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

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

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

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 far from me: for now Ephraim has gone grievously a-whoring, 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 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 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 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6 With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek YHWH, and do not find, He has withdrawn from them.

They shall go with sheep and calves diligently to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him, for he has withdrawn himself from them.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 Against YHWH they dealt treacherously, For they have begotten strange sons, Now a month consumes 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 a horn in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, Shout, O Beth-Aven, after you, O Benjamin.

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

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

Ephraim has come to nothing in the days of reproof: in the tribes of Israel I have shown faithful [dealings].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 [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.

Therefore 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 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, until they are brought to nothing, and [then] shall they seek my face.