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.

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 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.

he will revive in a couple of days, on the third day he will raise us up again, to live in his presence.

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11 And Judah has put up disgusting images for himself.

Judah for you also a harvest is set. When I would restore the fortunes of my people,