1Come ye, and turn we again to the Lord; for he took, and shall heal us; he shall smite, and shall make us whole. (Come ye, let us return to the Lord; for he hath torn us, but he shall heal us; he hath struck us, but he shall make us whole again.)

2He shall quicken us after two days, and in the third day he shall raise us, and we shall live in his sight. (He shall revive us after two days, and on the third day he shall raise us up, and we shall live before him.)

3We shall know, and follow, (so) that we know the Lord. His going out is made ready at the morrowtide, and he shall come as a rain to us, which is timeful and lateful to the earth.

4Ephraim, what shall I do to thee? Judah, what shall I do to thee? Your mercy is as a cloud of the morrowtide, and as dew passing forth early. (Ephraim, what shall I do with thee? Judah, what shall I do with thee? Your love, or your loyalty, is like a morning cloud, and like dew that passeth away early in the morning.)

5For this thing, I [have] hewed (them) in prophets, I (have) killed them in the words of my mouth; and thy dooms shall go out as light. (For this thing, I have cut them down by the prophets, I have killed them with the words of my mouth; and thy judgement shall go forth like the light.)

6For I would mercy, and not sacrifice, and I would the knowing of God, more than burnt sacrifices. (For I desire love, and not sacrifices, yea, I desire the knowing of God, more than any burnt sacrifices.)

7But they as Adam brake the covenant; there they trespassed against me. (But they, like other people, broke the covenant; they trespassed against me there.)

8Gilead, the city of them that work idol, is supplanted with blood; (Gilead, their city where they do evil, is overcome with blood;)

9and as the cheeks of men that be thieves. (So be the) Partner(s) of priests slaying in the way men going from Shechem, for they wrought great trespass. (like thieves waiting in ambush, so be the companies of priests killing those going on the way to Shechem; for indeed they wrought great trespass.)

10In the house of Israel I saw an horrible thing; there the fornications of Ephraim. Israel is defouled; (In the house of Israel I saw a horrible thing; there is the worshipping of idols by Ephraim. Yea, Israel is defiled;)

11but also thou, Judah, set [the] harvest to thee, when I shall turn (again) the captivity of my people. (and also thou, Judah, a time of reckoning hath been set for thee.)