Hosea 6

1 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.

Come, and let vs returne to the Lord: for he hath spoyled, and he will heale vs: he hath wounded vs, and he will binde vs vp.

2 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.

After two dayes will he reuiue vs, and in the third day he will raise vs vp, and we shall liue in his sight.

3 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.

Then shall we haue knowledge, and indeuour our selues to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come vnto vs as the raine, and as the latter raine vnto the earth.

4 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.

O Ephraim, what shall I doe vnto thee? O Iudah, how shall I intreate thee? for your goodnesse is as a morning cloude, and as the morning dewe it goeth away.

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

Therefore haue I cut downe by the Prophets: I haue slaine them by the wordes of my mouth, and thy iudgements were as the light that goeth forth.

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

For I desired mercie, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more then burnt offrings.

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

But they like men haue transgressed the couenant: there haue they trespassed against me.

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

Gilead is a citie of them that worke iniquitie, and is polluted with blood.

9 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.

And as the eues waite for a man, so the companie of Priestes murder in the way by consent: for they worke mischiefe.

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

I haue seene vileny in the house of Israel: there is ye whoredome of Ephraim: Israel is defiled.

11 And Judah has put up disgusting images for himself.

Yea, Iudah hath set a plant for thee, whiles I woulde returne ye captiuitie of my people.