Hosea 5

1 “Hear this, O priests! Take heed, O house of Israel! Give ear, O royal house! For this judgment is against you because you have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.

Hear this, O ye priests, and attend, ye house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king, for unto you pertaineth the judgment; for ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

2 The rebels are deep in slaughter; but I will chastise them all.

And they that fall away are gone deep in making slaughter; and I am rejected of them all.

3 I know all about Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me. For now, O Ephraim, you have turned to prostitution; Israel is defiled.

I, even I, know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me; for now, O Ephraim, thou hast committed harlotry, Israel is defiled.

4 Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for a spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know the LORD.

Their doings will not suffer them to return unto their God; for the spirit of harlotry is within them, and they know not the LORD.

5 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; even Judah stumbles with them.

But the pride of Israel shall testify to his face; and Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in their iniquity, Judah also shall stumble with them.

6 They go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, but they do not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.

With their flocks and with their herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them.

7 They have been unfaithful to the LORD; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the New Moon will devour them along with their land.

They have dealt treacherously against the LORD, for they have begotten strange children; now shall the new moon devour them with their portions.

8 Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; raise the battle cry in Beth-aven: Lead on, O Benjamin!

Blow ye the horn in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah; sound an alarm at Beth-aven: 'Behind thee, O Benjamin!'

9 Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain.

Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel do I make known that which shall surely be.

10 The princes of Judah are like those who move boundary stones; I will pour out My fury upon them like water.

The princes of Judah are like them that remove the landmark; I will pour out My wrath upon them like water.

11 Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he is determined to follow worthless idols.

Oppressed is Ephraim, crushed in his right; because he willingly walked after filth.

12 So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah.

Therefore am I unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

13 When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.

And when Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to King Contentious; but he is not able to heal you, neither shall he cure you of your wound.

14 For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them to pieces and then go away. I will carry them off where no one can rescue them.

For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah; I, even I, will tear and go away, I will take away, and there shall be none to deliver.

15 Then I will return to My place until they admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”

I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their guilt, and seek My face; in their trouble they will seek Me earnestly: