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, a snare ye have been on Mizpah, And a net spread out on Tabor.

“Hear this, O priests! Take heed, O house of Israel! Give ear, O royal house! For this judgment is against you because you have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.

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

The rebels are deep in slaughter; but I will chastise them all.

3 I have known Ephraim, And Israel hath not been hid from me, For now thou hast gone a-whoring, Ephraim, Defiled is Israel.

I know all about Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me. For now, O Ephraim, you have turned to prostitution; Israel is defiled.

4 They give not up their habitual doings, To turn back unto their God, For a spirit of whoredoms [is] in their midst, And Jehovah they have not known.

Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for a spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know the LORD.

5 And humbled hath been the excellency of Israel to his face, And Israel and Ephraim stumble by their iniquity, Stumbled also hath Judah with them.

Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; even Judah stumbles with them.

6 With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek Jehovah, and do not find, He hath withdrawn from them.

They go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, but they do not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.

7 Against Jehovah they dealt treacherously, For strange sons they have begotten, Now consume them doth a month [with] their portions.

They have been unfaithful to the LORD; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the New Moon will devour them along with their land.

8 Blow ye a cornet in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, Shout, O Beth-Aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; raise the battle cry in Beth-aven: Lead on, O Benjamin!

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

Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain.

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

The princes of Judah are like those who move boundary stones; I will pour out My fury upon them like water.

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

Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he is determined to follow worthless idols.

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

So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah.

13 And see doth Ephraim his sickness, and Judah his wound, And Ephraim goeth unto Asshur, And sendeth unto a warlike king, And he is not able to give healing to you, Nor doth he remove from you a scar.

When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.

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

For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them to pieces and then go away. I will carry them off where no one can rescue them.

15 I go — I turn back unto My place, Till that they are desolate, and have sought My face. In their distress they do seek Me speedily!'

Then I will return to My place until they admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”