Hosea 6

1 “Come, let us return to Yahweh. For he has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has injured us, but he will bandage our wounds.

Come, let us go back to the Lord; for he has given us wounds and he will make us well; he has given blows and he will give help.

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

After two days he will give us life, and on the third day he will make us get up, and we will be living before him.

3 Let us know Yahweh; let us press on to know Yahweh. His coming out is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the land.”

And let us have knowledge, let us go after the knowledge of the Lord; his going out is certain as the dawn, his decisions go out like the light; he will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.

4 Ephraim, what will I do with you? Judah, what will I do with you? Your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early.

O Ephraim, what am I to do to you? O Judah, what am I to do to you? For your love is like a morning cloud, and like the dew which goes early away.

5 So I have cut them to pieces by the prophets, I have killed them with the words of my mouth. Your decrees are like the light that shines out.

So I have had it cut in stones; I gave them teaching by the words of my mouth;

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

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

7 Like Adam they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me.

But like a man, they have gone against the agreement; there they were false to me.

8 Gilead is a city of evildoers with footprints of blood.

Gilead is a town of evil-doers, marked with blood.

9 As gangs of robbers wait for someone, so the priests band together to commit murder on the way to Shechem; they have committed shameful crimes.

And like a band of thieves waiting for a man, so are the priests watching secretly the way of those going quickly to Shechem, for they are working with an evil design.

10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim's prostitution is there, and Israel has become unclean.

In Israel I have seen a very evil thing; there false ways are seen in Ephraim, Israel is unclean;

11 For you also, Judah, a harvest has been appointed, when I will restore the fortunes of my people.

And Judah has put up disgusting images for himself.