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 vs returne to the Lord: for he hath spoyled, and he will heale vs: he hath wounded vs, and he will binde vs vp.

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 dayes will he reuiue vs, and in the third day he will raise vs vp, and we shall liue in his sight.

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.

Then shall we haue knowledge, and indeuour our selues to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come vnto vs as the raine, and as the latter raine vnto 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 doe vnto thee? O Iudah, how shall I intreate thee? for your goodnesse is as a morning cloude, and as the morning dewe it goeth 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 haue I cut downe by the Prophets: I haue slaine them by the wordes of my mouth, and thy iudgements were 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 desired mercie, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more then burnt offrings.

7 But they are as a man transgressing a covenant:

But they like men haue transgressed the couenant: there haue they trespassed against me.

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

Gilead is a citie of them that worke iniquitie, and is polluted 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 the eues waite for a man, so the companie of Priestes murder in the way by consent: for they worke mischiefe.

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

I haue seene vileny in the house of Israel: there is ye whoredome of Ephraim: Israel is defiled.

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

Yea, Iudah hath set a plant for thee, whiles I woulde returne ye captiuitie of my people.