1 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 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3 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 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 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 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
8 Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.
9 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 have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
11 Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.

1Come, and let vs returne vnto the Lord: for hee hath torne, and hee will heale vs: he hath smitten, and he will binde vs vp.

2After two daies will he reuiue vs, in the third day he will raise vs vp, and we shall liue in his sight.

3Then shal we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared, as the morning; & he shall come vnto vs, as the raine; as the latter and former raine vnto the earth.

4 O Ephraim, what shall I doe vnto thee? O Iudah, what shall I do vnto thee? for your goodnesse is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

5Therefore haue I shewed them by the Prophets: I haue slaine them by the wordes of my mouth, and thy iudgements are as the light that goeth foorth.

6For I desired mercie, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more then burnt offerings.

7But they like men haue transgressed the Couenant: there haue they dealt treacherously against me.

8Gilead is a city of them that worke iniquitie; and is polluted with blood.

9And as troupes of robbers waite for a man, so the company of priestes murther in the way by consent: for they commit lewdnesse.

10I haue seene an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredome of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

11Also O Iudah, hee hath set an haruest for thee, when I returned the captiuitie of my people.

I == Deut 32:39

 

II == 1st Cor 15:4

 

III == 2nd Sam 23:4 ; Job 29:23 ; Ps 72:6 ; Isa 54:13

 

IV == Hos 11:8 ; 13:3

 

 

V == Jer 1:10 ; 5:14 ; 23:29 ; Heb 4:12

 

VI == 1st Sam 15:22 ; Isa 1:11 ; Matt 9:13 ; 12:7 ; John 17:3

VII == JOb 31:33 ; Hos 5:7 ; 8:1

VIII == Hosw 12:11

 

 

X == Jer 5:30

 

XI == Rev 14:15

1 In their affliction, they shall look for me: "Come, let us return to the LORD, For it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.

2 He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence.

3 Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day! He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth."

4 What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your piety is like a morning cloud, like the dew that early passes away.

5 For this reason I smote them through the prophets, I slew them by the words of my mouth;

6 For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts.

7 But they, in their land, violated the covenant; there they were untrue to me.

8 Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with blood.

9 As brigands ambush a man, a band of priests slay on the way to Shechem, committing monstrous crime.

10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing: there harlotry is found in Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

11 For you also, O Judah, a harvest has been appointed.

Priest Muder and Commit Lewdness

The third day probably meaning that after a unknown short perioc Israel would be restored to its former glory and generally understood to be a forehint of the Messiah's resurrection on the third day.

Two of the principal cities of the land, Gilead (8) and Shechem (9) were particularly horrible as centers of vice and violence.

v 1-3. Future generations would recognize that God was the One who punished and the One who could restore. They speak as expecting it soon, and the captivity lasted only 70 years, but the final fulfillment is in the Millennium. Some think the third day may refer typically to Christ’s resurrection. At any rate, they will have assurance and confidence like that which a latter rain gives in that land.

v 4-11. This begins a cycle of judgment and restoration. Ephraim and Judah are both addressed as their love is like dew which quickly evaporates. Ignoring the prophets had brought death and destruction on the people. Under Ahaz, Judah lost 120,00 in one day, and 200,000 women and children were captured but returned. God wanted their devotion and loyalty, not their hypocritical sacrifices. Like Adam, (or mankind) they blatantly disregarded God’s commands. Widespread violence and immorality, even by the priests, was the result, and Gilead, a city of refuge was turned to a city of blood. Ephraim is said to be horrid in harlotry, which went beyond the physical and refers to unfaithfulness to the Lord. Judah is reaping what it has sown.

Second half of v 11. This is the restoration part of the cycle.