Hosea 6

Evangelical Heritage Version

6 Come, let us return to the Lord.
For he has torn us to pieces,
    but he will heal us.
    He has struck us,
    but he will bandage our wounds.
² After two days he will revive us.
    On the third day he will raise us up,
    so that we may live in his presence.
³ Let us acknowledge the Lord.
    Let us pursue knowledge of the Lord.
    As surely as the sun rises,
    the Lord will appear.
    He will come to us like a heavy rain,
    like the spring rain that waters the earth.

⁴ What am I going to do with you, Ephraim?
    What am I going to do with you, Judah?
    For your faithfulness^[a] is like a morning mist,
    like early dew that disappears.
⁵ That is why I cut them to pieces by means of the prophets.
    I killed them with the words of my mouth.
    The judgments against you go forth like the light.
⁶ For I desire mercy,^[b] and not sacrifice,
    and the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.
⁷ Like Adam,^[c] they have broken the covenant.
    They acted treacherously against me there.
⁸ Gilead is a city of evildoers,
    stained with bloody footprints.
⁹ As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man,
    so do bands of priests.
    They commit murder on the road to Shechem.
    They have committed shameful crimes.
¹⁰ In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing.
    Ephraim practices sexual immorality there.
    Israel defiles itself.
¹¹ Judah, also for you, a harvest has been appointed,
    when I restore the fortunes of my people.^[d]