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

the rebels are deep in slaughter, but I will discipline all.

3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now Ephraim hath committed fornication, Israel is defiled.

I know Ephraim, Israel is not hidden from me, for you, Ephraim, have committed prostitution and 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 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 shall answer in his face: and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquity, Juda also shall fall with them.

Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, Israel, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin, and Judah also stumbles 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6 With their flocks, and with their herds, they shall go to seek the Lord, and shall not find him: he is withdrawn from them.

With their sheep and their cattle they will go to seek the Lord but they will not find him, he has withdrawn from them,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 transgressed against the Lord, for they have begotten children that are strangers: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

for they have been untrue to the Lord, their children are strangers. Their new moon festivals will soon destroy them and their fields.

8 Blow ye the cornet in Gabaa, the trumpet in Rama: howl ye in Bethaven, behind thy back, O Benjamin.

Blow the trumpet in Gibeah, the clarion in Ramah! Raise the alarm in Beth-aven: we are with you, 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 will become a desolation in the day of punishment, concerning the tribes of Israel I make known what is certain.

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 Israel have become like thieves who move boundary stones. On them I will pour out my wrath like a flood.

11 Ephraim is under oppression, and broken in judgment: because he began to go after filthiness.

Ephraim will be oppressed, crushed by judgment, for they are determined to go after vanity.

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

So I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rottenness to the house of Judah.

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.

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

I will return to my place, until in remorse they seek my presence. When they are in distress they will quickly seek me,