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 ye this, O ye priests, And hearken, O house of Israel, And give ear, O house of the king! For judgment is coming upon you, Because ye have been a snare at Mizpah, And an outspread net upon Tabor.

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

By their sacrifices they commit deep transgression, And I will bring chastisement upon 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 hidden from me; For thou committest fornication, O Ephraim, 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 return to their God; For a spirit of fornication is within them, And they have no regard to Jehovah.

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.

The pride of Israel testifieth 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6 With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek YHWH, and do not find, He has withdrawn from them.

With their flocks and with their herds shall they go to seek Jehovah, And shall not find him; He hath withdrawn himself from them.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 been false to Jehovah, For they have begotten strange children; Now shall the new moon consume them with their possessions.

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

Blow ye the trumpet in Gibeah, And the cornet in Ramah; Cry aloud at Bethaven! Look behind thee, 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 do I make known what is sure.

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

The princes of Judah are like them that remove the land mark; 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; he is crushed with punishment, Because he willingly walked after the decree.

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

I am as a moth to Ephraim, And as rottenness to the house of Judah.

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 his wound, Then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, And Judah sent to the hostile king; But he will not be able to heal you, Nor will he 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 as a lion to Ephraim, And as a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear, and will depart; I will take away, and none shall rescue.

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 back to my place, Till they have suffered for their sin, and seek my face! In their affliction they will seek me early.