Hosea 5

1 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.

Hear these things, ye priests; and attend, O house of Israel; and hearken, O house of the king; for the controversy is with you, because ye have been a snare in Scopia, and as a net spread on Itabyrium,

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

which they that hunt the prey have fixed: but I will correct you.

3 I, even I, know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me; for now, O Ephraim, thou hast committed harlotry, Israel is defiled.

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not far from me: for now Ephraim has gone grievously a-whoring, Israel is defiled.

4 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.

They have not framed their counsels to return to their God, for the spirit of fornication is in them, and they have not known the Lord.

5 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.

And the pride of Israel shall be brought low before his face; and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquities; and Judas also shall fall with them.

6 With their flocks and with their herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them.

They shall go with sheep and calves diligently to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him, for he has withdrawn himself from them.

7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD, for they have begotten strange children; now shall the new moon devour them with their portions.

For they have forsaken the Lord; for strange children have been born to them: now shall the cankerworm devour them and their heritages.

8 Blow ye the horn in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah; sound an alarm at Beth-aven: 'Behind thee, O Benjamin!'

Blow ye the trumpet on the hills, sound aloud on the heights: proclaim in the house of On, Benjamin is amazed.

9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel do I make known that which shall surely be.

Ephraim has come to nought in the days of reproof: in the tribes of Israel I have shown faithful [dealings].

10 The princes of Judah are like them that remove the landmark; I will pour out My wrath upon them like water.

The princes of Juda became as they that removed the bounds: I will pour out upon them my fury as water.

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

Ephraim altogether prevailed against his adversary, he trod judgment under foot, for he began to go after vanities.

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

Therefore I [will be] as consternation to Ephraim, and as a goad to the house of Juda.

13 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.

And Ephraim saw his disease, and Judas his pain; then Ephraim went to the Assyrians, and sent ambassadors to king Jarim: but he could not heal you, and your pain shall in nowise cease from you.

14 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.

Wherefore I am as a panther to Ephraim, and as a lion to the house of Juda: and I will tear, and go away; and I will take, and there shall be none to deliver.

15 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:

I will go and return to my place, until they are brought to nought, and [then] shall they seek my face.