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 ye this, O ye priests, And hearken, O house of Israel, And give ear, O house of the king! For judgment is coming upon you, Because ye have been a snare at Mizpah, And an outspread net upon Tabor.

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

By their sacrifices they commit deep transgression, And I will bring chastisement upon 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 know Ephraim, And Israel is not hidden from me; For thou committest fornication, O Ephraim, And 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 will not frame their doings To return to their God; For a spirit of fornication is within them, And they have no regard to Jehovah.

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

The pride of Israel testifieth to his face; Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall 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6 They go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, but they do not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.

With their flocks and with their herds shall they go to seek Jehovah, And shall not find him; He hath withdrawn himself from them.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 been false to Jehovah, For they have begotten strange children; Now shall the new moon consume them with their possessions.

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 trumpet in Gibeah, And the cornet in Ramah; Cry aloud at Bethaven! Look 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 what is sure.

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 land mark; 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.

Ephraim is oppressed; he is crushed with punishment, Because he willingly walked after the decree.

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

I am as a moth to Ephraim, And as rottenness 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.

When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah his wound, Then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, And Judah sent to the hostile king; But he will not be able to heal you, Nor will 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 as a lion to Ephraim, And as a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear, and will depart; I will take away, and none shall rescue.

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 back to my place, Till they have suffered for their sin, and seek my face! In their affliction they will seek me early.