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.

Come, and let us return to the LORD: for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up.

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

After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

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.”

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come to us as the rain, as the latter and former 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.

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

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

Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and your judgments are as the light that goes forth.

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 burnt offerings.

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

But they like men 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.

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted 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 as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.

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

I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the prostitution of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

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

Also, O Judah, he has set an harvest for you, when I returned the captivity of my people.