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 ye this, O priests, and hearken, O ye house of Israel, and give ear, O house of the king: for there is a judgment against you, because you have been a snare to them whom you should have watched over, and a net spread upon Thabor.

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

And you have turned aside victims into the depth: and 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 is not hid from me: for now Ephraim hath committed fornication, 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.

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 pride of Israel shall answer in his face: and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquity, Juda also shall 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6 With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek Jehovah, and do not find, He hath withdrawn from them.

With their flocks, and with their herds, they shall go to seek the Lord, and shall not find him: he is withdrawn from them.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 transgressed against the Lord, for they have begotten children that are strangers: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

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

Blow ye the cornet in Gabaa, the trumpet in Rama: howl ye in Bethaven, behind thy 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 shall be in desolation in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel I have shewn that which shall surely be.

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

The princes of Juda are become as they that take up the bound: I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

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

Ephraim is under oppression, and broken in judgment: because he began to go after filthiness.

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 rottenness to the house of Juda.

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 sickness, and Juda his band: and Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent to the avenging king: and he shall not be able to heal you, neither shall he be able to take off the band from you.

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 whelp to the house of Juda: I, I will catch, and go: I will take away, and there is none that 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 are consumed, and seek my face.