Hosea 6

1 “Come! Let’s return to the LORD; for he has torn us to pieces, and he will heal us; he has injured us, and he will bind up our wounds.

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 he will revive us. On the third day he will raise us up, 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’s acknowledge the LORD. Let’s press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, the LORD will appear. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters 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 “Ephraim, what shall I do to you? Judah, what shall I do to you? For your love is like a morning cloud, and like the dew that disappears early.

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 cut them to pieces with the prophets; I killed them with the words of my mouth. Your judgements are like a flash of lightning.

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 desire mercy, 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 But they, like Adam, have broken the covenant. They were unfaithful to me there.

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

8 Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood.

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

9 As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man, so the company of priests murder on the path towards Shechem, committing 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. There is prostitution in Ephraim. Israel is defiled.

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

11 “Also, Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you, when I restore the fortunes of my people.

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