< Hosea 5 >
1 Hear this, O ye priests, and hearken, O house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king, for to you pertains the judgment. For ye have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.
Hear these things, you priests; and attend, O house of Israel; and listen, O house of the king; for the controversy is with you, because you have been a snare in Scopia, and as a net spread on Itabyrium,
2 And the revolters have gone deep in making slaughter, but I am a rebuker of them all.
which they that hunt the prey have fixed: but I will correct you.
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me. For now, O Ephraim, thou have played the harlot; Israel is defiled.
I know Ephraim, and Israel is not far from me: for now Ephraim has gone grievously a-whoring, Israel is defiled.
4 Their doings will not allow them to turn to their God, for the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they do not know Jehovah.
They have not framed their counsels to return to their God, for the spirit of fornication is in them, and they have not known the Lord.
5 And the pride of Israel testifies to his face. Therefore Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in their iniquity. Judah also shall stumble with them.
And the pride of Israel shall be brought low before his face; and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquities; and Judas also shall fall with them.
6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Jehovah, but they shall not find him. He has withdrawn himself from them.
They shall go with sheep and calves diligently to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him, for he has withdrawn himself from them.
7 They have dealt treacherously against Jehovah, for they have borne strange sons. Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields.
For they have forsaken the Lord; for strange children have been born to them: now shall the cankerworm devour them and their heritages.
8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah. Sound an alarm at Beth-aven, behind thee, O Benjamin.
Blow you the trumpet on the hills, sound aloud on the heights: proclaim in the house of On, Benjamin is amazed.
9 Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of rebuke. I have made known that which shall surely be among the tribes of Israel.
Ephraim has come to nothing in the days of reproof: in the tribes of Israel I have shown faithful [dealings].
10 The rulers of Judah are like those who remove the landmark. I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
The princes of Juda became as they that removed the bounds: I will pour out upon them my fury as water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed. He is crushed in judgment, because he was content to walk after man's command.
Ephraim altogether prevailed against his adversary, he trod judgment under foot, for he began to go after vanities.
12 Therefore I am to Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
Therefore I [will be] as consternation to Ephraim, and as a goad to the house of Juda.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb. But he is not able to heal you, nor will he cure you of your wound.
And Ephraim saw his disease, and Judas his pain; then Ephraim went to the Assyrians, and sent ambassadors to king Jarim: but he could not heal you, and your pain shall in nowise cease from you.
14 For I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away, I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver.
Therefore I am as a panther to Ephraim, and as a lion to the house of Juda: and I will tear, and go away; and I will take, and there shall be none to deliver.
15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me earnestly.
I will go and return to my place, until they are brought to nothing, and [then] shall they seek my face.