1 ` Come, and we turn back unto Jehovah, For He hath torn, and He doth heal us, He doth smite, and He bindeth us up.

“ 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.

2 H e doth revive us after two days, In the third day He doth raise us up, And we live before Him.

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

3 A nd we know -- we pursue to know Jehovah, As the dawn prepared is His going forth, And He cometh in as a shower to us, As gathered rain -- sprinkling earth.'

“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.”

4 W hat do I do to thee, O Ephraim? What do I do to thee, O Judah? Your goodness as a cloud of the morning, And as dew rising early -- going.

What 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.

5 T herefore I have hewed by prophets, I have slain them by sayings of My mouth, And My judgments to the light goeth forth.

Therefore 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.

6 F or kindness I desired, and not sacrifice, And a knowledge of God above burnt-offerings.

For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

7 A nd they, as Adam, transgressed a covenant, There they dealt treacherously against me.

But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me.

8 G ilead a city of workers of iniquity, Slippery from blood.

Gilead is a city of wrongdoers, Tracked with bloody footprints.

9 A nd as bands do wait for a man, A company of priests do murder -- the way to Shechem, For wickedness they have done.

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

10 I n the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing, There the whoredom of Ephraim -- defiled is Israel.

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

11 A lso, O Judah, appointed is a harvest to thee, In My turning back the captivity of My people!

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