Hosea 5

1 Hear ye this, O priests, and hearken, O ye house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king: for there is a judgment against you, because you have been a snare to them whom you should have watched over, and a net spread upon Thabor.

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 And you have turned aside victims into the depth: and I am, the teacher of them all.

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

3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now Ephraim hath committed fornication, 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 They will not set their thoughts to return to their God: for the spirit of fornication is in the midst of them, and they have not known 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 And the pride of Israel shall answer in his face: and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquity, Juda also shall fall 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6 With their flocks, and with their herds, they shall go to seek the Lord, and shall not find him: he is withdrawn from them.

With their flocks and with their herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them.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 transgressed against the Lord, for they have begotten children that are strangers: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

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 ye the cornet in Gabaa, the trumpet in Rama: howl ye in Bethaven, behind thy back, 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 shall be in desolation in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel I have shewn that which shall surely be.

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 Juda are become as they that take up the bound: I will pour out my wrath 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 under oppression, and broken in judgment: because he began to go after filthiness.

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

12 And I will be like a moth to Ephraim: and like rottenness to the house of Juda.

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

13 And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Juda his band: and Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent to the avenging king: and he shall not be able to heal you, neither shall he be able to take off the band from you.

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 will be like a lioness to Ephraim, and like a lion’s whelp to the house of Juda: I, I will catch, and go: I will take away, and there is none that can rescue.

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 I will go and return to my place: until you are consumed, and seek my face.

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: