Hosea 6

1 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.

Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds.

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

After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.

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

So let us know— let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.

4 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.

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.

5 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.

Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth, and My judgments go forth like lightning.

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

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

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

But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they were unfaithful to Me.

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

Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with footprints of blood.

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

Like raiders who lie in ambush, so does a band of priests; they murder on the way to Shechem; surely they have committed atrocities.

10 I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the harlotry of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing: Ephraim practices prostitution there, and Israel is defiled.

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

Also for you, O Judah, a harvest is appointed, when I restore My people from captivity.