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, priests! Attend, Israelites! Listen, royal family! For you is the judgment: a snare you have become at Mizpeh, and a net spread out on Tabor,
2 They have gone deep in the evil ways of Shittim, but I am the judge of all.
the rebels are deep in slaughter, but I will discipline 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, Israel is not hidden from me, for you, Ephraim, have committed prostitution and 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 deeds do not permit them to return to their God. For the spirit of prostitution is within them, they do not know the Lord.
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.
Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, Israel, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin, and Judah also stumbles 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.
With their sheep and their cattle they will go to seek the Lord but they will not find him, he has withdrawn from them,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.
for they have been untrue to the Lord, their children are strangers. Their new moon festivals will soon destroy them and their fields.
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 trumpet in Gibeah, the clarion in Ramah! Raise the alarm in Beth-aven: we are with you, 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 will become a desolation in the day of punishment, concerning the tribes of Israel I make known what is certain.
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 Israel have become like thieves who move boundary stones. On them I will pour out my wrath like a flood.
11 Ephraim is troubled; he is crushed by his judges, because he took pleasure in walking after deceit.
Ephraim will be oppressed, crushed by judgment, for they are determined to go after vanity.
12 And so to Ephraim I am like a wasting insect, and a destruction to the children of Judah.
So I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rottenness to the house of Judah.
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.
For when Ephraim saw their sickness and Israel their wound, Ephraim turned to Assyria, to its patron king. But he cannot heal you nor relieve you of your wound.
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 myself will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, yes I, will rend and go my way, I will carry off and none will rescue.
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 return to my place, until in remorse they seek my presence. When they are in distress they will quickly seek me,
