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 hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath 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 will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, 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.”

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 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? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth 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 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 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 like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

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

Gilead is a city of them 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 company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.

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

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

11 A lso, O 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.