1 “ Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.

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

2 “ He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.

After two days he shall give us life: in the third day he will resurrect us, and we shall live in his sight.

3 “ So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”

And we shall know and follow on in knowing the LORD; his going forth is prepared as the dawn; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

4 W hat shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud And like the dew which goes away early.

¶ O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? Your mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away.

5 T herefore I have hewn them in pieces by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And the judgments on you are like the light that goes forth.

Therefore I have hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: that thy righteousness be as the light that goes forth.

6 F or I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in 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 B ut like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me.

But they have transposed the covenant as of men: there they have rebelled against me.

8 G ilead is a city of wrongdoers, Tracked with bloody footprints.

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

9 A nd as raiders wait for a man, So a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem; Surely they have committed crime.

And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the council of priests murder in the way by common accord; for they put the abomination into effect.

10 I n the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim’s harlotry is there, Israel has defiled itself.

I saw uncleanness in the house of Israel: there Ephraim played the harlot, Israel defiled herself.

11 A lso, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you, When I restore the fortunes of My people.

Also, Judah placed a plant in thee when I had turned the captivity of my people.