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 priests, and attend, O house of Israel, And, O house of the king, give ear, For the judgment [is] for you, For you have been a snare on Mizpah, And a net spread out on Tabor.

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

And to slaughter sinners have gone deep, And I [am] a chain to 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 have known Ephraim, And Israel has not been hid from Me, For now you have gone whoring, Ephraim, 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.

They do not give up their habitual doings, To turn back to their God, For a spirit of whoredoms [is] in their midst, And YHWH they have not known.

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

And humbled has been the excellence of Israel to his face, And Israel and Ephraim stumble by their iniquity, Judah has also stumbled 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6 They go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, but they do not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.

With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek YHWH, and do not find, He has withdrawn from them.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.

Against YHWH they dealt treacherously, For they have begotten strange sons, Now a month consumes 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 a horn in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, Shout, O Beth-Aven, after you, O Benjamin.

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

Ephraim is for a desolation in a day of reproof, I have made known a sure thing among the tribes of Israel.

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

Princes of Judah have been as those removing a border, I pour out My wrath as water on them.

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

Ephraim is oppressed, broken in judgment, When he pleased he went after the command.

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

And I [am] as a moth to Ephraim, And as a rotten thing to the house of Judah.

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 Ephraim sees his sickness, and Judah his wound, And Ephraim goes to Asshur, And sends to a warlike king, And he is not able to give healing to you, Nor does he remove a scar from you.

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 [am] as a lion to Ephraim, And as a young lion to the house of Judah, I tear and go, I carry away, and there is no deliverer.

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 go—I return to My place, Until they are desolate, and have sought My face. In their distress they seek Me speedily!”