< Hosea 5 >

1 Hear ye this—O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, and ye, House of the King, give ear, for, to you, pertaineth the sentence, —for, a snare, have ye been to Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.
Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, house of Israel! Listen, members of the royal family!
2 And, a slaughter, have apostates deeply designed, —though, I, was a rebuker to them all.
Judgment belongs with you because you have been a snare set at Mizpah and a net spread out on Tabor. You dug a deep trap in Shittim, but I will punish you for all these things you have done.
3 I, have known Ephraim, and, Israel, hath not been hidden from me, —for, now, hast thou committed unchastity, O Ephraim, Israel, hath made himself impure.
I know Ephraim very well, and Israel cannot hide from me, for now Ephraim is a prostitute and Israel is defiled.
4 Their doings, will not suffer, them to return unto their God, —for, the spirit of unchastity, is within them, and, Yahweh, have they not known.
Your actions stop you from coming back to your God for a spirit of prostitution is within you and you do not know the Lord.
5 Therefore will the Excellency of Israel, answer, to his face, —and, Israel and Ephraim, shall stumble in their iniquity, even Judah with them, hath stumbled.
Israel's pride speaks against them, right in the face. Israel and Ephraim will stumble because of their guilt, and Judah will stumble along with them.
6 With their flocks and with their herds, will they go to seek Yahweh, but shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.
They will go to seek the Lord with their herds and flocks, but they will not find him, for he has given up on them.
7 With Yahweh, have they dealt treacherously, for, to alien children, have they given birth, —now, a new moon, shall devour them, with their portions.
They have been unfaithful to the Lord and have had children that are not his. Now the New Moon will destroy them along with their fields.
8 Blow ye a horn in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, —sound an alarm at Beth-aven, behind thee, O Benjamin!
Blow the horn in Gibeah! Sound the trumpet in Ramah! Shout an alarm in Beth-aven! Lead the way, Benjamin!
9 Ephraim, shall become, a desolation, in the day of rebuke: Throughout the tribes of Israel, have I hide known what is sure.
Ephraim will be left desolate on the day of punishment. Among the tribes of Israel I will reveal what is the real truth.
10 The rulers of Judah have become as they who remove a land-mark. Upon them, will I pour out, like water, my wrath.
The rulers of Judah have become thieves like those who illegally move boundaries. I will pour out my anger like water upon them.
11 Oppressed, is Ephraim, crushed in judgment, —because he hath, wilfully, walked after falsehood.
The people of Ephraim are crushed, smashed to pieces in judgment because they were determined to follow human commands.
12 But, I, was like a moth, to Ephraim, —and like rotten wood to the house of Judah.
I am like a maggot to Ephraim, and like something rotten to the people of Judah.
13 When Ephraim, saw, his injury, and Judah his wound, then went Ephraim unto Assyria, and [Judah] sent unto a hostile king, —yet, he, cannot heal you, nor will the wound, remove from you.
When Ephraim saw how sick they were, and Judah saw how wounded they were, Ephraim turned to the great king of Assyria for help, but he could not heal them or cure their wounds.
14 For, I, will be as a lion unto Ephraim, and as a young lion to the house of Judah, —I, I, will tear in pieces, and depart, I will carry off, and none be able to rescue.
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a fierce lion to the people of Judah. I will come and tear them to pieces, and carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them.
15 I will depart, will return unto my place! till what time they acknowledge their guilt, and seek my face, —In their trouble, will they make for me diligent search.
Then I will leave and return to where I came from until they acknowledge their wrongs, and in their distress they will seek my face and beg for my help.”

< Hosea 5 >