< Hosea 5 >

1 “Hear this, priests! Pay attention, house of Israel! Listen, house of the king! For judgment is coming against you all. You have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread over Tabor.
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.
2 The rebels stand deep in slaughter, but I will punish all of them.
And they that fall away are gone deep in making slaughter; and I am rejected of them all.
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me. Ephraim, now you have become like a prostitute; Israel is defiled.
I, even I, know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me; for now, O Ephraim, thou hast committed harlotry, Israel is defiled.
4 Their deeds will not allow them to turn to God, for the mind of adultery is in them, and they do not know Yahweh.
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.
5 The pride of Israel testifies against him; so Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their guilt; and Judah also will stumble with them.
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.
6 They will go with their flocks and herds to seek Yahweh, but they will not find him, for he has withdrawn himself from them.
With their flocks and with their herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them.
7 They were unfaithful to Yahweh, for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the new moon festivals will devour them with their fields.
They have dealt treacherously against the LORD, for they have begotten strange children; now shall the new moon devour them with their portions.
8 Blow the horn in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah. Sound a battle cry at Beth Aven: 'We will follow you, Benjamin!'
Blow ye the horn in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah; sound an alarm at Beth-aven: 'Behind thee, O Benjamin!'
9 Ephraim will become a desolation on the day of punishment. Among the tribes of Israel I have declared what is certain to happen.
Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel do I make known that which shall surely be.
10 The leaders of Judah are like those who move a boundary stone. I will pour my wrath on them like water.
The princes of Judah are like them that remove the landmark; I will pour out My wrath upon them like water.
11 Ephraim is crushed; he is crushed in judgment, because he has willingly walked after idols.
Oppressed is Ephraim, crushed in his right; because he willingly walked after filth.
12 So I will be like a moth to Ephraim, and like rot to the house of Judah.
Therefore am I unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and Judah sent messengers to the great king. But he was not able to cure you people or heal your wound.
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.
14 So I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry them off, and there will be no one to rescue them.
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.
15 I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, until they earnestly seek me in their distress.”
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:

< Hosea 5 >