Hosea 5

1 Hear this, priests! Attend, Israelites! Listen, royal family! For you is the judgment: a snare you have become at Mizpeh, and a net spread out on Tabor,

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

2 the rebels are deep in slaughter, but I will discipline all.

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

3 I know Ephraim, Israel is not hidden from me, for you, Ephraim, have committed prostitution and Israel is defiled.

I have known Ephraim, And Israel has not been hid from Me, For now you have gone whoring, Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

4 Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. For the spirit of prostitution is within them, they do not know the Lord.

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

5 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, Israel, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin, and Judah also stumbles with them.

And humbled has been the excellence of Israel to his face, And Israel and Ephraim stumble by their iniquity, Judah has also stumbled with them.

6 With their sheep and their cattle they will go to seek the Lord but they will not find him, he has withdrawn from them,

With their flock and with their herd, They go to seek YHWH, and do not find, He has withdrawn from them.

7 for they have been untrue to the Lord, their children are strangers. Their new moon festivals will soon destroy them and their fields.

Against YHWH they dealt treacherously, For they have begotten strange sons, Now a month consumes them [with] their portions.

8 Blow the trumpet in Gibeah, the clarion in Ramah! Raise the alarm in Beth-aven: we are with you, Benjamin!

Blow a horn in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, Shout, O Beth-Aven, after you, O Benjamin.

9 Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of punishment, concerning the tribes of Israel I make known what is certain.

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

10 The princes of Israel have become like thieves who move boundary stones. On them I will pour out my wrath like a flood.

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

11 Ephraim will be oppressed, crushed by judgment, for they are determined to go after vanity.

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

12 So I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rottenness to the house of Judah.

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

13 For when Ephraim saw their sickness and Israel their wound, Ephraim turned to Assyria, to its patron king. But he cannot heal you nor relieve you of your wound.

And Ephraim sees his sickness, and Judah his wound, And Ephraim goes to Asshur, And sends to a warlike king, And he is not able to give healing to you, Nor does he remove a scar from you.

14 For I myself will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, yes I, will rend and go my way, I will carry off and none will rescue.

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

15 I will return to my place, until in remorse they seek my presence. When they are in distress they will quickly seek me,

I go—I return to My place, Until they are desolate, and have sought My face. In their distress they seek Me speedily!”