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, priests, and pay attention, house of Israel, and listen closely, house of the king. For there is a judgment against you, because you have become a trap for those you watched over, and a net stretched out over Tabor.

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

And you have led astray victims into the depths, though I am the teacher of 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 Ephraim, and Israel has not been hidden from me, yet now Ephraim has committed fornication, and Israel has been contaminated.

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.

They will not set their thoughts to return to their God, for the spirit of fornication is in the midst of them, and they have not known 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.

And the arrogance of Israel will answer to his face. And Israel and Ephraim will fall in their iniquity, and even Judah will fall with them.

6 With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek Jehovah, and do not find, He hath withdrawn from them.

With their flocks and their herds, they will go to seek the Lord, and they will not find him. He has taken himself away 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 sinned against the Lord. For they have conceived sons that are strangers. Now one month will devour them with all their own.

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

Sound the bugle in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah. Shout in Bethaven, behind your back, 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 in desolation on the day of correction, for within the tribes of Israel, I have revealed faith.

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

The leaders of Judah have become like those who assume the end. I will pour my wrath over them like water.

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

Ephraim has been enduring malicious slander and broken judgment, because he began to go after filth.

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

And I will be 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.

And Ephraim saw his own weakness, and Judah his chains. And Ephraim went to Assur, and he sent to the Avenging king. But he will not be able to heal you, nor is he able to release you from your chains.

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 will be like a lioness to Ephraim, and like a lion’s offspring to the house of Judah. I myself will seize and go forth. I will take away, and there is no one who can rescue.

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!'

I will go and return to my place, until you shall grow faint and seek my face.