Hosea 6

1 “Come on! Let's go back to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but now he will heal us. He has struck us down, but now 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 In two days he will heal us; after three days he will raise us up so we can live in his presence.

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 get to know the Lord, really strive to know him, and he will appear to us as surely as the sun will rise; he will come to us as certainly as the spring rains fall on 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 with you? Judah, what shall I do with you? Your love disappears like mist at dawn; it vanishes like dew in the morning.

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 So I cut you down through the prophets; I killed you with my words. My judgment shines out like a light.

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

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

7 But you, just like Adam, broke our agreement, there you were unfaithful to me.

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

8 Gilead is a city of evil people where footprints are tracked in blood.

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

9 Priests are like a gang of bandits, lying in wait to ambush travelers on the road. They commit murder in Shechem, carrying out wicked 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 I have seen in the house of Israel something totally disgusting: Ephraim engages in prostitution and Israel is sexually corrupt.

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

11 And as for you, Judah, your harvest-time has been set! 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,