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 strike, and bind us up.

Come, and let us return to Jehovah, for he has torn, and he will heal us. He has 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 he will 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 to us as the rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth.

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

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

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

Therefore I have hewed them by the prophets. I have slain them by the words of my mouth. And thy judgments are as the light that goes forth.

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

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

7 But they are as a man transgressing a covenant:

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

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

Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood.

9 And your 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 iniquity.

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

I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel. Whoredom is there in Ephraim; Israel is defiled.

11 begin together grapes for yourself, 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.