Osee 6

1 In their affliction they will seek me early, saying, Let us go, and return to the Lord our God; for he has torn, and will heal us; he will smite, and bind us up.

Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

2 After two days he will heal us: in the third day we shall arise, and live before him, and shall know [him]:

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

3 let us follow on to know the Lord: we shall find him ready as the morning, and he will come to us as the early and latter rain to the earth.

And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.

4 What shall I do unto thee, Ephraim? What shall I do to thee, Juda? whereas your mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that goes away.

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth early away.

5 Therefore have I mown down your prophets; I have slain them with the word of my mouth: and my judgment shall go forth as the light.

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.

6 For I will [have] mercy rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than whole-burnt-offerings.

For I desire goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.

7 But they are as a man transgressing a covenant:

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

8 there the city Galaad despised me, working vanity, troubling water.

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity; it is stained with blood.

9 And thy strength [is that] of a robber: the priests have hid the way, they have murdered [the people of] Sicima; for they have wrought iniquity in the house of Israel.

And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem; yea, they have committed lewdness.

10 I have seen horrible [things] there, [even] the fornication of Ephraim: Israel and Juda are defiled;

In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing: there whoredom is [found] in Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

11 begin together grapes for thyself, when I turn the captivity of my people.

Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for thee, when I bring back the captivity of my people.