Hosea 5

1 Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, house of Israel! Listen, members of the royal family!

Hear all of you this, O priests; and hearken, all of you house of Israel; and give all of you ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because all of you have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

2 Judgment belongs with you because you have been a snare set at Mizpah and a net spread out on Tabor. You dug a deep trap in Shittim, but I will punish you for all these things you have done.

And the apostates are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

3 I know Ephraim very well, and Israel cannot hide from me, for now Ephraim is a prostitute and Israel is defiled.

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, you commit whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

4 Your actions stop you from coming back to your God for a spirit of prostitution is within you and you do not know the Lord.

They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.

5 Israel's pride speaks against them, right in the face. Israel and Ephraim will stumble because of their guilt, and Judah will stumble along with them.

And the pride of Israel does testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity: Judah also shall fall with them.

6 They will go to seek the Lord with their herds and flocks, but they will not find him, for he has given up on them.

They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them.

7 They have been unfaithful to the Lord and have had children that are not his. Now the New Moon will destroy them along with their fields.

They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

8 Blow the horn in Gibeah! Sound the trumpet in Ramah! Shout an alarm in Beth-aven! Lead the way, Benjamin!

Blow all of you the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after you, O Benjamin.

9 Ephraim will be left desolate on the day of punishment. Among the tribes of Israel I will reveal what is the real truth.

Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

10 The rulers of Judah have become thieves like those who illegally move boundaries. I will pour out my anger like water upon them.

The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

11 The people of Ephraim are crushed, smashed to pieces in judgment because they were determined to follow human commands.

Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

12 I am like a maggot to Ephraim, and like something rotten to the people of Judah.

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

13 When Ephraim saw how sick they were, and Judah saw how wounded they were, Ephraim turned to the great king of Assyria for help, but he could not heal them or cure their wounds.

When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a fierce lion to the people of Judah. I will come and tear them to pieces, and carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them.

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 none shall rescue him.

15 Then I will leave and return to where I came from until they acknowledge their wrongs, and in their distress they will seek my face and beg for my help.”

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.