hath set a harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.