Hosea 6
1 Let us go, and return to the Lord
our God; for he has torn, and will heal us; he will smite, and bind us up.
2 After two days he will heal us: in
the third day we shall arise, and live before him, and shall know
him: 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.
4 What shall I do unto thee, Ephraim?
What shall I do to thee, Juda? whereas your mercy is as a morning cloud, and
as the early dew that goes 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.
6 For I will
have mercy rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge
of God rather than whole-burnt-offerings.
7 But they are as a man transgressing
a covenant: 8 there the city Galaad
despised me, working vanity, troubling water.
9 And thy 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 I have seen horrible
things there, even the
fornication of Ephraim: Israel and Juda are defiled;
11 begin to gather grapes for
thyself, when I turn the captivity of my people.