Hosea 6

1 “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.

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.

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

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

3 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.”

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.

4 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.

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.

5 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.

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.

6 For piety I desired, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God, more than burnt-offerings.

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

7 But they, like an ordinary man, have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

But they are as a man transgressing a covenant:

8 Gil'ad is become a city of workers of wickedness, is full of traces of blood.

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

9 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.

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.

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

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

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

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