Hosea 6

1 “Come on! Let's go back to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but now he will heal us. He has struck us down, but now he will bind up our wounds.

In their affliction they will rise early to me: Come, and let us return to the Lord:

2 In two days he will heal us; after three days he will raise us up so we can live in his presence.

For he hath taken us, and he will heal us: he will strike, and he will cure us.

3 Let's get to know the Lord, really strive to know him, and he will appear to us as surely as the sun will rise; he will come to us as certainly as the spring rains fall on the earth.”

He will revive us after two days: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. We shall know, and we shall follow on, that we may know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning light, and he will come to us as the early and the latter rain to the earth.

4 Ephraim, what shall I do with you? Judah, what shall I do with you? Your love disappears like mist at dawn; it vanishes like dew in the morning.

What shall I do to thee, O Ephraim? what shall I do to thee, O Juda? your mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth away in the morning.

5 So I cut you down through the prophets; I killed you with my words. My judgment shines out like a light.

For this reason have I hewed them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments shall go forth as the light.

6 I want your true love, not your sacrifices; I want you to know me, not your burnt offerings.

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts.

7 But you, just like Adam, broke our agreement, there you were unfaithful to me.

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

8 Gilead is a city of evil people where footprints are tracked in blood.

Galaad is a city of workers of idols, supplanted with blood.

9 Priests are like a gang of bandits, lying in wait to ambush travelers on the road. They commit murder in Shechem, carrying out wicked crimes.

And like the jaws of highway robbers, they conspire with the priests who murder in the way those that pass out Sichem: for they have wrought wickedness.

10 I have seen in the house of Israel something totally disgusting: Ephraim engages in prostitution and Israel is sexually corrupt.

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

11 And as for you, Judah, your harvest-time has been set! When I restore the fortunes of my people,

And thou also, O Juda, set thee a harvest, when I shall bring back captivity of my people.