< Hosea 5 >
1 O ye Priestes, heare this, and hearken ye, O house of Israel, and giue ye eare, O house of the King: for iudgement is towarde you, because you haue bene a snare on Mizpah, and a net spred vpon Tabor.
2 Yet they were profounde, to decline to slaughter, though I haue bene a rebuker of them all.
3 I knowe Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for nowe, O Ephraim thou art become an harlot, and Israel is defiled.
4 They will not giue their mindes to turne vnto their God: for the spirit of fornication is in the middes of them, and they haue not knowen the Lord.
5 And the pride of Israel doth testifie to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquitie: Iudah also shall fall with them.
6 They shall goe with their sheepe, and with their bullockes to seeke the Lord: but they shall not finde him: for he hath withdrawne himselfe from them.
7 They haue transgressed against the Lord: for they haue begotte strange children: now shall a moneth deuoure them with their portions.
8 Blowe ye the trumpet in Gibeah, and the shaume in Ramah: crie out at Beth-auen, after thee, O Beniamin.
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel haue I caused to knowe the trueth.
10 The princes of Iudah were like them that remoue the bounde: therefore will I powre out my wrath vpon them like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, and broken in iudgement, because he willingly walked after the commandement.
12 Therefore wil I be vnto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Iudah as a rottennesse.
13 When Ephraim sawe his sickenes, and Iudah his wound, then went Ephraim vnto Asshur, and sent vnto King Iareb: yet coulde hee not heale you, nor cure you of your wound.
14 For I will be vnto Ephraim as a lyon, and as a lyons whelpe to the house of Iudah: I, euen I will spoyle, and goe away: I will take away, and none shall rescue it.
15 I will go, and returne to my place, til they acknowledge their fault, and seeke me: in their affliction they will seeke me diligently.