Hosea 6

1 “Come, and let us return to Jehovah! For he hath torn, and he will heal us; He hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

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

2 After two days will he revive us, On the third day he will raise us up, And we shall 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 us, therefore, know him; Let us ever strive to know Jehovah, His coming forth is sure as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter rain which watereth 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 unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth.

4 O Ephraim, what shall I do to thee? O Judah, what shall I do to thee? For your goodness is like the morning cloud, And like the early dew, which vanisheth away.

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness [is] as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth, And my judgments have gone forth like the light.

Therefore have I hewed [them] by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments [are as] the light [that] goeth forth.

6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.

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

7 But they, after the manner of men, have transgressed the covenant; Even therein have they dealt unfaithfully with me.

But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

8 Gilead is a city of them that do iniquity; She is full of footsteps of blood.

Gilead [is] a city of them that work iniquity, [and is] polluted with blood.

9 As troops of robbers lying in wait for a man, so is the company of priests; They murder in the way to Shechem; Yea, they commit heinous wickedness.

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 a horrible thing in the house of Israel; There Ephraim committeth fornication, Israel is polluted.

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

11 For thee also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed.

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