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 the Lord; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind up our wounds.

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

He will revive us after two days: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his presence.

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 feel it, that we may strive to know the Lord; bright as the morning-dawn is his rising; and he will come as the rain unto us, as the latter rain that maketh fruitful 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.

What shall I do unto thee, O Ephraim? what shall I do unto thee, O Judah? for your piety is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth 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 did I hew [them] down by means of the prophets; I slew them by the words of my mouth: and thy punishments go forth like the light.

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

For piety I desired, 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 an ordinary man, have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

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

Gil'ad is become a city of workers of wickedness, is full of traces of 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 that lie in wait for a man, so is the band of priests, they murder on the way in unison; for they commit scandalous deeds.

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

On the house of Israel have I seen a horrible thing: there is lewdness in Ephraim, Israel is become defiled.

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

Also for thee, O Judah, will a harvest be prepared, when I bring back the captivity of my people.