Hosea 6

1 “Come, let us return to Yahweh. For he has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has injured us, but he will bandage 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 After two days he will revive us; he will raise us up on the third day, and we will live before him.

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 know Yahweh; let us press on to know Yahweh. His coming out is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the land.”

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 will I do with you? Judah, what will I do with you? Your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early.

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 have cut them to pieces by the prophets, I have killed them with the words of my mouth. Your decrees are like the light that shines out.

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 For I desire faithfulness and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

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

7 Like Adam they have broken the covenant; they 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 evildoers with footprints of blood.

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

9 As gangs of robbers wait for someone, so the priests band together to commit murder on the way to Shechem; they have committed shameful 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 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim's prostitution is there, and Israel has become unclean.

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

11 For you also, Judah, a harvest has been appointed, when I will restore the fortunes of my people.

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