< Hosea 5 >
1 Give ear to this, O priests; give attention, O Israel, and you, family of the king; for you are to be judged; you have been a deceit at Mizpah and a net stretched out on Tabor.
Hear this, ye priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ear, O house of the king: for this judgment is for you; for ye have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.
2 They have gone deep in the evil ways of Shittim, but I am the judge of all.
And they have plunged themselves in the corruption of apostasy, but I will be a chastiser of them all.
3 I have knowledge of Ephraim, and Israel is not secret from me; for now, O Ephraim, you have been false to me, Israel has become unclean.
I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me; for now, Ephraim, thou hast committed whoredom; Israel is defiled.
4 Their works will not let them come back to their God, for a false spirit is in them and they have no knowledge of the Lord.
Their doings do not allow them to return unto their God; for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they know not Jehovah.
5 And the pride of Israel gives an answer to his face; and Ephraim will have a fall through his sins, and the fall of Judah will be the same as theirs.
And Israel's pride doth testify to his face; and Israel and Ephraim shall fall by their iniquity: Judah also shall fall with them.
6 They will go, with their flocks and their herds, in search of the Lord, but they will not see him; he has taken himself out of their view.
They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Jehovah; but they shall not find [him]: he hath withdrawn himself from them.
7 They have been false to the Lord; they have given birth to strange children; now the new moon will make them waste with their fields.
They have dealt treacherously against Jehovah; for they have begotten strange children: now shall the new moon devour them, with their allotted possessions.
8 Let the horn be sounded in Gibeah and in Ramah; give a loud cry in Beth-aven, They are after you, O Benjamin.
Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; cry aloud [at] Beth-aven: behind thee, O Benjamin!
9 Ephraim will become a waste in the day of punishment; I have given knowledge among the tribes of Israel of what is certain.
Ephraim shall be a desolation in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which is sure.
10 The rulers of Judah are like those who take away a landmark; I will let loose my wrath on them like flowing water.
The princes of Judah are become like them that remove the landmark: I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
11 Ephraim is troubled; he is crushed by his judges, because he took pleasure in walking after deceit.
Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because in selfwill he walked after the commandment [of man].
12 And so to Ephraim I am like a wasting insect, and a destruction to the children of Judah.
And I will be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
13 When Ephraim saw his disease and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to the great king; but he is not able to make you well or give you help for your wound.
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sore, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb; but he was unable to heal you, nor hath he removed your sore.
14 For I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the children of Judah; I, even I, will give him wounds and go away; I will take him away, and there will be no helper.
For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah. I, I will tear and go away; I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver.
15 I will go back to my place till they are made waste; in their trouble they will go after me early and will make search for me.
I will go away, I will return to my place, till they acknowledge their trespass, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.