Hosea 5

1 “Hear this, O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, And, O house of the king, give ear, For the judgment [is] for you, For you have been a snare on Mizpah, And a net spread out on Tabor.

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 And to slaughter sinners have gone deep, And I [am] a chain to them all.

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

3 I have known Ephraim, And Israel has not been hid from Me, For now you have gone whoring, Ephraim, 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 They do not give up their habitual doings, To turn back to their God, For a spirit of whoredoms [is] in their midst, And YHWH they have not known.

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 And humbled has been the excellence of Israel to his face, And Israel and Ephraim stumble by their iniquity, Judah has also stumbled 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6 With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek YHWH, and do not find, He has withdrawn from them.

They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them.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 Against YHWH they dealt treacherously, For they have begotten strange sons, Now a month consumes them [with] their portions.

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

8 Blow a horn in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, Shout, O Beth-Aven, after you, O Benjamin.

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

9 Ephraim is for a desolation in a day of reproof, I have made known a sure thing among the tribes of Israel.

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

10 Princes of Judah have been as those removing a border, I pour out My wrath as water on them.

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

11 Ephraim is oppressed, broken in judgment, When he pleased he went after the command.

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

12 And I [am] as a moth to Ephraim, And as a rotten thing to the house of Judah.

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

13 And Ephraim sees his sickness, and Judah his wound, And Ephraim goes to Asshur, And sends to a warlike king, And he is not able to give healing to you, Nor does he remove a scar from you.

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 [am] as a lion to Ephraim, And as a young lion to the house of Judah, I tear and go, I carry away, and there is no deliverer.

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 I go—I return to My place, Until they are desolate, and have sought My face. In their distress they seek Me speedily!”

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.